NATO’s flag-lowering ceremonies in Afghanistan and attempts to spin the 13+ year Afghan War as over belie the reality, which is that the war is simply transitioning to a more US-dominated conflict, with little tangible change between now and January 1.
The PR move is a risky one, however, because if the war was over, it’d be time to start wondering who won. The Taliban has been quick to jump into the conversation, insisting they had defeated NATO.
The Taliban’s new statement noted NATO had not achieved anything substantial in the 13-plus years of occupation, and said that the war end ceremonies proved a demoralized force was turning and running.
Unfortunately, some 13,000 US and allied occupation forces will remain in Afghanistan, with a deal to leave troops through 2024 and beyond. The war seems set to continue, in everything but name, through its second decade and well into its third, with no end in sight, and no winners.
Not that I don't appreciate the 'side' I live on…but, say, if the Red Chinese were just now lowering the flag in DC in sort of a 'mission accomplished' gesture…I'd be very eager to mop up…so to speak. Unfortunately US soldiers are crappy PR targets apart from points scored locally–wanna fix the problem you really might oughta go abroad… Do a good enough job and their minions may even praise you and sing 'ding dong the witch is dead.' I sure would.
Empire USA — The dictator lover
More then that, propping up dictators is the all-in-all of our economy. For our CIA drones kill off the leaders of any rebellion, our military destroys any armed insurrection and in exchange we get natural resources unlimited and all the cheap sweatshop labor needed to keep our laboring-class unemployed, impoverished and thereby enslaved.
Actually, most all of the war materials made in USA, are they not sold to dictators?
The dope keeps flowing so I'd say we continue to be winning, no?
Declaring the war "over" is going to make it problematic to explain when "our Heroes" continue to come home in body bags. Assuming the USG even admits the deaths. Or is every death to occur going forward going to be "training accidents" or just that plain old ubiquitous "non-combat related" and leave it at that?
It's more likely that US soldiers will stay hidden in their safe zones and the hired mercenary soldiers will go out and do the killing. Then it will be illegal combatants and/or terrorists on both sides right?
This is window dressing in another on a long list of debacles the
USG and its flunkies won't admit defeat.
Oboomer's (claim) to have (degraded) the Taliban is about as bogus
as his equally absurd comment about (degrading) ISIS.
Jason, you can't win here with demonization of Obama, unless winning over true antiwar people isn't your real agenda. Stop the domestic politics and appeal to the wider audience. Join the rest of the world in not really caring which fucking Nazi is at the helm in the WH.
luv from Canada.
"COMBAT OPERATIONS ARE OVER" TSK! TSK!