Afghanistan

[DogOnPorch]

An AK-47 goes for as little as $100 US in the gun markets over in Pakistan...all hand made and very high quality overall. A knock-off of a Tokarev for as little as $5 US.

[wulf42]

An AK-47 goes for as little as $100 US in the gun markets over in Pakistan...all hand made and very high quality overall. A knock-off of a Tokarev for as little as $5 US.

Jeeeshhhhhhh ................we have pay over $300.00 for a Chinese SKS rifle over here!!

[DogOnPorch]

Jeeeshhhhhhh ................we have pay over $300.00 for a Chinese SKS rifle over here!!

I 'sold' mine...lol.

[GostHacked]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8248543.stm

More news about vote manipulation in Afghanistan. Well, if they are going to learn fraud, who better than to learn it from the US and Canadians (just for you there buddy Bush_Cheney).

The mission is over, bring the troops home.

[M.Dancer]

The mission is over, bring the troops home.

You might want to refresh yourself as to what the mission is before you proclaim it is over.

[GostHacked]

You might want to refresh yourself as to what the mission is before you proclaim it is over.

I am not sure what the mission is anymore myself. Freedom, democracy, human rights, terrorists ect ect ... well that is what we are told anyways. All to keep us safe, so we are told.

Do you think Bush knew what it was all about when he proclaimed Mission Accomplished? I was not fooled by it.

Good to see you posting agian though

[myata]

The mission of "blow something, anything out quickly to show manly act" then "cover it up, democratically".

[M.Dancer]

I am not sure what the mission is anymore myself. Freedom, democracy, human rights, terrorists ect ect ... well that is what we are told anyways. All to keep us safe, so we are told.

The mission hasn't changed. It some of what you wrote but not entirely.

In addition to the overall task of assisting the Afghan government in extending its authority and creating a secure environment, in concrete terms, ISAF aims at:

conducting stability and security operations in coordination with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF);

assisting in the development of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and structures, including training the new Afghan National Army (ANA) and National Police (ANP);

identify reconstruction needs, such as the rehabilitation of schools and medical facilities, restoring water supplies and providing support for other civil-military projects;

support the Afghan government to Disarm Illegally Armed Groups (DIAG);

provide support to the Afghan government and internationally-sanctioned counter-narcotics efforts through intelligence-sharing and the conduct of an efficient public information campaign, as well as support to the Afghan National Army Forces conducting counter-narcotics operations. ISAF, however, is not directly involved in the poppy eradication or destruction of processing facilities, or in taking military action against narcotic producers; and

support humanitarian assistance operations

Do you think Bush knew what it was all about when he proclaimed Mission Accomplished? I was not fooled by it.

Good to see you posting agian though

Bush never proclaimed "Mission accomplished" so I guess you were fooled.

[DogOnPorch]

Indeed. That was the crew of CVN-72 that made the 'statement'. To be fair, it did mark the end of the 'conventional' war.

[GostHacked]

The mission hasn't changed. It some of what you wrote but not entirely.

I do understand things change, but we are told to stay commited to the course. But the course may change, correct?

Bush never proclaimed "Mission accomplished" so I guess you were fooled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Accomplished

Bush stated at the time that this was the end to major combat operations in Iraq. While this statement did coincide with an end to the conventional phase of the war, Bush's assertion — and the sign itself — became controversial after guerilla warfare in Iraq increased during the Iraqi insurgency. The vast majority of casualties, among both coalition (approximately 98% as of October 2008) and Iraqi combatants, and among Iraqi civilians, has occurred since the speech.

http://www.lol-email.com/emailimages/bush_...ccomplished.jpg

[DogOnPorch]

Mission Accomplished," refers to a banner titled "Mission Accomplished" that was displayed on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier during a televised address by United States President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003 and the controversy that followed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Accomplished

[M.Dancer]

I do understand things change, but we are told to stay commited to the course. But the course may change, correct?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Accomplished

http://www.lol-email.com/emailimages/bush_...ccomplished.jpg

So given that Bush never proclaimed "Mission accomplished" about a war that has nothing to do with Afghansitan, what is it you weren't fooled about?

[GostHacked]

So given that Bush never proclaimed "Mission accomplished" about a war that has nothing to do with Afghansitan, what is it you weren't fooled about?

You asked me about the Mission Accomplished thing. However, proclaiming major combat operations are over, and with the big Mission Accomplished sign hanging over his head during the speech, does send a mixed message to everyone. Sure I will agree with you, he did not outright say it, but come on, you can read between the lines. That whole event was set up to confuse people on the mission and the message.

This is the last I will post on it. Back to the topic then.

[M.Dancer]

. That whole event was set up to confuse people on the mission and the message.

This is the last I will post on it. Back to the topic then.

except that mission wasn't afghanistan.

[eyeball]

except that mission wasn't afghanistan.

Mission...war...whatever...they're all part of the same crusade.

Speaking spontaneously, without the aid of advisers or speechwriters, he put a word on the new American purpose that both shaped it and gave it meaning. "This crusade," he said, "this war on terrorism."

GW Bush

[M.Dancer]

Mission...war...whatever...they're all part of the same crusade.

Some people need to write paragraphs in order to show they really don't know what they are talking about. I admire your economy of words.

[eyeball]

Some people need to write paragraphs in order to show they really don't know what they are talking about. I admire your economy of words.

What he said...

[DogOnPorch]

Ironically, the Crusades were a result of Islamic aggression.

[myata]

Some people need to write paragraphs in order to show they really don't know what they are talking about. I admire your economy of words.

From an earlier quote:

conducting stability and security operations in coordination with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF);

= propping up a convenient government that wouldn't be able to stand on its own.

identify reconstruction needs, such as the rehabilitation of schools and medical facilities, restoring water supplies and providing support for other civil-military projects;

= because the corrupt officials of the aforementioned government couldn't be trusted to handle the task on their own? Or perhaps, because lesser people couldn't take care of themselves?

support the Afghan government to Disarm Illegally Armed Groups (DIAG);

= #1, above

provide support to the Afghan government and internationally-sanctioned counter-narcotics efforts through intelligence-sharing and the conduct of an efficient public information campaign, as well as support to the Afghan National Army Forces conducting counter-narcotics operations.

= specifically sponsor one of the tasks we're propping the government to do for us

[Topaz]

Lets take the topic of Afghanistan to a new direction. Where do you think the Taliban is getting the money for this war? Poppies? Wrong. By this article it may or may not surprise you. http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/20923/Who_is_F..._t_Want_to_Know

[DogOnPorch]

Lets take the topic of Afghanistan to a new direction. Where do you think the Taliban is getting the money for this war? Poppies? Wrong. By this article it may or may not surprise you. http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/20923/Who_is_F..._t_Want_to_Know

Saying the Taliban gets all of its operating cash from contractor corruption is akin to saying the Cosa Nostra only made money from illegal greyhound betting.

[Sir Bandelot]

What I Saw at the Afghan Election

By Peter W. Galbraith

October 4, 2009

Before firing me last week from my post as his deputy special representative in Afghanistan, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon conveyed one last instruction: Do not talk to the press.

As my differences with my boss, Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide, had already been well publicized (through no fault of either of us), I asked only that the statement announcing my dismissal reflect the real reasons. Alain LeRoy, the head of U.N. peacekeeping and my immediate superior in New York, proposed that the United Nations say I was being recalled over a "disagreement as to how the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) would respond to electoral fraud." Although this was not entirely accurate -- the dispute was really about whether the U.N. mission would respond to the massive electoral fraud -- I agreed.

Instead, the United Nations announced my recall as occurring "in the best interests of the mission," and U.N. press officials told reporters on background that my firing was necessitated by a "personality clash" with Eide, a friend of 15 years who had introduced me to my future wife.

I might have tolerated even this last act of dishonesty in a dispute dating back many months if the stakes were not so high. For weeks, Eide had been denying or playing down the fraud in Afghanistan's recent presidential election, telling me he was concerned that even discussing the fraud might inflame tensions in the country. But in my view, the fraud was a fact that the United Nations had to acknowledge or risk losing its credibility with the many Afghans who did not support President Hamid Karzai.

...

If Afghanistan represents some kind of watershed for western democracy, then we have utterly failed. Worse, with the last election fiasco and the way the situation was handled post-election, we have poisoned the concept of democracy in the minds of people throughout the middle east region. To these people democracy is a hollow lie and we westerners, in particular the leadership and the UN, those who call themselves overseers, must appears as a complete bunch of hypocrites.

This problem has quietly dropped off the radar of western media propaganda outlets, an unresolvable embarrassment, maybe even the biggest failure so far in the whole Afghanistan misadventure. Where's the outcry over this electoral fraudulence? Is it because this fraud is OUR responsibility, unlike when Iran has some issues, when so many western leaders were completely certain that electoral fraud occurred, and condemned their government.

No, its not a problem... the west has its own solution. These garishly bold, bald-faced liars would never concede their own dishonesty and manipulations. When there's a problem in western style democracy, it's simple enough to legislate a solution. Thats all it takes... if its made into a law, how can it be wrong?

New Afghan vote rules may ensure Karzai victory

Mon Oct 5, 2009

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's U.N.-backed election watchdog will treat presidential candidates as equally likely to be guilty of vote fraud in suspicious cases, new rules issued on Monday show, a move that may ensure a win for Hamid Karzai.

The ECC published its recount rules on Monday, saying candidates would have ballots nullified in proportion to the total number of ballots they have in boxes considered suspicious, regardless of which candidate perpetrated the fraud.

The arithmetic appears to favor Karzai.

Under the recount rules, ballot boxes considered suspicious are grouped into six categories according to the grounds for the suspicion, but are not separated according to which candidate benefited from the suspected fraud.

The complaints watchdog will look at 10 percent of the suspicious ballot boxes in each category, determine what share of the boxes were fake, and then reduce each candidate's tally of votes in that category by the same percentage, it said.

[GostHacked]

Ironically, the Crusades were a result of Islamic aggression.

So I guess you can consider this the 10th Crusade?

[DogOnPorch]

Is Jerusalem being taken back from the Saracen Hords?

But I do like that ol' Krak des Chevaliers.

[Sir Bandelot]

NATO members: no more troops to Afghanistan

Oct . 23, 2009

NATO members the Netherlands and Denmark said Friday they will not send more troops to Afghanistan unless its Nov. 7 presidential runoff creates a legitimate government and until President Barack Obama decides on a new strategy.

...

Danish Defense Minister Soeren Gade said allies won't increase troop levels until they are assured the new government in Kabul is committed to the international effort.

"I think whoever is going to send more troops to Afghanistan will put up some conditions," said Gade, whose country has 690 soldiers in Afghanistan.

"They need to see the new Afghan president and say: 'If we send more troops to your country, you have to deal with this, this and this.' We have to make sure the new government in Afghanistan are committed to their job before we send any more troops to Afghanistan."

On the sidelines of the meeting, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, said the extensive fraud that marked the first round of presidential elections will be reduced but not eliminated in the runoff.

-----------

I think the reason is, they don't know if the new government would fully support the mission. And if not, they won't be wasting their time or troops. Because Karzai was our man in the region, and the corrupt election results are now well known, so he might not win.

We bestowed the blessings of democracy on this people, and they might just vote us out of the country.