Pentagon officials announced today that for the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, there are more troops in Afghanistan than Iraq, officially making Afghanistan the ‘Big War’ and Iraq ‘that other war.’
Given President Obama’s campaign pledges to escalate the war in Afghanistan and withdraw from Iraq, it is a wonder that it took over 16 months to reach this point, but a snail’s pace in the Iraq drawdown coupled with logistics problems in the latest Afghanistan escalation conspired to make it a long, difficult road.
Indeed, were it not for the endless surges into Afghanistan this day might never have come at all, as 92,000 troops remain in Iraq and the numbers are still not dropping in any sort of serious way. Rather Obama started with only 30,000 troops in Afghanistan but is rapidly approaching 100,000, with more expected all the time.
Though much was made of the Obama Administration “transitioning” troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, they actually have tens of thousands more troops deployed between the two war zones today than they did when he took office. For the military this means continued strain and more deployments, with no real end in sight.
And at least 28 US soldiers have died in Afghanistan since May 1 verses only 2 combat deaths in Iraq during the same period. 15 of those deaths have occurred in Helmand province alone with a virtual media blackout of these escalating numbers. Yesterday Carles Pena had a very good article at Anti war with the following quote, "it is unlikely the American people will be willing to stay the course forever, (in Afghanistan), more so if US casualties climb." The Antiwar site has often had headlines if there was a death in Iraq but for what ever reason the US combat deaths in Afghanistan are rarely mentioned and almost never a headline. Justin Raimondo said in an email that there are no accurate figures for US combat deaths in Afghanistan, none. That is bull. The DOD web site prints a daily list of recent US combat deaths in both Iraq and Afghanistan under Press Resources, news releases. These figures are easy to obtain and I assume the main source of information for Margret Griffis and her Iraqi tally. Raimondo also complained about my tone in presenting the case for expanded casualty reports. He also frequently
complains about the lack of anti war fervor now that Obama is President vs. W. Bush. Well I am just as frustrated as Raimondo about Obama but how on Earth can you get fired up about the escalating war in Afghanistan if nobody knows what is happening there and the ultimate consequences for US soldiers? And isn't Anti War suppose to be the site that gives an alternative view? And just how do you make an obvious critique of war reporting without coming off as negative? Give me one decent answer to any of these questions and I will give up on my personal quest to see more reporting on US combat deaths in Afghanistan by McClatchy, the Star Tribune, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Anti War and Democracy Now. Until than.
Dienbienphus come in many forms.
Anyone got reliable data on US military contractors in Afghanistan?
Last one looked they outnumbered the US military there. Also Erik Prince's Blackwater/Xe had accumulated its own little air arm.
ALL LIES THE IRAQ WAR IS NOT WHAT THE MEDIA TELLS THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, AND LET'S SAY THE WHITE TRASH IS ALL LIES , AND DEFINITELY THE USA REPUBLIC IS NOTHING WITH OUT THEIR NEGROS OR LATIN MEAT, OR ANY OTHER WANNA BE SO CALL AMERICAN WHAT A FUCKING JOKE, THE USA IS PURE EXCREMENT, AND SOON TO BE DISSOLVED AND DIVIDED, , I WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN INTERNAL MELT DOWN AND THE FULL OUT KILLINGS OF ALL OF WHITE TRASH IN THE BORROWED,TIME IN THE CONTINENT THE WHITE RACE MUST BE EXTERMINATED IN TH CONTINENT AND DEFINITELY THE GENETIC BIO WAR MUST BINGING TO EXTERMINATE THIS EXCREMENT , THERE IS TOO MUCH TALK ABOUT THIS SO CALL WARS THE TRUTH IS THE AMERICAN MEAT IN IRAQ AS WELL IN THE AFGHAN THEATER ARE BEEN BARBECUED, PICK UP LIKE THE PIGEONS , AND I MUST SAY THE MAJORITY ARE LATIN OR NEGRO AND OTHER MINORITIES NOT THE WHITE THE WHITES ARE USING THIS MEAT TO WIN THEIR GENOCIDES AROUND THE WORLD , IT IS TIME TO EXTERMINATE THE TOP WHITE TRTASH AND THEIR WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
Can someone explain to me why we are still in this country?
Is it to find Osama Bin fakery or what?
When I see articles saying we are fighting a war I just have to laugh. There is no war in Iraq or Afganistan it is called occupation.
Just more wasted money and lives just like Vietnam.
Please shut down the American(roman) empire.
Americans are really not in danger from the cavemen. Lets stop wasting trillions of dollars and peoples lives bombing the dirt and making more enemies.
How many more wars must America get into before the people wake up to the deception of the Military Industrial complex and there co-horts in the mass media?
My felllow Americans remind me of some scared, armed, little boy walking around in the dark and everytime he hears a noise he just starts blasting everything.