Obama Marks Decade in Afghanistan With False Statements on Wars

Obama claimed America has been made safer and that the wars are drawing to an end, despite facts to the contrary

President Barack Obama marked the ten-year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan with a paper statement, claiming to already have made a public speech reflecting the decade of war last month, on the anniversary of September 11th.

The statement contained the usual platitudes of patriotism and glorification of war. “Thanks to the extraordinary service of these Americans, our citizens are safer and our nation is more secure,” Obama said.

Obama made these statements, of course, while ignoring the mountains of evidence that these ten years of war, and in Afghanistan specifically, have exacerbated the terrorist threat America faces. War, occupation, Afghanistan’s corrupt client state, thuggish US-supported militias and a brutal night raid strategy have all increased anti-American hatred and resentment among a poor, uneducated, overly religious population.

Obama also misled Americans in his statement by pretending that American troops were withdrawing in Iraq and drawing down in Afghanistan. In Iraq, an expanded diplomatic presence and military presence will remain past the December deadline for withdrawal. US presence, and heavy influence over the Iraqi regime in general will not go away any time soon.

In Afghanistan, the transition to Afghan-controlled security has gone terribly wrong and the presence of “trainers” has been increasing. Meanwhile, top military officials have repeatedly explained that a heavy US military presence will remain in Afghanistan well beyond the 2014 date to withdraw.

Author: John Glaser

John Glaser writes for Antiwar.com.