Visiting Afghanistan today, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter echoed recent gloomy reports from the Pentagon on the ongoing occupation of the nation, adding that he anticipates another “hard year” in 2016 as the Taliban continues to seize territory and the Afghan security forces also struggle to cope with a growing ISIS presence.
2015 was a definite struggle, despite the Pentagon touting the ability of the Afghan military to at the very least stand its ground against the Taliban, the Afghan forces have faced soaring casualties and have lost ground on many fronts, even though the Taliban is engaged in an internal leadership battle.
And that’s just part of the problem, as the Afghan government was just barely holding its own against the Taliban, only now to also face an “operationally active” ISIS affiliate which has carved out territory of its own around Jalalabad.
Though another “hard year” is hardly news in Afghanistan 15 years into the occupation, it is unusual for a Pentagon chief to admit as much, as historically US officials have believed they were on the cusp of some decisive turnaround in the war, one that’s simply never come.
That's not the kind of talk from the secdef that is going to help recruiting here in the heartland.
If the antiwar supporters out there are serious about putting an end to some of the rampant adventurism the USG has been involved in over the past 30 years, they should start running ad campaigns showing the devastation being created by the USG and their "wars" – including graphic pictures of the dead, dying, and wounded of the US troops as well as the adversaries but most importantly the innocent bystanders sucked up and brutalized by the USG's spreading of Democracy.
And they should ask the question: "How would you feel if this was being done to Americans, on American soil, by invaders who say they're there to save us from the elite class who have taken over the country. It's only a little collateral damage, you know."
Not so long ago Antiwar.com lost much of its advertising revenue when Google pulled their ads because a few AW.C articles were accompanied by pictures of graphic violence. The Western "elite" class will do everything within their considerable power to ensure graphic images of war do not reach Western citizens, unless the "elite" writes the associated (pro-war) narrative.
It gives me no pleasure to note that I doubt this will change until the violence comes to our shores and can no longer be hidden.
At least "Baghdad Bob" was a kind of likeable fellow. "Washington Whopper" (Ash Carter) is just of full of it as Bob was but but doesn't have Bob's excuse of being spokesman for a third world fly blown dump. You would think with all the money spent on the military they could manage some limited success somewhere. When do the long suffering peasants of the NATO alliance decide they have had enough of pouring money into failure?
If its going to be a "hard year", Americans do so by choice. It could be a "great year" if Washington just decided to leave, and let the chips fall where they may.
Obviously the Afghan government has no local support. Washington is propping up a losing cause at considerable cost.
Carter went there to make sure we are ready for the Opium planting season. How obvious does it have to be? Follow the money!
Ashton Carter: Neo-con scum sucking lying parasite!