Is the war in Afghanistan really worth it?
U.S. troops carry a wounded Afghan National Army soldier to a U.S. Army MEDEVAC helicopter in Qandahar, Afghanistan. (PHOTO CREDIT: Justin Sullivan/GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Nearly nine years into the war in Afghanistan... and it seems there are more questions than ever about what exactly the U.S. is doing over there.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Afghanistan to lead the American delegation to the Kabul Conference.
The Afghan government is supposed to talk at this international meeting about how it will tackle a deteriorating security situation and crack down on corruption.
But even as the U.S. has added tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan - last month was the deadliest since the start of the war for international forces. 103 coalition troops were killed, and militants keep attacking every day.
The Obama administration says it will review its Afghan strategy later this year; but there are growing concerns from all corners about where we're headed.
Democratic Senator John Kerry says it's not clear the administration has a solid strategy; and Republican Senator Richard Lugar is criticizing "a lack of clarity" about U.S. goals in Afghanistan. Even the administration's point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan - Richard Holbrooke - acknowledges things are not working out as planned.
Meanwhile a record number of U.S. soldiers killed themselves last month. The Army says 32 soldiers committed suicide in June - the highest in any month since the Vietnam War. Seven of those soldiers were on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army officials say they're not sure what's behind the spike in suicides.
The U.S. is approaching insolvency, yet we continue to pour hundreds of billions of dollars into a nine-year-old war, and no one seems to have a real good explanation of why we continue.
Here’s my question to you: Is the war in Afghanistan really worth it?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Darren in Minneapolis writes:
Not anymore, Jack. When we first when into Afghanistan, our objective was to remove the Taliban and capture Osama bin Laden. I was under the impression that we accomplished the 1st part, created a democratic government and installed President Karzai. Well, that hasn't worked. We were sidetracked by Iraq, and now the Karzai government is in disarray, the Taliban is back, and Pakistani Al-Qaeda insurgents are wreaking havoc on the country. On top of that, we still don't have Bin Laden. It's time to cut our losses. We bungled this - badly.
Scott in California writes:
We don't have a choice. We got into this war to prevent future terror attacks from taking place. Leaving it as is now would lead to the same problems that gave us 9/11 in the first place.
Dave writes:
Jack, This whole extension of the previous administration's war is an exercise in futility. Why not bring our troops home and go back to the old days of having the CIA take out our enemies? It sure would save lots of money. Fighting in Afghanistan bankrupts all who try.
Cameron writes:
This is a long-term commitment the U.S.-made under the Bush administration and if we back out now the only outcome it will guarantee is more enemies. The question isn't whether or not it was a wise decision in the first place, the question is what position will we be putting ourselves in if we withdraw, with a job half-done, leaving a community in higher disarray than when we entered. Don't we already have enough enemies in that area?
Gary in Woodhaven, Michigan writes:
Two decades after my return home as a Marine combat veteran from Vietnam, I spent every day with my gut wrenched and choking back tears while trying to hide within a bottle of whiskey. All the while trying to find the answer to "why?" I never found that answer, and in my sobriety realized there is no answer to why when it comes to ideological wars. I pray that hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan realize and accept long before I did and without the hardships that in their ideological war there can never be an answer to why. Only in a war based on virtue can "why" ever be answered.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Jack: no it is not. All the money we have spent putting our own country in debt is ridiculous. It isi time for us to get out and focus solely on securing our borders and ports and keeping an eye on terrorists here. Enough is enough already.
Jack: Afghanistan is worth the price, if only it helps us get Osama bien Laden and his 2nd in command the doctor. Plus, remember, Charie Wilson's War we forgot the Afghans once before and look what happened to the World Trade Towers. We need to stick to our plan for as long as we can.
Of course not, Jack. A better question might be: If George W. Bush hadn't taken his eye off the ball and invaded Iraq, would this war have been won already? The same NeoCons who took us into Iraq now demand that we stay in the quagmire of the Graveyard of Empires...what a shame for our brave soldiers and our growing deficit.
It is worth it for the reason that is where we should of been in full force since day one of the "War on Terror" . That was and is where their bases are. We should of used even more force to nip the problem in the bud. Instead we went about the war in Afghanistan as a half way effort and split to send troops to Iraq and fight there just to have a knoch on our rifle as a win instead. At the time we went into Iraq Sadam no question an evil man did not allow these slugs in his country or even to stay if they got in. He ruled with an iron hand and we could of handled him at a later date. As for Afghanistan if any war is worth it it is worth it because of all the troops we lost or were wounded ours and Nato troops. The only thing to remember is just how long will it be worth it. We always need to leave that back door open so we can exit at will.
Jack, there is a simple answer to your question and it is with another question......"Was Vietnam worth it?"
Depends on whether you value keeping Al-Queda out of Afghanistan.
If the Taliban return to power there.....that is exactly what will happen, and that is exactly what allowed them to attack us, in the first place.
The Taliban give them safe haven, ignore their training camps, and ignore their activities.
They are all made of the same cloth......women abusers, religious fanatics, and criminals.
No! The time is long past to do the job there.
Bush promised to go after the people who were responsible for 9/11. I guess he got confused and thought Osama bin Laden was Saddam Hussein. So he attacked the country who had nothing to do with 9/11, and did nothing to us. He let the guy go who did us harm go scott free. The world was with us after 9/11. Now it is too late.
Jack
I am afraid not. Trying to tame a country that has never been tamed is throwing money down the same hole that the Soviet Union did over thirty years ago. Bring the troops and money home where both will be appreciated.
Matt
Rockford
Since the Northern Alliance let bin Laiden escape, its been a waste. Let the UN do nation building, or the Arabs. Their problem, not ours.
DoD is not a nation builder.
Question: Is the war in Afghanistan worth it ?
Answer: No
Had the questions on my college exams been as tough as this one I would have graduated Sigma Cum Lauda,.
If this war was being fought to be won the US would be:
1) Burning all poppy fields they come in contact with
2) Assassinating Saudi/Wahabist/Sunni financiers of the Taliban cause
3) Forcibly remove Karizi and put someone who isn't the Afghan Al Capone in power.
If we are not fighting this war as if our national survival was at stake then we shouldn't be fighting it all.
Its not worth one dollar or one life. That country will remain the same forever.
For the bankers that supply the credit – like the earlier wars – and the corporations in bed with government that supply the "goods", this is a great thing. They can only hope that such nonsense continues.
For the average person, this is just another nightmare. Ron Paul had it right: we walked in, and we can walk right out.
The only thing preventing that are the politicians and their corporate constituents that see too much to gain from continuing on with the empire...
Not if it brings us down. I can hear Osama now. "So simple a caveman could do it".
No ! 85% of Afghans are illiterate and like the life they have.....we will lose this one. Poor boys who fight with both hands handcuffed callled "rules of engagment".
Joanne'Mn
Whether by "it" you refer to blood or treasure, the answer is NO.
over a decade ago when the taliban refused to sell the poppy to european pharmacuetical companies they ( big pharma) began a huge lobbying blitz to align europe and north america with their own war strategy.it began with spain (working through the u.n) demanding the u.s. stop destroying the crop that gives the taliban its power so they ( spain and investors of euro/america pharma) could become the richest in the world...spain used the u.n to threaten n.a.t.o. with no support if the u.s and its allies didnt capitulate to spains demands .....why? treason??
No war is ever worth it when our men and women in uniform are dying out there, Jack. Bring home the troops, end the war, and save Afghan and U.S. coalition thousands of lives and billions of dollars. It's time this country take an isolationist stance to world affairs. Secure our borders, bring the troops home, and lets fix our own problems first.
No it is not. We're wasting American lives and Billions of dollars on a country that, as soon as we leave, will revert back to the way they were before we got there. In the end the only thing well have to show for our efforts is an empty bank account (except for the corrupt rich officials) and a lot of tomb stones of soldiers who died for nothing.
If I could get my tongue out of my cheek, I would say maybe we ought to hang in there for the "wealth of minerals," but I think the war in Afghanistan is clearly far too costly – trillions of dollars and way too many lives lost ; and it is far too polarizing. If we could get our eye back on the ball – on THIS country and its own many problems, then I think we might see some meaningful discourse come out of the next general election. Otherwise, we will be treated instead to yet another exciting circus of jingoistic fingerpointing and another four years with nothing resolved. We need to focus away from Afghanistan.
My husband was in the army special ops, and I have to agree with him, that is where we should have been in the first place. We should have been in Afghanistan from the start. Instead Bush goes into Iraq, why? Bin Laden is who we should have been after....To me that was a waste of our soldiers. We should have been in Afghanistan to start with and left Iraq alone. The only reason Bush went there is to do what his daddy didn't do. We want Bin Laden dead or alive. Better alive and then drag him throught the streets of New York. Death is to good for him.
One must question if any war since WW2 has been worth it in lives and treasure. Economically all wars has served America's aerospace companies and those they employ very well. In fact the trillions spent by the Pentagon created millions of jobs, a major factor our standard of living and Wall Street flourished so well in the past. Take the war out of the equation or any other economically corrupt government expenditure, we forgo profit and jobs, but save lives and treasure.
The power of money says there are more Afghanistan's in our future, just like Viet Nam and other wars we seem to anxiously seek.
This whole "war on terror" saga is played out. They need to send all the troops home, and quit scaring people with the whole "The war will be lost if we leave" rhetoric..America shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Enough is enough of this stupid "war".
M. J.
New York.
It was while Bin Laden was there but once Pakistan decided to side with (give in to) the Taliban and hide them from us it has turned into a big scam. Cut off the money into Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tell them we will help all we can and even fight with them but no more cash and see thier reaction. They will demand we leave is my bet.
Jack, the war in Afghanistan is worth winning unless Americans want to watch Washing D.C. melt from a low yield nuke, in a year or two. Left unchecked those murdering, muslim extreemists will attack here, so I say fight for the safety of America.
My Father was a vet from WWII, Korea and Viet Nam and I'm a Viet Nam era vet of which the only war that was worth it or really necessary was WWII. These others have been and will always be to stimulate the economy and bolster some politicians EGO at the expense of many lives. You can count this note as a definite NO!
No...
Iraq has a chance... Afghanistan doesn't.
With no real GNP or future income for Afghanistan they simply live off the drug trade and help from other countries. It's a pit fall... we should leave.
There are good people there... but their future isn't bright. My heart goes out to the many families there... that want nothing more than peace, and a safe environment for their families.
tampa, fl no. this is why our educational system is a complete failure as our country's politicians actually think this war is "winnable". nothing could be further from the truth.
Jack would you give your life for this war?
The Roman's were defeated when they went to Afghanistan and so has everyone else that have tried instill their beliefs on them.
Get out of Afghanistan now!!!
Paul in Ames Iowa
Jack, The Russians were there for 20 years and they couldn't do anything with them so why should we be any different. The leaders over there are corrupt and can't be trusted. They say one thing to us and something else to the bad guys. We could use that money that is being squandered over there right here at home. Spend it to put our people to work in GREEN jobs so we can get away from the oil over there. We are never going to win in Iraq or Afganistan. Bring our kids home.
Jack, basically, no. If the intent originally was to go after Bin Laden it could have been accomplished by first establishing a puppet government and have them do the job of capturing him. At the point when this government was first set up, it was then time for the U.S. to withdraw its troops. It would have been seen as a viable solution to a bad situation in a country that is difficult to govern at best. Now, having over-extended the occupation and having become overly involved in the day-to-day operations, the U.S. appears to have wasted valuable resources, especially the loss of the lives of so many who should not have become casualties of bad planning.
No, it is not! It is costing money and lives for what???
Wellington, CO.
Absolutely not ! This is more of Obama's attempt to bankrupt the USA.
Why? So he can come in and pretend to be the ultimate SAvior (when actually he's a joke and a fabricator of the most obvious kind). HIs efforts all show ignorance or attempt to damage USA...we believe this is the latter. He wants NASA work primarily to work with the Muslims --wake up America !!
Jack J
Wi
Maybe the question should be rephrased: "What are we doing there in the first place?" The only answer I can come up with is...(1) Oil, and/or (2) Minerals. Are these two worth expending even one human life? Obviously we haven't learned the lesson/s of the Brits and Russians. Our troop morale is low, the poppy fields continue to grow and the tribes continue to resist...and will do so until the end of time. President Obama, PLEASE...it's time to pack up and leave!
In a word–viet Nam. No one wins a war. The politicians and generals that order the war go home to their families every night while corporate America makes megaprofits at the expense of our military. Our brave military lose life and limb, endure repeated deploymonts away from friends/family and suffer from PTSD. Innocent civilians are killed/maimed. The suicide rate for our military is an average of one soldier per day. Family units are destroyed. The USA does not need to occupy–we need to take care of business at home. Bring our troops home yesterday. shut down the military bases in other countries–no country has military bases in ours.
I consider the Afghanistan war another Vietnam. This is a war that has no end in sight. This is a war that is not worth the lives and money it is costing us. I think we have the best fighting force in the world but need to be using them in a winnable war. We are trying to install a gov't of our liking and that will never happen in Afghanistan. The Russians prove that and we have been there over nine years and still haven't made any progress. I thought for sure when president Obama took office we would see an end to the war. But that hasn't happen and that is my biggest problem I have with his presidency so far.
Afghanistan doesn't seem to want to do anything for itself or is too incompetent and it is a huge financial burden on our taxpayers. Bring our troops home!
The war in Afghanistan would only be worth it, if we fought the war as conquerers, not just liberators. The last war this country actually one, we didn't care about neatness, nor did we care about the so-called "innocent civilian population." We did damage the enemy, and put an end to World War II. To say that that just because this war is different is a political false front that George W. Bush used to further his administration. In short, we need to tell Prime Minister Karzai, along with the Pakistani rulers, that we have deadline, if you don't hand over Al Queda, you will be eradicated with Al Queda. Doing anything else is just a fool's sense of security, and one big drain on the economy, and a good addition to the national debt.
Jack,
No, and niether is the one in Iraq, but try telling our stupid police of the world government. How about being concerned with the United States and our legal American people for a great change. Most of our politicians are just self serving idiots.
Not the way we're fighting it. We didn't win in Korea or Vietnam for the same reasons.
David, Las Vegas
It never was to begin with...it is not now...and it never will be!
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan are wars that we knew from before we (the Bush bunch) started these endless wars they would never be worth it. We knew from day one of Obama's inauguration that to continue them, for even one more day, would not be "worth it."
A country cannot manufacture wars with no honorable and absolute legitimate purpose for beginning, which these are, then claim they are "worth it." So, why are we still there continuing to pretend and claim it is? Why?
Thom Richer
Negaunee, MI
There is no way that anyone can say that the war in Afghanistan was worth it. The war in Afghanistan opened the door to the limit of what the American govt. is willing to do to violate international laws and common moral decency. I am ashamed to be an American.
New York City, NY
Is the war in Afghanistan really worth it?
Worth the Trillions in debt? NO
Worth the innocent lives lost on both sides? NO
Worth the oil pipeline? NO
Worth the no bid contracts? NO
Worth the atrocities by the contractors in our name? NO
Do we have Osama Bin Laden? NO
Have we gotten rid of the Taliban? NO
Do women have freedom? NO
So why again are we there?
Jenna
Roseville CA
Hi Jack,
well this is a question every American needs to ask his or her self.
A billion dollars a day tag if I'm not wrong, our soldiers dying every day , no clear strategy to victory, not even knowing what Victory means in that region. I do not think its worth it.
History tells us that no invading army has ever been victorious in Afghanistan & no occupying force has ever endured.
One joker from the Republican leadership even declared on CNN that he wants our soldiers to be there for 50 years. I do not know whether to laugh or cry.
If we there to defeat the Taliban, its not worth it, we can't defeat them. If we there to democratize the country, we can't do that either, they are too backward for it. Its not worth it. Look at Iraq, after all the years we being there, they still don't have a stable government.
Honestly? No. But the Republicans are insisting and since they rule this country even when they aren't in power, there's really nothing anyone can do. They'd rather this country go bankrupt fighting a foreign war than invest in the futures of their own people by fighting anything good this President tries to do.
No. It's not worth one more life or one more dime. We're nation building there when we should be nation building here. Our tax dollars are being tossed into a black hole for the sake of a handful of Al Qaeda members. Why can't we stop them at our borders instead?
Jack,
No, it's not. Does anyone know when, if ever, we will reach the goal for which the war in Afghanistan began? Given the problems the United States is facing, isn't it time for our elected officials to focus on fixing our problems? Isn't it time to use the money we are spending on the war in Afghanistan to bring down our growing deficit?
"It". Interesting question. Define "It". The money, the lives, the morality, all combined? No. It is not worth it. I for one can't seem to find any substantial, measurable benefit from this war. Simply, we have to stop paying for something with no return, and paying with more than just money. I could talk for hours on the absurdity of trying to fight fire with a bigger fire, but basically we cannot obtain our goals with our current way of doing things. So stop.
if we were there to destroy our enemy, and leave, i'd say yes. however we seem to be there to create a government which is friendly to us. this will not work as they don't even like each other. so no. the entire country and all it's people are not worth a single American casuality.
October 12th attack on USS Cole-17 dead, August 7th attacks on U.S. embassies- 301 killed, 13 Americans killed, 1998 9/11- 2,995 deaths, 2001 Anthrax attacks- 5 dead. The list goes on and on. This was all before the war. During the war they send poorly trained suicide bombers that can't even blow up their own underwear.
Not at this point. Any chance of winning, (insert your definition) ended when Bush moved all but 15,000 troops to Iraq. If anything believes 15,000 troops are a lot, keep in mind the NYC police force is about 40,000 strong.
Yes, Jack, the war in Afghanistan is worth it. Unfortunately, at the same time, we also had an unnecessary war in Iraq, which wasn't.
A little better than Iraq.....but, not all that much. We need to get out of both and focus our attention, lives and treasury at home.
What's it matter? If Republicans win congress, they are going to make sure we stay in Afghanistan forever.
NO get out now, how many contries have tried in that territory and how many failed. How much blood & treasure are we willing to spend for a drug dealer, get out now
The Taliban was a terrorist-driven regime. Keeping them out of power makes the war worth it.
not when only 133000 panjshir vallys are on power and the rest of afghans are jobless.and there was need to centrilize the economy but they centrealized politics and power but not economy and now there is anarchy of economy .
The Afghan war is worth every dime we spend, but to continue our effort for the next 10 years we will need to find new funding.
I think the solution is to raise the legal age of retirement to 70 and pay Social Security benefits to the poor.
We can use our savings to continue our ongoing, trillion dollar campaign to find "Americas Most Wanted" [Usama Bin Laden]
Jack, At this point, I am not sure that anyone really knows. It is a war that should have been over and done with a number of years ago, but for the want of a war with Iraq. Should we just leave and let someone else get rich mining all those minerals, who knows. If they don't want to change and continue to hate us, it is not in our interests to just end it. We need to make this world safe for democracy. As for terrorism that will always be around. It has been around since the beginning of this country and before, it just use to be Christians that were the terrorists.
In the beginning, Afghanistan housed the real enemy. It was ignored so Bush could clean up his daddy's left overs. Now Obama hasn't the guts or vision to cut our loses and leave. Vietnam in the mountains anyone.
Regardless, of what the "in our national interest" pundits say, this war is
not worth it. Not one more U.S. casualty. And please, those that talk about
"treasure" in the same breath as blood, are relics from the Vietnam era and are still by proxy fighting that war in Afganistan and Pakistan today,
with the same results as Vietnam. Useless, pointless killing. Who will step up in the media and echo "In this reporter's opinion, the war is a lost cause"? What say you Jack? What say you CNN?
If you're a defense contractor it sure pays.
If you're a naive kid from iowa or Harlem, not so much.
No it's not worth all the lives lost! Let Afghanistan worry about the Taliban in "Their Country"
We can protect our country right here at home.
No neither war was worth the cost of human lives. The money they have spent on both wars would have kept our people in jobs instead we are now beyond the point of being broke. Russia went belly up after their war with Afganistan so what does that tell us? You cannot win on their turf. Sad thing when the Natl Guard comes home, no jobs.
Jack,
Before we can talk about something's worth, we have to know what "it" is. It seems that US and even world policy regarding Afghanistan is so nebulous that defining any form of victory there is almost impossible. Is this simply a ploy to keep our committment there open-ended? Just what is it we are fighting for in that region?
take vic khalily inject more from those who use to work for lefts
they are much cicilized honest peace lovers and patriots and to bring some adjustment between far rights and others.the maoists groups who are no beside government they are just doing what china is like and they lobby for them for example they managed to sell the eynak copper contract for no thing "8B" to china and got bribe of 20 millions and 30 millions for minister of firm and others or tajik and hazara. the usa who lose sons and dollars got no thing...
Al Qeada and its networks are like the mafia, they're a criminal organization. Best way to fight a criminal organization is with the effective use of law enforcement and information gathering. The greatest sucesses against Al Qeada have been a result of cops not soldiers. The most effective envolvement of the US military has been the use of drones to kill their officials. Trying to rebuild Afgahnistan is a waste of time and effort.
Not anymore. The reason “things are not working out as planned” is because we are fighting a war in a country where no foreign army has ever won and where the enemy has left the country. To make matters worse, when we did have reason to be there and we were just about to close the deal and take out the Taliban, we dropped our weapons, walked away and started another war. This president promised to get us out of both wars. Is there any wonder why there is "a lack of clarity?"
Not in its current incarnation. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have forgotten why we went there. We went there to fight Al-Qaeda, not the Taliban. Sure, the Taliban are bad news, but we've got bigger fish to fry.
No. President Bush went in to take out al Qaeda not to build a nation. President Obama should have listened to Vice President Biden and used black ops and drones. Much cheaper financially and less chance of American casualties. We must stay for 20 years or more for a maybe. The Afghanis will side with the Taliban (their own) rather than an outside force.
We originally invaded Afghanistan to seek justice for the atrocities of Sept. 11, 2001, and to bring Osama bin Laden to trial, as well as defeat al Qaeda. Have we completely lost sight of this original, straightforward goal? Why is capturing bin Laden never mentioned anywhere in the media, never discussed, never debated any longer in this context? Has al Qaeda gotten away with the worst act of terrorism ever committed upon American soil? If so, why exactly are we continuing to dump badly needed funds into this nebulous war? What happened to our commitment to justice?
No, the war as it stands today is NOT worth it. Unless we specify the goal of capturing bin Laden and others responsible for Sept. 11 and following through on that goal, it will never be worth nine years' worth of wasted funds, and more importantly, squandered lives – perhaps not even then.
Kim
Jacksonville, Florida
We are reconstructing a country that has been ruled by the Taliban for years. Its not going to be easy. Unfortunately the people in Afghanistan are going to pay the price for this transformation. Its important for the U.S to think long term with the wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In other words everything that is going on in these countries will all be for the greater good. One day these two countries will be free independent nations.
We should have learned from the Soviets. We are spending way too much of our resources there while our country is lacking funds for schools, laying off teachers and policemen, etc. We should be smart enough to know that nation building or our quest for more resources (oil) comes with a price we cannot afford.
Almost every war seems to have a lack of clarity. There are obvious examples such as Vietnam but if we take a closer look at WW1, it started based on an assanation of a Duke that no one even remembers.
I think every President & senator that votes for war should be required to send a family member.
Well, that depends Jack. What is the price of failure in Afghanistan? Is leaving going to be worth the damage to our international prestige? The admission that the values we hold most dear, backed by the most advanced military in the world, is no match for a band of brutal thugs with guns and RPGs? Will we once again show the world that the support of the American people is contingent entirely on our not having to make sacrifices?
I honestly don't know the answer to that. The conditions for "victory" here are as muddy as the potential price for "defeat". To leave Afghanistan to the mercy of the Taliban seems the height of irresponsibility. But then, how much time should it take them to stand on their own two feat as a country? We cannot stay indefinitely.
No, we are in two worthless wars and a hundred years from now history will reflect that.
Of course it's not worth it, how can anyone say it's worth it when you have nearly twice as many Americans die in Afghanistan and Iraq than died in the 9/11 attacks! The only ones that can say it was worth it would be our enemies, they nearly tripled their kill, I wonder if they've taken up the high five custom yet?
Dave from NH.
The war in Afghanistan is not worth anything but a waste of valuable lives and tax payers money! I have not heard one single time the "real reason" our troops are in Afghanistan. What peace are we promoting if the country does not believe in a democratic government? Our troops are leaving their sons, daughters, wifes, and husbands to not know if returning...Doesn't the government know they suffer from being absent so long! Don't they get it! Why are we still there? What have we accomplished there besides the death of so many fathers and mother, sons and daughters! We need to take care of our people first! We need new people in congress! These people only care for their lives and the money they steal from tax payers!
Guerilla wars cannot be won with conventional battlefield tactics. You need to be as ruthless, blood-thirsty, callous and determined as the enemy to even come close to a simple tactical victory let alone a strategic one. America is hog-tied with civilian concerns and international law that will not allow a response in kind. Didn’t we learn our lesson in Vietnam? Trying to put out a forest fire with a squirt gun is beyond lunacy. If the US is not going to be able to apply any and all means necessary to crush the enemy then get out. NOW!
Ironically you will see some bipartisanship on this one. Men and women on both sides of the spectrum will say something to the effect of, "America needs to see this one through. Our credibility depends upon it!" And...as it has been in the past, and still is today, it is a load of crap. Our world-wide credibility was shot along time ago. We should leave Afghanistan to Afghanis and Iraq to Iraqis in my opinion. Then maybe we could pick ourselves up from becoming another fading empire and maybe keep some American soldiers from dying for the rich to get richer.
The mission should have been to apprehend the 9/11 related criminals – Bin Ladem, El-Zawahiri etc. Don't tell me we don't know those names. This should have been a relatively complicated manhunt, not a war.
That is a defined mission with a limited scope. That should still be our purpose. We should be focused apprehending those criminals and then leave with minimal necessary impact on the Afghans. My 2c.
It's just not worth it anymore. It's time to bring our troops home and start pumping that budget into fixing problems within our own borders.
remember when those russian trend left were on power the entire world foght agaisnt them and rusians army was only 180 000.
but they could bring complete peace in the all cities and enough money and no bribes 67% women teachers over 70% girls nurces
48% women officers 100 jet fighters girls pilot 120 girls bus drivers in kabul 13000 girl in esat eu for education.
now 150 000 nato stronger troops comparing to russians
entire world is beside this ponks in kabul to support, even iran and pakistan is helping .billions of donations.but no security and the talibans are not more then 20 000 while at the begining were only 3000.
after fall of lefts not a single left men and women own ed 5000$
and they are now the poorest in afghanistan and out of afghansitan
but mujahidins owns billions in afghanistan and out.
before 911 they owned out of country 5b$ now 15B$.
who is the theif?
the military suicides are incredibly disturbing. I wonder if the army keeps statistics regarding suicides and how far back they go. Is this truly a spike or have we just not heard about it before, and if it is a spike...what is going on?
No – for half the cost can buy support from the locals with the bonus of removing the irrantant to a lot of Afgans of troops on the ground as well as saving US lives.
Osama left Afganistan a long time ago & there has never been any WMD's. Turning Afganistan into another Iraq will never happen.
Pass some real tough gun laws in Afganistan, pull out all of our troops, send in ACORN and blame Bush.
When does Obama's watch begin?
Gregory Turman
Dallas,Texas
This was a two-part war. The first objective was to destroy al-Qaeda along with oust and punish those whom harbor and support the terrorist organization and its affiliates. The second objective was to establish a working democracy in the region. The United States, ISAF & the Afghan government have had marginal success with the first half and the second half has been one marked by blunders, corruption and frustration.
However, if bin Laden is captured or killed – this war, to many Americans, will be justified.
And like the late 1980s, after the Soviets retreated, Afghanistan and its issues will sink back into oblivion.
americans never b een honest to any nation exept for isreal.
and they only truly helped japan ,amarat dube saudi and other golf nation to build.but now amazingly they are from the heart and great care and honesty helping to build afghanistan.but who is to listen to them.and value it.
if those left was now with all these usa efforts afghansitan could be a best model of other nighbors and iran was now democratic nation.
because they loved their people and development but it was russians who too much interven into their domastice matters.
now most of those lefts become moderate muslims or christians or democrate and hate socialism.
Jack,
I think a better question is this. Does it make any sense at all to blow up Iraq and Afghanistan at one end of their countries and then spend tax payer money to rebuild their countries. I say get the heck out of both senseless wars and concentrate on the good old U.S. for a great change. I really don't think this will happen, just because our corrupt politicians have way to much more war money to pocket, our self serving government doesn't give a damn what people think or care about, just their almighty stolen dollar. I have never seen our government more out of control than now, it's a very scary situation thats only going to get worse. We need politicians that care about America and our people. Instead of just their lobbists and the illegal minority.
It has been worth it to the military contractors. As you know they don't count as part of the war cost or troop count.
Not one drop of American blood shed in this never ending war is worth it. If 9/11 was the reason, how about changing our strategy back to search and destroy instead of nation building. We don't need to be there and they don't want us there.
Mr. Cafferty,
If you go back to many of the news reports, politicians' concerns, and talking heads' opinions in 2007 about the Iraq war, you'll see and hear the same kind of view people, including yourself, are taking now; that being that this is a costly and hopeless situation with no end in sight. The problem is then as it is now with Afghanistan, is that people in the remote control, fast food, instant information access society of the U.S. and much of the West want an impatient solution. They want it fixed and fixed now and most of them know of very little of what's going on in this conflict. And they do not realize what beast the Soldiers of the United States and it's allies are holding back there. Much of what we fight there will follow us home if we leave too soon. And if that happens, the worth of this war will very evident . . . again.
The War in Afghanistan is worth fighting. The American public has seemed to forget why we began to fight in Afghanistan and why we are still fighting in that region. Remember 9/11/01, that was the cause for this conflict and it sure is a damn good reason to go to War. This War has hit the our islamic extremist enemies were it hurts, at their home, and we have not had another massive attack on our gracious homeland since the War begun. The reason why people are questioning this War is because of the second War we have been fighting is Iraq. The Iraq War was not needed, the Afghanistan War was and still is needed!
Jack–
We need to bring our troops home from both Afghanistan and Iraq. The Bush-Cheney war in iraq and the subsequent ignoring of the war in Afghanistan has put the US in a no-win position in both of those countries. Our volunteer troops are over-extended, exhausted, and being sacrified in body, mind, and spirit for reasons and goals that are not important enough to justify the loss of their health and lives. Our country is spending too much time, energy, and money on a war that is simply not worth it.
we need the un security council make an order to let all nations investigate those afghans who own money and property from the donations moeny and related to kabul and those curupt state or cave of thieves.
can you manage dear mr cafferty? thanks
I would have to think that the troops are asking themselves "what are we trying to accomplish in this arm pit of a country?" We could not be in that country long enough to bring the Afghanistan government into the present century. Let's get out and stop wasting young lives-now!
If we had gone into Afghanistan with overwhelming force and captured Osama bin Laden, destroyed al Qaeda and taken down the Taliban it would have been well worth it. After the bulk of our resources were shifted to Iraq, our efforts in Afghanistan languished for almost a decade of desultory nation building. The continued price is no longer worth it. It is well past time to declare victory and leave.
War Jack? This is not the way to fight a War. In a War you go in to win. This is management of a conflict and we just keep paying the Afghans leaders and our Military Corporations. Afghanistan is simply welfare for the Military Industrial Complex who are making Billions while our boy there die...everyday.
Worth what Jack??? The deaths, expense, destruction???? I'd say NO !!!
Absolutely not, Jack! The longer we stay, the more enemies we make. Anyone with any background on the history of that region could easily have predicted the sorry outcomes we are experiencing. We were right to get in there initially, since that's where the 9/11 plotters and training centers were (not to mention bin Laden himself). But we blew it by diverting our attention by focusing on the Iraq red herring, and there's no end in sight now. In fact, there is no measurable objective. The so-called Afghan 'government' is a corrupt sham. Time to put an end to the bloodshed (on all sides) and the looting of the national Treasury for a lost cause.
No! As every government that's tried to control that stone-age narco-state has found out to it's great sorrow, and yesterday would not be a minute too soon to get the Hell out! W
Bin Laden won this war. He stated from the beginning that he wanted to draw the United States into a regional war in the Central Asia/Middle East and bankrupt us like they did the Soviets. He was counting on our militarism and corporatism to keep this perpetual war in motion until very few were profiting from it and the rest of us were starving from it.
Those of you in the media should know this because OBL has said it many times in videos that are censored and never broadcast in the US for “Security” reasons. You know doubt see these videos with accurate translations before you are told not to broadcast them.
Bring the troops home and leave this place to the dogs.
No. The ground war in Afghanistan is too much like Vietnam, you dont know who the enemy really is and the government will exist only as long as the US Government decides to keep troops there. We keep repeating failed history. I would turn this conflict over to the US Air Force and use technology to help keep the Taliban and Al Qaida in check. Give them fair warning that if they attack American interests at home or abroad that the US Airforce will unleash hell on them and anyone harboring them. Bring down a mountain or 2, that should get their attention.
if you fight a war to win that would be fine but we are not because we let the enemy call all the shots and our troops die.
It would seem not, Jack. I am not a military person, but if u keep banging your head against a brick wall, common sense will tell u that something is very wrong with u. That is what we have been doing for almost nine years. Afghanistan is a no win situation. Time to leave!
I think we are doing what we need to do to get on the right road – which is to find a way to partition Afghanistan without saying we are doing so while denying al Queda a way back in. The fact that there has been terrorist push-back against our operations in Pakistan is also a sign that they have been working. Give it a bit more time, Jack – though not much more.
Jack, Obama's strategy is doomed to failure. The stated time line for withdrawal has killed any chance of obtaining a strategic victory, because the Taliban and Al Qadea can see there is no will to win over there, and they are simply waiting for the U.S. to give up and leave. They listen to the news also, and they know that the economy, and declining support at home will force Obama to abandon the effort in Afghanistan in 2011 in an effort to get re-elected. Just like Viet Nam, a corrupt local government, guerrilla fighters, declining home support, and lack of resolve/commitment to win by the civilians that are running things.
At one point the war was worth it, and that was going there to get Osama Binladen. We had him and lost him and now we don't even know where he is. It's time to bring the boys home.
The afgan war is a complete waste of money, and is not worth one penny more for the u.s. taxpayers. The dems have funded this fiasco for the past four years so they are no better than the pubs. The only people who are benefiting from the afgan war are karzai and the 150,000 contractors who in turn grease the pockets of congress. Obama and the dems are funding this war so they can say they are strong on defense. It is time to change our priorities and stop chasing the boogey man around. There are only 50 al qaeda in afghanistan, 12 million illegals running around the u.s. and 8 million unemployed americans begging for help from banks and corporations who get 0% loans and corporate welfare from the u.s. taxpayers via congress.
Jack, remember the song 'War' by Edwin Starr and the words in the chorus, "War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin!?" that should be an accurate response to the question.
The question is, are the Taliban a threat to the homeland? I really can't see a culture that lives in the year 600 as a threat to the US. All they did was host Al Quida, who have long gone, and now they are an occupied country, fighting for sovernty. For that matter, if it was not the Taliban, it would be another muslim group in another country. It's not the Taliban that's the problem, it's our policy that lead to 9/11 that has to be examined. I say we get out of Afghanistan just as Obama promised. Why fool ourselves into thinking we are safer now than before.
There are two wars in Afghanistan. There is the one that our service people are fighting to build a new nation. There is the one that most Afghans are fighting to drive out the foreigners. Afghans have always won the former, and they have always won the latter. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
"There is not war in Afghanistan! Just Nations commiting suicide."
Jack... If we couldn't justify invading Iraq, how can we justify Afghanistan? The Russians couldn't win there, and it is getting much worse.
The president is talking about the date to begin bringing troops home and we still don't have a plan. And we are pouring more money into Pakistan, where Bin Laden is likely holed up.
While we can't simply turn our backs on fighting Bin Laden, Al Qaeda and their Taliban allies, we have put far too much burden on too few of our brave soldiers. It's time for a dodge-proof draft that puts rich and poor in harms way. I disagree with the contention that draftees make poor soldiers. In basic training before going to Vietnam, one drill sergeant told me draftees are often better soldiers because they are not trying to be John Wayne ... they learn that following their training is the best way to improve their odds of surviving.
Jack, seems to me the "goal" changes every month. Hard to sell someone on democracy if they do not want to buy. I just cannot see the end. If they want democracy they will earn it on their own.
Hell no! Bring back our folks and keep these backward bastards in our crosshairs. Push the magic buttons from here and use the technology that we are paying for without spilling a drop of our blood.
No....and the suggestion we should see it through no matter how long it takes is just as Assinine as the people and policies that made it possible.
George
Chester,Ct.
Jack,
Thousands of years of futility of occupying armies already has proven that point. In the era of satellites and killer drones, the U.S. would be better off conducting the war against Al Qaida from the Pentagon.
Not one single drop of spilled American blood is worth supporting the corrupt Karzai regime.
I Guess If You Ask The Policitians In Washington They Would Say Yes Its Worth It Because We're Trying To Rid Afghanistan Of The Taliban And Al-Qadia And To Leave Afghanistan Would Put The United States At More Risk Of Another Attack! In My Opinion We Should Have Went To Afghanistan In The First Place Instead Of Iraq, Right Now I Just Think We Went To Afghanistan To Little To Late! We Need To Get Out Now While We Can!
Scott Stodden (Freeport,Illinois)
The war in Afghanistan is really worth it to our paided Mercenaries like Blackwater.U.S troops are out numbered by Contractors,More than 1000 of our contractors have been killed to date.Their is BIG MONEY being made in Afghanistan so in that context YES the war is worth it.
The situation and questions all seems like deja vu.
NO! Let's get out. Save our soldiers, save their families, and save our national soul. Let's cease the insanity that has proven, we cannot make progress, in a society, that does not, want change.
No war, regardless of where, is worth it. This is the war that resulted from 9/11 (not Iraq) and we are not winning. We need to pull out and if Osama Bin Laden comes out of hiding it would be best to have our soldiers states side protecting our homeland at home. This quite possibly could result in fewer deaths and lower war costs. The travel expense alone would help our deficit.
Only if it's part of the plan to destroy America.
Short answer: NO......let's clean up & get out of there except for interdiction when people are oppressed, then on occasion go in & kill Taliban.
Off the subject:
The GOP wants to get $33 billion to offset the extension of benefits for the unemployment that THEY caused?
Seize (by military force if necessary) the assets of Halliburton, the Bush family, the Cheney family and all others who profiteered off the war we were lied into. That will cover it & more.
Think about it Jack and remember the very same conversations were being had about Iraq and Pres. Bush. Sadly this war was started to go after the terrorist, we thought, then the emphasis was put on Iraq. The President can't just walk out on this war and our commitments to the region so he is stuck with it. Will it be worth it. I hope results that are not yet visible will make the sacrifices of ours and other countries troops in the fight against terrorism have enough value to be deemed "worth it".
No, and there will always be a Taliban, just as there will always be fundamentalists and other extremists here.
We should encourage a poltical solution, such as a coalition; but one which assures the eliminaton of al Queda and all opium production. The most effedtive toll we have is maing compliance dependent on continued US Aid.
No, a thousand times NO!!! And yet the only thing the Republicans will support from the Obama administration is to throw more money into that hell-hole.
Allen
Retired USAF
Hartwell GA
Jack, after all the money and blood that has been spilled because of this war I would love nothing more than to blindly say "yes." The fact is that this is a diffucult question, and the average US citizen isn't in a position to be informed enough to make an educated yes or no decision.
The only one that thinks the war is worth it is the defense industry and all the congressional members that get their pockets stuffed with money for supporting this worthless war. No Jack all that land over there is not worth the life of one american soldier, I say get the hell out of there and let the crazies over there kill each other and let it be know that if there is one little attack on the U.S. that we'll make a sand pile out of the entire middle east and they can all die in the name of Ali.
Jack - In a word NO - we've lost and are still losing too many young lives, not to mention the billions of dollars we're pouring down this bottomless pit - and for what? - to stop the Taliban? to stop al-Queda? to prop up the Karzai govenment? - what a horrible waste of lives and money!
by the way, I live in Lafayette, California
This is not a war in a war you are allowed to shoot the enemy.This is a war to see who can get the most oil.it's all about oil the stock market the rich and all those precious young men and women are loosing their lives for greed.
Jack,
This whole extension of the previous administrations' war is an exercise in futility. Why not bring our troops home and go back to the old days of having the CIA take out our enemies? It sure would save lots of money. Fighting in Afghanistan bankrupts all who try.
8 years and we've accomplished absolutely nothing. Bring the troops home, from both Afghanistan and Iraq, before we needlessly lose more of our soldiers to a fruitless cause. Let's face it, Jack. The Taliban, Al-Qaeda and its related splinter groups aren't going away that soon. If we destroy one terrorist group, another will pop up in its place. As for Osama bin Laden, he'll probably die before anyone is able to catch him, and someone else will step up to fill his shoes. All we can do is remain alert and do our best to defend ourselves against further attack.
It was worth it to disrupt the Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. It was worth it overthrow the Taliban which continues to support a terror war against the West in the name of Islam. It was worth it if only because it was the only one of the two ground wars on terror that made sense.
But, given the lack of a clear plan to end it, it is proving itself not worth it when American soldiers continue to be sent home in body bags while politicians argue over the right way to prosecute the war. The problem is that the converations that we're having now are conversations that we should have been having when we started the war, what will we do once the Taliban is gone. Easy to get rd of them, not so easy to keep them away.
Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the Afghan war will not be worth it. All we will have done is leave a poor country only worse. The culture of Afghanistan is not the culture of the western world. They operate through clans and chiefdoms with little need for a central government. As a result, the western model of a strong central government will not work in Afghanistan, yet all the US government keeps trying to do is install a central government. We were arrogant to believe that all this talk of "nation building" would work in a country that does not share the same governmental beliefs that we have. Stabilize the place, get out and hope for the best. That's all we can do.
Jack, this is a shame, all the money and lives we have wasted over the past 9 years. When we were attacked, Afghanistan harbored the plotters and we were justified in our actions. We gave no forethought to what we would do with the country once we succeeded and, thus, we did nothing with it. Our leaders at the time, you know who they were, used to patriotism and emotion of the times to steer us away from the true battle to wage a private war to avenge the name of one American family. We need to pull out of this region and make sure that our friends and allies receive the aid needed to fight their own battles with the radicals while we combat our own radical religious demons.
Of course it isn't worth it....step up the use of drones and send our soldiers home. What they're doing isn't working. Brings up the Einstein thing: you can't keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results.
Jack, the way current policy is now our soldier will be able to fight next 100 years, but never will be able to see victory. Because there are 100's of reasons and we all know that We need to change our definition of victory, that is very important.
Khan Alim
Sacramento, CA
No. End it now and bring our troops home. The military wants to minimize casualties among the civilian Afghanistans so they are making out troops fight with one hand tied behind its back. This nine year war and all of the frustrations that go with it is pushing our troops to suicide. That alone should indicate what the next step should be – bring ours sons and daughters,mothers and fathers,nieces and nephews,brothers and sisters home – and NOW!
Our service men and women are THE most dedicated, well trained, and committed, yet this war, as Iraq I simply do not understand of why we have been there 9 years. The terrain is hostile at best, and we will never know the full stories of what our service folks endure hourly, daily, weekly.
Why can't we just bomb suspected clusters ?
Our family lost a member in Iraq, and our only solace is that he wanted to serve.
The price is getting higher and higher, and it is not monetary. These men and women return as wounded warriors, and it simply is not worth it.
jack, iv`e said this before. we will never win in afganistan, kreushev pulled his troops there because he didnt see any progress there and the war was emptying their national coffers. their good red army is a sgood as what we have in a lot of ways, except that they shoot first and ask questions later. we fight too clean. dont put this war on obama because it was given to him from the bush/cheney administration.
Ultimately, no. Now, how do we get out?
In my judgment, all justification for the war in Afghanistan has left the building. The reason we went there was to root out Al-Qaida. Which we did and now Al-Qaida has moved its base of operations to Pakistan and other countries. Our remaining there now to build a nation is noble, but we cannot afford to be in the job of nation-building. No single nation should be empowered to or have the onus to build a nation. That is a job for the U.N. The Afghan government is corrupt and at odds with its people and our being there associates us with that corruption. The Taliban has the support of the locals. We need to get our troops home. If things go as sour in Afghanistan as it did before we invaded, we can invade it again...and then get out as prudence dictates.
What’s with the suicides? Makes no sense. Something is wrong here and we need to know what it is.
If we left now, the Democrats would ask what took so long to leave a failed effort, and the Republicans would claim Obama surrendered and made the U.S. effort a failure. It's a no-win situation politically.
McCain often said that we can't afford to lose in Afghanistan. I'd like to hear what he considers "winning" there. The goal was to drive out the Taliban. We did that. Then we dropped the ball and Al Queda moved in. No matter how long we stay, it will never be a safe place. If we leave in 6 months, 6 years, or 6 decades, the radicals that want to take over will return. We're just prolonging the inevitable at the cost of American (and allied) blood.
Why not ask all of the intel agencies? I'm sure that they'll provide an interesting assessment. They'll probably determine that more intel assets are required to make a deeper analysis. Who says that there is no perpetual motion machine. I think the intel folks have figured it out.
The Russians threw millions of men at Afghanistan years ago and still did not "win". Does anybody at the White House study history? How can we expect to win with only a few hundred thousand? Why not take all the money we are throwing away for no reason and put it to good use, like the debt!
you mean to tell me jack that now yall don't think that the war is worth it? well jack it wasn't worth it when bush started it.....give me a break now nothings worth it since Pres.Obama is in office.....i have never seen such a bunch of whiny people since Pres.Obama took over.
We don't have a choice. We got into this war to prevent future terror attacks from taking place. Leaving it as is now would lead to the same problems that gave us 9/11 in the first place.
I think the Afganastan war is hopeless. These people will always fight.
I have been to some of these countries and they are not like us of for that matter the Europeans. This country is going down hill so fast and it began
with Bush. Now Obama should take a stand and do what is right. Keep
an eye on the terrorist but not a whole battalion of soilders. To many have died.
Shame on our government for not biting the bullet.
Has any country ever won a war in Afghanistan? Will any country ever corral the tribes and facilitate a nation in the traditional sense? No. Why are we there? To save some psyches of the soldiers who are still there, but at what cost, the last one standing? Kerry did get something right once upon a time.
Carol in Massachusetts
Jack. The preamble to the question pretty much leads to the obvious answer that no, the Afghanistan war is not worth the cost?
America and Canada are now doing their disgusting political waffle dance in tandem, leaking out hints why July of 2011 won't see both countries pull out after all.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is ruining our soldiers, who come home belligerent and frustrated because of what they have seen. These damaged heroes then ruin their own families in so many different ways, which in turn greatly harms society as a whole.
One would hope that the political and military leaders might eventually take war's hidden costs, like PTSD, into consideration before deciding to wage another useless war somewhere.
I don't think it's worth it. Americans don't get much out of it cause there'll always be terrorist of one kind or another. And like they said in the documentry "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden", Al Queda made us go there because they can't fight us on our own land.
A war can only be won against a state, unfortunately not terrorist extremists. History has shown over and over that wars over peoples' beliefs and customs are impossible to win. It's only been decades, but how's the war on drugs going? They kill more Americans than tesrrorists.
Are we being forced to sacrifice ourselves for something we will not directly prosper from? Most definately yes, but this is a long-term committment the U.S. made under the Bush Adminastration & if we back out now the only outcome it will guarantee is more enemies. The question isn't whether or not it was a wise decision in the first place, the question is what position will we be putting ourselves in if we withdraw, with a job half-done, leaving a community in higher disarray than when we entered. Don't we already have enough enemies in that area?
Not anymore, Jack. When we first when into Afghanistan, our objective was to remove the Taliban and capture Osama Bin Laden. I was under the impression that we accomplished the 1st part, created a democratic government and installed President Karzai. Well, that hasn't worked. We were sidetracked by Iraq, and now the Karzai government is in disarray, the Taliban is back, and Pakistani Al-Qaeda insurgents are wreaking havoc on the country. On top of that, we still don't have Bin Laden. It's time to cut our losses. We bungled this – badly.
I am in favor of ending the war due to the lack of international support. Why are our girls and boys the predominate force dying over there? If the rest of the world can't get involved, bring them home and let them protect the southern border where there is a true war waging and maybe we can get the drug cartels before they invade us. Talk about terror on our soil! Mexico has been and will continue to invade us as long as the idiots in DC cannot come to the logical conclusion that laws are laws and need to be enforced.
Two decades after my return home as a Marine combat veteran from Vietnam I spent every day with my gut wrenched and choking back tears while trying to hide within a bottle of whiskey. All the while trying to find the answer to "why"?
I never found that answer, and in my sobriety realized there is no answer to why when it comes to ideological wars.
I pray that hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan realize and accept long before I did and without the hardships that in their ideological war there can never be an answer to why.
Only a war based on virtue can why ever be answered.
I didnt think it was worth it when GWB started it, but we are their and have to save face I guess. I dont know, America needs to mind its own business and quit thinking we can change the world.
It's worth it if you are defense contractor feeding off of gov't pork to build weapons of death, and it's worth it to the slimy politicians who take campaign contributions (AKA bribes) from their lobbyists, but even If we were plundering resources like oil and prescious metals like officials swear we are not (lying), it does not make up for the massive waste of resources it takes to maintain a fighting force halfway around the world or the loss of human life.
Defending the safety of our nation is our problem. Fighting with the Taliban over control of the Afghan government is not. If there arise situations of legitimate terrorist threat, then we can deal with those as they come, but we cannot continue to fight an ideology with an army. We're just digging our hole deeper.
Mike
St. Louis.
In a word " NO " .
I'll answer with a question: was it ever worth it?
No.
Bush lead us into a trap and we're still struggling to get out.
Isn't now, wasn't yesterday, and will not be in the future. There never has been, nor ever will be any justification for this war, including the Iraq fiasco.
No, it's not worth it. We need to begin nation-building here. We need to build up our infrastructure, including a new electric grid system and high-speed rail system. The billions of dollars Mrs. Clinton brought to Pakistan over the weekend could be better used here too. We have unemployed benefits that can't get extended because of pay-go. Looks like we could pay unemployment benefits and forego these wars!!!
IMHO, no... the money we're pouring into the coffers of Afghanistan, coupled with the loss of lives – their AND our troops – isn't worth it. How can we sustain all these other nations when we're allowing our own roads and levees and other infrastructures to fall apart? Where is the dignity in that?
Shut your eyes and remember the towers falling, the answer is yes. Yes. Yes.
To sum it up: HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!
No it has not been worth it. My great great great grandchildren will be paying for this war,
Jack, every major military power on earth through out history has been to Afghanistan and poured massive sums of money and time into it and none have anything to show for it but debt. I think the Afghans are pretty smart to sucker every major power on earth. Was it worth it? Yes to them Jack. It is the scam the Afghans run on unsuspecting country and no one gets it until it’s to late. They got our money and didn’t run. We will.
The war in Afganistan WAS worth it before Bush abandoned it by taking his eye off the ball to go to Iraq. Sadam was at least keeping Iran in check... and now we have to go back and finish what we started... Afganistan.
It's not worth the lives of the young men and women heroes that risk everything for a war that means nothing. Hey President Obama, if you want to improve your poll numbers and save money for the US economy at the same time, all you have to do is end the wars.
I'M A CANADIAN watching with increasing fear what is going on with the US economy and by extension the Afghanistan war...bring them home...yours and ours....enough is enough...not only will you bring down your economy but ours too!!!
The U.S. should have gone into Afghanistan to try to flush out Osama bin Laden right after 9/11 instead of wasting lives and money in Iraq. And we should have been out by now. The Afghans kicked the Brits and the Soviets out in the past. At the end of the day, it's not our country, and like them, we will have to leave.
No. Send our troops home and bring back America to where it used to be! Spend that money domestically. How are we going to try to fix another country while ours is falling apart????
Well Jack, you tell me, everyone was eager to go to war when 9/11 happened... they got it.
The war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq are not worth the blood and treasure we are wasting there.
We need to re-think Afghanistan, and bring the troops home. We need to re-think Economics 101, and replace it with Nature's Basic Law of Economics. Go to internetfreepress.com
Not in lives, not in dollars and not politically as Obama will learn only too late.
simple answer no
complicated answer "I wish I could trust our Government"
If you food chain is defense... Yes.
Bad short term answer....
In the long term... for our future...NO!
I think we've made our point that we don't take terrorism lightly. But what exactly ARE we doing now? Killing their people won't make them hate us less. Enough is enough. We need to pull out and fix our own country instead of theirs.
Jack and others, let us face it, this war is like another Iraq. It is a recurring theme in government and political policies. Countless innocent Afghans die everyday and we say this is "progress?" I will leave this question up you, Jack, and other viewers.
No! The country needs the money spent on infrastructure that would create jobs and secure the economy at home. Obama ran on an anti war platform, voters want him to follow though with his promise of peace. At least in Iraq at best end both wars now.
It is not a war Jack, it's an occupation. One of the reasons the Taliban hates us because we're in their holy land, and I can't figure out why we're there. If we left, maybe the hatred would subside a little. It hasn't been a war since George Bush gave up hunting for Osama Bin Laden and went after Saddam Hussein so he could take him out of power and look like a hero to the American people. Bring the troops home and spend billions of dollars protecting the American/Mexican border.
Afghanistan isn't worth it anymore than Vietnam was.
David Travers, Santa Monica, CA
Yes the Afghan War is worth fighting with the correct partner!!! That correct Afghan partner id NOT Karzai!!!!! He is the stonewall, he is the one that has to go, him and his corrupt brother Wali . If you get rid of that log jam you will see movement and we will make headway. The afghans want to govern themselves.............Karzai never wants us to leave.
Since the people there don't want it then there is no use to keep spending money on it. Afghanistan,and Iraq both will go back to what they were no matter when we leave. Their value of life is just so much different than ours. Te money would be better spent here at home creating jobs !
I believe Jefferson said it all: "War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses."-Jefferson
Only if Americans feel the need to prove they are tough, tough, tough and stubborn. Sadly they may also prove their foolishness in the process.
Mike, Canada
I'd like to know where Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink have been...no media coverage of protests, sitins or stalkings. Perhaps outrage over the wars is only applicable during Republican administrations. Blatant hypocrisy!
It is about as useful as the war in Viet Nam was...
The fight for freedom is ALWAYS worth "it"...but there does come a time when tactics need to be re-evaluated. Terrorism can be fought in different ways, the days of ground wars is probably on it's way out. When the enemy is using tactics like IED's (successfully I might add) it might be time to withdraw. All the money in the U.S. and all of the technology and firepower of the world's top "Super Power" hasn't won this war.
Worth it ? Yes. Is Afghanistan "winnable" ? No.
Chris in Canada
No, absolutely not! The only reason we're still there is to save face for spending so much time and money in this "unwinnable" war. The only reason we're there is because George W. Bush attacked Iraq based on lies, and then decided to continue America's invasion of the Middle East in an effort to gain access to its oil pipes. Let's get real, and get the hell out of the Middle East, and start focusing on securing on own country against future terrorist attacks, and illegal immigration problems!
The Iraq and Afghan wars are the biggest strategic and diplomatic blunders in this nation's history. Why Obama bought into this nonsense still beats the hell out of me. Herb from Oklahoma.
Absolutely not. We still can't get a staight answer to the most basic question in war: What are the victory conditions? How do we know we have won? It was the inability to answer these two basic questions that led to the quagmire in Vietnam, the unclarity of Iraq, and why we can't figure out Afghanistan. If we can't know what is the condition of victory by now, we should stop wasting American and Afghani lives as we struggle to figure it out.
For the military industrial complex, yes. For the U.S. or Afghanistan, no.
Whether or not Afghanistan is worth it–the real question is quite different........Is our presence near the Pakistan border helping to keep their nukes out of the hands of Al Queda? That is the real issue and trust me–the truly big reason for keeping our troops close........Margot in the other Washington
I voted for Obama, largely in part because he made himself out to be a peacemaker...a war-ender. As someone with a relative currently serving in Afghanistan, I am more than a little upset that the President cannot see what everyone else seems to know, namely, that wars in Afghanistan are quagmires and un-winnable. Bring our troops home NOW!
Jack,
The answer is a clear NO!
The bigger questions are:
1) How come we are just collectively asking the tough questions now?
2) Should not we ask the critical questions and setting realistic objectives before we invested our precious human and financial resources?
Maybe one day before we are a bankrupt nation we will start to analyze the cost-effectiveness of our choices.
Unfortunately our nation is built on war. We can not afford to pull out because then what happens when over a million people counting the contractors come home to no jobs. If you think about it, where would they work. We would need to once again downsize our military and laid off more people. Many of our American companies that are DOD based companies have over 85% of their contracts based on the war and 1000s of jobs. We need to almost start over as a nation in order to pull out of all the wars that keep up afloat. Ouch the truth hurts.
Taking into concern the many issues present in our own country, I find it pointless after nearly 9 years to continue a war that is causing such immense casualties (both suicides and war-related deaths). We began the war with good intentions to bring peace to the world, but it is hurting our own country far too much to be worth it in the long run. Our troops shouldn't be fighting a war that has no definitive reason to it anymore.
I born pakistan, and I am American Citizen, I really think we american waist money,waist time and waist american heroes and i feel bad. because once they get the money next thing will deposite in Swiss-bank and pakistan will never change never period.
lets see..to much money, to much death, to much destruction, crumbling economy, "NO BIN LADEN" after nine years... we lost this battle along time ago....IT IS NO WORTH IT!
Nah, not worth it. We were happy when the Afghanis made the offensive "to not worth it" for the Russians. I guess they saw the futility of not throwing more men and money into the fray. To keep trying to push our influence on other counties is futile. Someday we'll learn.
We are involved in extreme nation building. We have taken on the challenge of bringing a country that is centuries behind. Instead of doing this work with the assistance of NGOs we are trying to do this with an occupying military force. A realistic time frame for change in Afghanistan is measured in generations and we expect change in months and years.
This is ill conceived. We are way beyond a sensible, limited, and achievable military mission. Bring the troops home!
I have thought often about all that is lost in war. The sort of people that are noble and brave enough to go to war are just the kind of people that the world lacks and it is so terrible that they are lost at war.
I don't think that there is anything that is worth the loss of so many young people. I have said a thousand times that I would not have begun the war in the first place, but that is neither here nor there, the war is on.
I don't think that anything is worth the deaths of so many people. The young soldiers and the innocent victims around the world. I don't have all the facts but I think that there must be another way. If anyone wants my ideas you can give them my email.
No way the war in Afghanistan is not worth it? Hell we can't protect our own boarders. Wake up people.
NO! This war is not worth the blood and dollars that have been, and continue to be wasted. The US has absolutely no business being there, and should pull our troops out as soon as possible. I don't even support the US remaining there as "peacekeepers" while that country tries in vain to establish a government. The US cannot continue to play bully to other countries and other cultures.
Yes, if it isn't properly ended, then plan on a simular 9/11 else-where in the U.S. We all knew it would be a long war when it began. We aren't even at the half-way mark yet.
they've been warring for generations, 1,000's yrs. we will not stop it trying to get 'em to join in our democratic experiment. we must allow them to have their own culture while we evolve our own.
Jack, you've gotta be kidding! The insanity of Obama continuing and escalating the Bush war in Afghanistan is outrageous! More than 1,100 lives of young Americans (and counting) have been snuffed out as we continue to "nation-build." This war actually is creating so-called "terrorists" around the world, including right here in the sick ole' USA.
Regrettably, it is impossible to tell a parent, spouse, sibling or child that their loved one died for something that is "not worth it". The sad truth is that politics, both domestic and international, will not allow that fact to be given voice. It is madness to continue anything more than a UN Peacekeeping presence in Afghanistan. Instead, we should offer them assistance in developing their natural resources. We need to withdraw not only from Afghanistan, but also from Bush's insane adventure in Iraq. It's not that it's "not worth it", it's madness.
Now is hardly the time to ask that question - the time to ask that question was before we invaded them. It was obvious before we invaded that what has happened would happen. Unfortunately, getting out is much harder than getting in. The bigger question is how do we eliminate war mongers from elected office.
Jim, Craig, CO
I don't know how troops alone can help any country with a literacy rate below 25% take on more democratic forms. Abe Lincoln wisely said a functional democracy relies on an educated populace. If we rid the country of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, what or who among the indigenous population would take its place?
Unfortunately there's just no happy ending for the people of Afghanistan. The sooner we realize that the better.
Hello, Jack.
The truth has a bodyguard of lies.
The terrorists that were trained to attack our towers on 9-11 were from Saudi Arabia. Did the United States army never learn geography? We invaded a country to attack their gangs of criminals. Then we attacked Iraq. This country needs to wake up. Zombie Americans. Stop living your fake illusions of reality and wake up and smell the coffee. Our goverment has taken a face of its own. When will we activate our country's constitutional rights. To defend our country from all enemys, foreign and domestic. We all know the NWO controls this world now.
G-20 owns 90% of the worlds economys. So who knows why we are really at war. OH WAIT, Were not at war. Because the United states can only use the TAX payers money for only One year to fund a war. Then what are we in?
These wars are pathetic. Men and women are dying for countries that we have to persuade to like us and not the bad guys. We bribe them with billions while our people are in the worst time in our history. Bring on the draft and see how fast we change our minds.
Jill
By the standards I held for most of my life, no. After 9-11, yes.
War is never the answer.
We were drawn into the war in Iraq by Bush, who wanted to kick Hussein's butt because his daddy did not. Big oil was behind him.
Bush Sr. also left the mission uncompleted in Afghanistan. However, nine years is long enough. The Afghan people have never had any life without war. Let us help them rebuild their country and to hell with the mad men living in caves.
We are bleeding money and we are bleeding oil. War no more.
If you're a big business defense contractor or subcontractor, of course it's worth it. The US is in bUSiness. Eisenhower warned us about it. Of course, if you're Joe Lunchbox, you end up paying the tab. Unfortunately, some paid the ultimate price, and that's a damn shame.
Corruption, both Afgani and American has cost us way way too much. An example is the electric plant which was billed at $100 Million dollars and end up costing us over $300 million dollars and only works some of the time because of its cost. Oh yeah and it is cheaper for them to just buy power from their neighbors which makes the plant even more ridiculous. If you want the human costs, check out the 101st Abn Div which is six miles up the road from me. They have lost over 200 men not including the suicides and they are now on their official fourth deployment since 911. Time to get it done and get out. It has cost us way too much.
Heck no! We're on the other side of the world fighting a war for what? Leave several hundred special forces there to look for OBL, with air support. Bring the rest of them boy's and Gals home and put put them out there protecting our borders!
I'm not qualified to answer that Jack, as are so many others who spout out answers on issues that they have no inside knowledge of. On the surface, it would appear that it's beginning to not be worth it. The uneducated reasons I give are as follows: What is defined as success there? If it's conquering and/or occupying the country, then a big NO. If it's winning the hearts and souls of the people, that's unlikely as well. Reason being there's a big conflict between the rural people relative to the drug trade, which we'd like to destroy, and they depend upon for a living. This same trade finances the Taliban as well as the rural families as a living. Finally, the Taliban and their brother, Al Quadi is already spreading into Yemen, Africa, India and Pakistan. Can we afford to invade them next and afford to expand the war. The answer is a big Hell NO. There you have it from an uneducated, uninformed citizen.
No this war isn't worth the cost that are troops are paying. It was just a diversion to get to Iraq. How many people have to die to make up for the few that died on 9/11. A sniper team could have taken out Bin Laden and saved a lot of lives. We have been at war for almost 10 years and what do we have to show for it besides our troops being wore down by repeated deployment from one war to another. This is stupid. Want to stop terrioist? Protect our borders and identify and remove all of those that are here ilegally.
it is not worth it !!!
where would we be as a nation with deficits if we were not spending billions in the iraq and afgan wars.
and if we closed most if not all the military bases and operations around the globe.
let china handle the worlds problems.
lord knows they have all the money !!!
The war was worth it on 9-11 but the objectives turned into a human intrest mission with 9-11 becoming a forgotten cause .
Jack, The American People should've stopped to think about this before they got 100% behind President Bush's decision to send them there in the first place. Every time I hear people whining about Afghanistan I want to put my size 11s square up their butts. There is no "oops, nevermind" in war. Once you commit, you're In, end of story. We voted for a guy 2 years ago who said he was going to withdraw troops from Iraq and double down in Afghanistan and the majority of the country cheered. Now that he's fulfilling this campaign policy, suddenly we are a country of amnesiacs. Shame on all of us!
In a word, no. I am a Viet Nam veteran and learned that, often times what the government wants and what can be accomplished by military means are askew. Forty years after Viet Nam the one obvious fact is that the nation is still inhabited and controlled by Vietnamese. Forty years from now the Afgans will still be deciding their own fate in their country.
No, No, No – I repeat for a reason; human beings are funny in that they have difficulty changing direction even when lost or wrong. Rocky River, Ohio
Times change and ground wars like Afghanistan and Iraq are outdated. When primitive enemies with IED's are causing such destruction to a "Super Power".
Freedom is always worth fighting for...a change in tactic is required.
Chris in Canada
Jack,
The famous words of President Dwight D. Eisenhower ring true in reference to Afghanistan: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed." In a country where unemployment is soaring and the economy is sputtering to recover, it baffles the mind to conceive that those we've elected to govern us would choose to pour hundreds of billions into rebuilding a foreign society.
As an American and Australian......absolutely bloody not. It's all about $$$$$$$.
Let's do buisness. Let's drop flyers and warn the general population. Then spend a few months dealing with this problem from the air and follow-up with massive ground offensives until the threat no longer exsist in any means. Afghanistan has to be dealth with NOW (once and for all)
Jack, these two wars are the most worthless of all the wars I have ever been exposed to. The politicians and military heads were right in going after Bin Laden, but why the right turn into Iraq? There were no weapons of mass destruction, Iraq had never attacked the US etc etc. It was simply a Bush vendetta, and had nothing to do with keeping America safe. Now that we are in those two countries, and have sacrificed our young people's lives, not to mention 12 billion dollars per month, where are we. We just don't seem to learn lessons from the past. Its time to pull the plug and not worry about corporate/oil interests. Let the enemy, whoever they are, collect in one country, then get them all at once would be a better strategy than we have now? All the government has done is spread lies and myths about why we are there. Imagine how many brave soldiers would be alive today, if we kept our noses out of other country's business and tended to our own safety and security here at home. We should cut our losses now, and get out, as those people will never change over there.
Jack,
Alexander the Great couldn't conquer Afghanistan, the Russian's spent close to 20 years trying to conquer the same region....what makes us think that we can do what no one has ever done; conquer and control a region with mulititudes of different factions, tribes and agendas. Why not concentrate on the US. We have plenty of problems of our own. On a side note, the mosque proposed to be built near to ground zero of the WTC terrorist attacks should be built as long as there is proof of no ties with terrorism or extremist groups. We should be proud as a nation that we do accept and allow all religions to practice freely.
What would be the political cost of leaving while bin Laden is still alive?
The Times Square bomber was inept. The underware bomber was inept.. They did not require Afghanistan to do their bomb building.
Two people with Internet access can build a bomb. They don't need their own country.
Our wars are for the promotrion of the officer corp, defense contractors, and oil companies. Bring the people that do the fighting home. Pay the opium farmwes not to raise poppies and mwe will still come out ahead.
Hello Jack, The Afgan war is not worth it every life lost is a horrible reality of this war. The trillions of dollars are also a waste look what happened to the Russians when they fought there for thirty years they lost. The Americans need to continue to fight heroin warriors on there own borders not in foreign countries like Afgan. The strategy should remain in immigration reform and combat drugs with legislation and eventually control legalization instead of war. I just hope Americans will be more open minded about the idea.
It is time to bring all our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. US troops have spent enought time and money there. If the people who live there want peace, it is passed time for them to step up to the plate. As long as the US keeps giving them money, they will take it as long as possible. I have a feeling they probably laugh behind our backs at our stupidity. Billions have been poured into these two wars and back at home we complain about spending money for health care to help our own people. The current administration needs to get tough on immigration and border security and use our troops to defend our country as they were intended.
Thats a good question for these who were successful in starting the war.
In my opinion, we are losing boys and girls in a blind fight. They deserve a clear directive, and to know their enemy. The Middle East has been at war far longer than we have been a country. They have fought in the name of Allah for over a thousand years. No amount of American influence will ever change that and will likely create greater resentment. We should leave them to their war, and allow our troops to help countries they can actually make a tangible impact in if our leaders insist on playing big brother. I would prefer to see the soldiers here at home, working on domestic issues like securing our borders and aiding in the Gulf restoration. We have needs too.
no this war is not worth it.
We need oil. Supply contracts have already been signed between Kazakstan and Chevron (with the help of Condoleza Rice) . A pipeline needs to run through Afghanistan to take that oil to the Caspian Sea and then by tanker to the US. Question is how many young Americans are we ready to lose to get that pipeline. The Russians failed.
Why do we think always think we are the smartest guys in the room and our way is the only way. Our partners are pulling out of there faster than sh-t goes through a goose yet we claim to be making progress in nation building.
Lets call this what it is. Attempts to take a populace with standards, mores, and tribal goverance centruies behind the rest of the world and jerk them into the 21st century. The minute we are gone they will be back to their old ways.
Yes, the war is worth it. Now that we are there. If only all it does is keep our enemys guessing. If we left, they would gather to bomb us again, only we'd have more enemys because we left. And, what would those 140,000 soldiers do when they get home. Where would they work?
Wanda
This war was "Bush-family" meal ticket – why are we still feeding Halliburton when our own families are starving? GET OUT – now. We are accomplishing no purpose, that's what our own taking their lives there are trying to tell us, the same message we heard in Vietnam, that's why there are so many comparisons. The puzzle is why it is still happening – enough lives. Enough innocents.
Is the war in Afghanistan worth it. well, ask the Bush Admistration. No, it's not worth it, but it seems that the previous administration thought so. Let's jus hope that with the help of a higher power, the Obama administration can fix it, they are doing a good job trying.
Bush was allowed to work his strategy for almost 8 years of the 9 year war without anyone complaining. Of course his strategy was to do nothing but use our soldiers as sitting ducks for the terrorists and taliban. Now finally Obama for one year has put into place a new strategy with more soldiers who are active in taking down the terrorists and taliban who aid the terrorists. But since Obama is Black he is only allowed one (1) year for his strategy to prove itself.
Give our President whom we voted for the same time given to Bush before you all start complaining. I have a strong feeling Obama won't need that much time.
No. Any war is not worth it. Especially one that never will be won. It is obvious we will never find Bin Laden. We can't even find a 19 year old who steals a plane. How many lives and billions of dollars will it take to understand that? Does anyone actually belive Iraq will remain the same after all the troops are gone? Either quit listening to the bleeding hearts and untie the hands of the troops or get the heck out of Dodge.
We are a Christian Army of Occupation in a hostile, very religious Muslim Land. That does not fly. We should get out.
If they were here, doing what we do there, you and I would have out our guns too.
"Come on Cafferty!!!!!!! Who told you about a month ago about the building of that Muslim Shrine next to Ground Zero. But you never even answered my comment. Now you know it is there to stay, because you continue to ignore you are slowely becoming just another Muslim State. Is this what you call jouralism? One sided!!!!"
Jack,
If you want to find the "Golden Ticket" which holds the answer to the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, you need to visit the "mastermind" behind the whole plot, George W. Bush and his wonderful talented family of illusionist. Most of our deficit is a small gift from good olde "W".
We can not claim to be a civilized or intelligent people if we would even think of holding Obama responsible for this genus plot created by the GOPS answer to democracy, George W. Bush.
We need to cut our loss of lives and funds.......END BOTH WARS NOW!!!
Absolutely not right now Jack, and probably never. The reasons to leave are many, including the lack of real support from Pakistan no matter how much money we send to this country and its leaders. In addition the current leadership in Afghanistan is so corrupt it will be impossible to win this war. In fact this is not a war it is nation building in a country that is stuck in the seventh century with tribal leadership for various tribes throughout the country. When will we learn Jack?
We have the technology to fight this war from afar if and when Osama and his minions ever try to take over this country again. We could blow them to hell from New Mexico and ships based offshore. Why are we fighting another war without a winning strategy?
Why is it ,that we our not told the troop strength of the Iraqi's–We know how many of our troops are there, but how large is the Iraqi army?
Thank You,
Robert Oleksy
The Afghan War may be good for the military complex (those who produce weapons and have government contracts for war), but it is not good for the country as a whole. Winning has not been defined and defeating the insurgence has never happened and will not happen in our life times. Need a strategy for bring the troops home. – Fred in Monticello, Florida
P.S. I have had a son in both the Iraq and Afghan war.
My son is a Marine that is stationed at Kandahar Nato Base. He walks around with his hand on his knife. He says Mom I'm so paranoid. They're out to kill us. He has trouble sleeping. All that separates the base from the Afghans is a chain link fence. My son is only 20 yrs old. What makes the USA think they can make any difference in Afghanistan when Russia couldn't. And how long do we stay? Isn't 9 years long enough. How many soldiers have to die?
No this war is like the old rope-a-dope it will is exhausting american will , money and morality on a country which has never had any of these. This is being done while a Mosque is concurrently being built Near ground zero. This tack is not new for Islam. Islam is not a religion of peace but of subdjegation.
No....this war is not worth it anymore...We can protect our borders with our own military if needed...up the use of drones and use our missles from afar and get out....It's just sickening to me to here some senators talk about our standing in the world if we leave....The only one's that will be using this excuse is the people who are using this war for political reasons.....
I believe those in power in Afganistan could care less what either the USA or Canada is doing for them. As long as our countries are pouring money and other resources for their benefit, they are laughing all the way to the bank. Eventually they will be back to ground zero and be no further ahead than they were the day we all started pouring our resources to try and help them out.
It's difficult to fight an enemy that holds no value for human life; even their own. Remember the kamikazi fighters of WWII ?
Freedom is always worth fighting for...perhaps "defence" should be the way to fight this kind of enemy..."offence" doesn't seem to be working very well.
God Bless the U.S.A.
Chris in Canada
From Mohegan Lake, NY – 9 yrs. ! We have lost the the best the US has in the prime of their lives – for what? For people who continue to destroy everything around them and WILL NEVER CHANGE. We are now seeing these beautiful young men and women committing suicide – among them, a beautiful young woman who graduated from our local high school just last year. this is terrible. And the cost of this farce? We should be out of there by the end of the year, never mind first starting to discuss when .
If after billions of dollars and countless soldiers killed or wounded for life, what are we still doing there? The momentum was lost when Bush pulled out troops and money from the real war on terror (afghanastan) for a personal vendetta against Saddam. Millions of Americans are getting their cars repossessed and houses foreclosed on because they can't pay their basic bills on the $8.00 per hour service "jobs" that people are forced to take to survive. Let's take the war money and give companies inventives to move the higher paying manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.
Jack,
As a person who was born and raised in the area, I guarantee you that those people will never ever change. It is a waste of time, money and life. We should get out of there ASAP. Pro-westerners should also get out and start a new life for themselves somewhere else in the world.
Sayyed
No,certainly not. Sadly, the Administration must already see this , but just like LBJ faced with the Vietnam debacle, they have not figured out how to "save face" and exit gracefully.As a result, our young soldiers continue to die.
Jack, As one of our nation's independant voters, NO! Not only should we not be in Afghanistan, but why are we still in South Korea, Japan, Germany, Iraq, and all the others? What did Eisenhower say about the Military Monoply in our government? Bring our troops home to guard the Mexican Border !!
So Jack, let me get this right. We are spending billions for the war in Afghanistan, Secretary Clinton is pledging billions of support in Pakistan, we have a U.S. intelligence department that no one has a handle on, and this is all in the name of security and fighting terrorism? Are we sure the military hasn't turned into our new "jobs policy" to keep the employment rates lower than they would/should be all at the sacrifice of American lives? What happened to the jobs here to fix our OWN intrastructure? Pakistan's energy grid? Didn't I just hear that we may suffer brown outs in our own energy grid due to the high heat and increased energy use. What is wrong with this picture??? Why don't we spend these billions on securing our borders, improving our security and creating jobs here at home like improving OUR energy grid and efficiency?
This again is a war that began years ago with a country that is not stable. They are rogues, nomads and terrorist. They have no planes, ships, or missiles. Why on earth are we over there. We need to bring back our troops and find jobs cleaning up our own country. America is in need of a make over inside and out of government. We have been led down a path to make someone(s) rich.
Afghanistan is where we should have focused our troops now we are paying for the Bush war in Iraq with troops in Afghanistan. Maybe the window has passed. We can’t do it alone, if we pull out how many innocent Afghanistan’s will die. My Dad a World War II vet was right we should have never gone into these countries. You can not occupy another country. It should have been tactical strikes amid at Bin laden.
Shame on those who voted for Bush the second time.
Jack
It was clear from the beginning that using a conventional army (most of it contracted out, including food services) was not the approach to fighting an asymmetrical battle, especially since Afghanistan was not the immediate threat. After 20 years America will reduce itself to the condition of Haiti, broke, no resources to to self sustain, and no one helping because there is nothing in it for themselves.
Bob
Jack,
Afghanistan has been known for centuries as the graveyard of empires. It was down right ignorant for the United States to go in there thinking they can change things. The Soviets spent 10 year there and eventually had to withdraw and they are now gone by the wayside. What makes the U.S. think that they can be different. If they had gotten Bin Laden when they had the chance they would be out by now. Instead like all others before, they are bogged down and pouring money into a land that will eat them alive and leave them like all the others, broke and left in the dust.
It's worth it to avoid having Afghanastan fall back into the hands of the Taliban. But it's not worth the cost and lives that are wasted when the President obviously isn't paying nearly as much attention to our national security as he did Obamacare and the rest of his destructive agenda. We need to succeed in afghanastan the get out but that isn't going to happen under this President.
Jack,
We have nothing. Absolutely NOTHING to gain from this war.
In 2004 I lived in Kabul 14 months, walked the streets and never felt secure in that country. Same feelings I had walking the streets of Morocco as a child during the war of independence from the French.
Ahmid Karzai and his buddies are fooling us, fooling our president and our four stars Generals. All are SO NAIVE to believe that the country will turn around overnight.
Even if we were to get Bin Laden + his cohort tomorrow, five years later we still would occupy the country and keep on paying off another Karzai buddy with billions of dollars. They are not worth it, they want the gravy train to keep on rolling in the dough.
Comon America... it is time to wake up and walk away from this war.
Charles
No. The loss of life is not worth the cost. of the so called terror wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The economic wellfare of the average American is being destroyed while the BPs( Big Persons) are getting rich..The supporters of President Obama never dreamed that he would become known as a "killing President".He was audacious to "dope" us that there would be change in the destructive psyche of the U.S.
Jack,
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I am opposed to the war in Afghanistan. The money spent on this war needs to be used to pay our debt down and to take care of our people at home. We need to bring our troops home.
No, the Afghan war is NOT worth it when the government is already having a hard time fixing their own country. There are too many people on unemployment and they can't even figure out if they are going to continue that because of the deficit.. but they want to keep a pointless war going. There are too many people like me struggling right here at home but I dont have troops popping up at my door step to make it right.
No, the war in Afghanistan is not worth it. We shouldn't be there. We shouldn't be in Iraq. We should pressure Israel to end the blockade of Gaza, to end its occupation of Palestinian territory, to acknowledge that it has nuclear weapons of mass destruction, and to dismantle its nuclear arsenal. We need jobs in this country and money for schools, health care, the environment, unemployment relief, highways, etc. Money for social programs can and should come from ending the billions we waste on war, stopping the $3 billion a year we give to Israel, and implementing a progressive tax program that makes the rich pay at much, much higher rates.
I think this question should be answered by the soldiers who are there. They are the ones putting their lives at risk for our common ideals. If they decide that the gratitude shown by people who, for the first time, can now have things as simple as their own opinions without being persecuted or the beaming smiles of the young girls who are now allowed to go to school. If the soldiers decide they should stay , than we should have the soldiers back as they have ours.
Jack, Sure this war is worth it ! As soon as we turned the nations keys over to the military complex, we have as good as asked them to figure out a safe way to bankrupt this country. No more having to figure out how to kill Social Security and Medicare. Ron.
The war should never have happened, we armed them with weapons to defeat the Soviets, but failed to provided them an education after the Soviets were defeated, because we were looking to save a few bucks sounds like something that BP would do not the U.S Government.
The loss of lives in this unwinable war is unforgiveable. We should notify our allies that we will be leaving at a certain date and then leave. What a terrible folly this has been.
Didn't we learn our lesson in Vietnam ? US needs to regroup our stategy & policies. Use the Military to secure our borders,harbors,airports, etc.
& use our federal funds for us.
Afghanistan was never worth it. This should have been a CIA covert operation. The war in Afghanistan was an overreaction. George Bush's little peepee got hard and he felt like he needed to flex American military muscle. That's why we are in Afghanistan today. We were never going to win that war. Hamid Kazai will beat our soldiers out of Kabul whenever it is time for us to leave because the Taliban will be back in power even before we get to Washington.
Jack,
Is it just me or does our side of what is now going on in Afghanistan look strikingly and alarmingly similar to the USSR’s role in the years before their demise?
Do we need a chalk board?
Let's see, Billions to wage a war that cannot be won. Untold American men and women permanently disabled, both physically and mentally, at an unknown cost to America. Al-Queda popping up in Somalia, Yemen and who knows where else. So unless our overly intelligent federal government intends to go nation building in every third world country what is the point in continuing. Not to overstate its' simplicity, but how about we secure our borders and try to keep the problem on the outside.
No, it's not worth it. This war can never be won, because the world is fighting an ideology not a a country or a state. I agree that we have to battle terrorism, but how can we battle it by going to war and blowing up a country to do it. There are more militants in Pakistan than in Afghanistan, they cross the borders daily and kill the men and women that defend not only the United States, every other nation that is trying to battle terrorism. Most of next terrorist come from Pakistan, and still the US government is funding them and helping them, when there is clear evidence that the Pakistani Intelligence was behind the Mumbai 2008 bombing and various other terrorist attacks around the world even the London bombings. So then why not blow up Pakistan?...But if the military goes to Pakistan then they will go Somalia.. We cannot destroy terrorism, we can only protect ourselves and hope they don't get their hands on WMDs.. The US has spent billions of dollars for a war that will never be won!!
War in this day and age can never be boiled down to the simple-minded notion that we Americans seem to think it is–a large sporting event that must be won or lost. In Afghanistan and other places we "struggle" against an enemy. We do understand this kind of struggle. Our law enforcement officers engage in a daily struggle against crime, our scientists and medical personnel struggle against the ravages of disease, our educators struggle against ignorance, and people of faith and hope struggle against hatred. We know in our hearts that we must engage in such struggles without the expectation that these struggles can ever be completely won or lost. Similarly, we must understand as a Nation that there are also other forms of evil against which we must struggle. Today, we struggle against such an evil in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And yes Jack, it is worth it.
Not after GW Bush decided to take his beady eyes of Afganistan and put them on Iraq. Whatever happened to finding Bin Laden anyway. Probably by the time he is captured or killed people will ask "Who?".
It's worth it to the big corporations (like Halliburton) who profit from war and, after all, THEY are the ones calling the shots, with regards to whether or not the United States is at war. In the land of free-range Capitalism, it is really too bad that some very rich and influential people put dollars and profit over human life. So....YES...as long as there is money to be made from being at war, it will be worth it for those who make it happen.
NO! What is the gain in this war for the US?
These middle eastern lands are un structured and ill governed for reasons that only God knows. It's wasted LIVES, money and time again! What did we gain from Iraq? They are still bombing and fighting. We cannot fix 4000 year old wars. It's inevitable, for God sakes, can we get this kind of attention at home for our poor, unemployed, senior citizens other social disadvantages? And where did we get 500mil to give to Pakistan? Something is wrong with this picture.
Absolutely not! Afghanistan isn't called "The Graveyard of Empires" for nothing. The American Empire is over.
The question should be "is giving the Pakistan Government half a billion of US tax payer dollars going to help?" Originally the war seemed worth it, but with the war expanding to Iraq and now into Pakistan, I am not so sure. Just seems like we are chasing ghosts and losing valuable American lives in the process. We are spending money we don't have and now we are going to give $500,000 to a nuclear armed country. How do we know they are going to spend that money helping the effort to capture or eradicate the terrorists? If Pakistan can afford to build nuclear weapons than why do they need our money? Isn't this money we could use here at home helping returning veterans, creating jobs, supporting the victims of the gulf oil spill? I don't think that we should just up and leave Afghanistan, we should help set up schools, hospitals, and help update the power grid. After all, we failed at this in the 80s when we just gave weapons to Afghanistan to fight the Russians and then didn't help them rebuild. If we had maybe we wouldn't be there now.
Scott
Charleston, Sc.
No! What have we gained? Afganistan is no different then it was years ago. When we leave it will still be the 17th century country it was before we went.
Jack,
Is it just me or does our side of what is now going on in Afghanistan look strikingly and alarmingly similar to the USSR’s role in the years before their demise?
Take down the Goliath by making them expend themselves to death, with the least amount of effort?
Do we need a chalk board?
I thought Obama floundered those 3 months last year deciding what our strategy should be only to find out now that the Administration still doesn't know and likely isn't paying attention. Now it's being reported that Hezbolla has set up shop in Mexico and the best response we can get from this "President" is to sue and demonize those who try to thwart folks in the country illegally. The cost of success in Afghanastan is worth it but likely not achievable until we have a President who place our interests above those of the progresive movement, terrorists and cartels.
No Obama promised to get us out of these wars. Now is the time for
him to keep his promise.
Lloyd
Great Falls
Montana
The question can also be is it worth getting out and at what price! How do we stay ahead from coward acts from extremists; by having even greater allies to partners with in facing Al-Qaida moving to the next place where they can abuse vulnerable State and state of people!
You raise some interesting points, Jack. I do think it's worth it, though. Iraq did not contribute in any material way to our loss and our suffering on 9/11. Nor did Iraq possess any WMD. Afghanistan, on the other hand, was a weak country which allowed the Taliban to rule their country; and allowed al Qaeda to run terrorist training camps throughout their country; and allowed al Qaeda to plan, implement, and execute terror strikes, particularly on Sept. 11th, 2001,
I have not heard of any Afghan's who have said : we were wrong. we should not have allowed al Qaeda to have free reign in our country.
Until Afghans realize that we don't accept their past passivity regarding terror acts upon our country, we should proceed.