They can call it Taliban I suppose, but, to note with this increase in violence in Afghanistan is the change in authority in Pakistan. The Taliban and al Qaeda aren't feeling secure in Pakistan as they used to be. In recent months, Musharraf is being deposed of his power. Rightfully so. We need TRUE allies in Pakistan and not a Coup Government that allows tribal areas in the mountains to harbor al Qaeda and Taliban while they were nutured back to health to secure the residence of Osama bin Laden.
What is still not discussed is the fact that while Iraq is quieter due to so many deaths, injuries and impoverishment of civilians, the 'actual' 'war theater' in total isn't any quieter. The casualities and events have simply moved from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Bush has no victory in Iraq to tout. He has movement out of the country of 'elements' that would seek action elsewhere.
Iran needs to be involved in Iraq. It is the only way there will be enough security in the region to stop the violence. That would mean a Shi'ite presence in the country and the Sunni nations outside of Iraq don't want that, but, at the same instance the Sunni countries are not willing to commit to security forces to bolster the Iraqi forces either. The LACK of diplomacy is everywhere and exceptionally noted with the continued instability of Iraq now five years out.
I have said this before and still believe it years later, the provinces of Iraq need to secure their own borders along with assistance from 'ethnic' peacekeeper forces. In other words, The Sunnis of the region need to assist An Albar to secure their province. Iran needs to assist southern Iraq to provide stability to cities such as Basra and the Kurds need to be assisted by Western nations to nuture their already existing democracy. I think the ONLY aspect to this is still some interest by all the provinces in the remaining oil wealth of Iraq, which is probably marginal. In general, oil is diminishing in its global supply.
I have confidence in Arab leaders to work with Iraq to stop the killing and civil unrest within that country. The American experience there is simply hideous and outrageous. It has been nothing but a comedy of errors accompanied by retirement of most Generals that were in the ranks at the beginning of the Iraq invasion. In five years there has been a parade of retiring generals in the USA as like none other. From my point of view it is due to lack of respect by the Executive Branch and the abject failure of any strategy to stop the violence without destroying the lives of the Iraqis.
See, the 'powers that be' with the Republican influence in the USA still view Iraq as a 'strategic theater' to the West's national security directives.
That is a lie.
The West has plenty of places in the Middle East that can serve as 'ready' forces if there are issues regarding further involvement. The ONLY strategic importance for Iraq is as a springboard into another tragic invasion into Iran. That can't happen.
We have witnessed this past week the destruction of the 'vent' for North Korea's nuclear reactor. There were no bombs or troop level increases. As a matter of fact, last year the number of American troops in South Korea dropped significantly. If we are too be successful in 'good faith' negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear facility and its dismantling, we need to leave Iraq and concede the Iranian importance to the "Nation Shia" and its population now 'in existence' in Southern Iraq. I never once heard Iran state al Sadr was a threat to them. I think he is going to school in Iran, isn't he? To become perhaps an Ayatollah. That was his only hurdle I believe. Lack of proper theological education.
But, the point is that Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda IS THE ONLY REAL THREAT to any terrorist attacks and currently and much to their credit, Saudi Arabia has a strategy that keeps such elements under control. So does Jordan. The attacks in Amman were by Iraqis, not Jordanians. Such an example of 'exported anarchy' from Iraq due to the Bush/Cheney/McCain/Halliburton War should not go unnoticed either.
I thought for sure, the Amman attacks would result in a 'regional commitment' and 'regional infrastructure' that would work for the Arab nations, including Iraq, but the Republican Political Agenda proved 'too much' for such diplomacy to be successful. The only diplomacy Bush is interested in is harassing his Saudi family for more oil.
We don't belong in Iraq.
We never did.
David Wood, national security correspondent for The Sun, has reported on war and conflict from around the world since 1977. He recently won the Headliner Award for his Iraq coverage.
Afghanistan: casualties again outpace Iraq (click here)
Three Special Forces soldiers were killed Sunday in Afghanistan, helping to raise the monthly U.S. and allied death toll there to at least 45.
June will be the second month in which more coalition troops were killed by insurgents in Afghanistan than in Iraq, where the death toll in June reached 31 coalition troops. The dead included 27 Americans in Afghanistan, 29 Americans in Iraq.
In Washington, anger is rising at the rising death toll and the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. Ike Skelton, the venerable Democrat who chairs the House Armed Services Committee delivered a blistering letter Monday to Secretary of Defense Gates, charging that the Bush administration has no comprehensive strategy for saving Afghanistan.
"I am deeply troubled that the Taliban has reportedly coalesced into a resilient insurgency,'' wrote Skelton, referring to a gloomy Pentagon report on Afghanistan released last week.
"There is no well-coordinated comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan," he fumed.
"In many instances, there are no performance indicators or measures of progress, no timetable for achieving goals, and no long-term budget. ''
The three soldiers were killed in Khosrow-E Sofla, Afghanistan, when their vehicle rolled into a canal, according to a Defense Department statement.
"Kandahar in June"
A huge umbrella is seen on a main road on the outskirts of the city in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday June 27, 2008. Kandahar was one of the main strong hold of the Taliban regime, kicked out of the power in late 2001 by US forces. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
The good General Magnus forgets that when George Walker Bush wants 'NO TIMELINE' for Iraq and the Republican "Political Timeline" is more important he should NOT speak out of turn like this. Did General Magnus first get permission to do so? Probably not. Shame on General Magnus for placing doubt on Georgie's War Stategy. Bad General. Bad General. Bad, bad General.
..."At what point do U.S. combat forces, and in particular the Marine Corps, shift from what is a dramatically improved security situation in Iraq to one that needs to be dramatically improved in Afghanistan?" Gen. Robert Magnus, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, said recently in an interview at the Pentagon.
At least 45 international troops — including at least 27 U.S. and 13 British servicemembers — died in Afghanistan in June, the deadliest month since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, according to an Associated Press count.
In Iraq, at least 31 international troops died in June, including 29 Americans, according to the AP....
Pentagon: Taliban a resilient force in Afghanistan (click here)
By LOLITA C. BALDOR – 3 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Pentagon report says the Taliban has regrouped after its initial fall from power in Afghanistan. The new report offers a rather dim view of progress in the nearly 7-year-old war, declaring that the Taliban has "coalesced into a resilient insurgency."
Noting that insurgent violence continues to climb, the report said that despite efforts to capture and kill key leaders, the Taliban is likely to "maintain or even increase the scope and pace of its terrorist attacks and bombings in 2008."
At the same time, the Afghan Army and national police are progressing slowly, and still lack the trainers they need.
The report was released Friday along with a separate plan for the development of Afghan security forces. They are the first two comprehensive reports done by the Pentagon evaluating progress in Afghanistan.
