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unhappycamper
unhappycamper's Journal
unhappycamper's Journal
December 5, 2012
Conservatives kept abreast of all F-35 problems, senior bureaucrats say
By Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia News December 3, 2012
OTTAWA — Senior government officials claim in an internal document that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Cabinet were kept up to speed every step of the way as the government moved to purchase the troubled F-35 stealth fighter.
This included a complete understanding of the cost overruns and delays plaguing the $25-billion fighter jet program as well as the controversial process National Defence and Public Works were following to acquire the plane.
The document, prepared this past spring in advance of a scathing auditor general’s report on the F-35, appears to have been designed to shift responsibility for the stealth fighter program’s mismanagement from the bureaucracy to the Conservatives.
Combined with the Harper government’s admission it knew the jets would cost $10 billion more than Canadians were being told before the election, the document may bolster allegations the Conservatives have kept voters in the dark about the stealth fighter program.
Conservatives kept abreast of all F-35 problems, senior bureaucrats say
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/Conservatives+kept+abreast+problems+senior+bureaucrats/7645715/story.htmlConservatives kept abreast of all F-35 problems, senior bureaucrats say
By Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia News December 3, 2012
OTTAWA — Senior government officials claim in an internal document that Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Cabinet were kept up to speed every step of the way as the government moved to purchase the troubled F-35 stealth fighter.
This included a complete understanding of the cost overruns and delays plaguing the $25-billion fighter jet program as well as the controversial process National Defence and Public Works were following to acquire the plane.
The document, prepared this past spring in advance of a scathing auditor general’s report on the F-35, appears to have been designed to shift responsibility for the stealth fighter program’s mismanagement from the bureaucracy to the Conservatives.
Combined with the Harper government’s admission it knew the jets would cost $10 billion more than Canadians were being told before the election, the document may bolster allegations the Conservatives have kept voters in the dark about the stealth fighter program.
December 5, 2012
Armed Aerial Scout Helicopter: To Be Or Not To Be?
By Richard Whittle
Published: December 5, 2012
WASHINGTON: Reports that the Army has finally figured out whether the Hamlet of aircraft programs, Armed Aerial Scout, should be or not be are greatly exaggerated. Army aviation acquisition officials have looked at what birds in hand industry can offer to replace the service's aging OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters and have decided they'd prefer to go after a bird in the bush. They're still trying to decide, though, whether they can actually afford one.
The Army has been struggling for more than 20 years to come up with an aircraft to replace the Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. OH-58, which first went into service in 1969 and has been upgraded several times. Rumors were reported last week that a decision had been made to buy a new Armed Aerial Scout after a Pentagon meeting. At that session, Army aviation officials briefed the service's assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, Heidi Shyu, on the results of flight demonstrations of helicopters manufacturers could offer for the armed scout role. They also presented options and a recommendation, but no decisions were reached.
On Dec. 18, aviation officials are to present their findings and the recommendation they decide they can afford to the vice chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III. Sometime in January, they are to take an official Army request to Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall.
"A decision will be made next year," said Army spokesman Dov Schwartz, declining futher comment.
Armed Aerial Scout Helicopter: To Be Or Not To Be?
http://defense.aol.com/2012/12/05/armed-aerial-scout-helicopter-to-be-or-not-to-be/Armed Aerial Scout Helicopter: To Be Or Not To Be?
By Richard Whittle
Published: December 5, 2012
WASHINGTON: Reports that the Army has finally figured out whether the Hamlet of aircraft programs, Armed Aerial Scout, should be or not be are greatly exaggerated. Army aviation acquisition officials have looked at what birds in hand industry can offer to replace the service's aging OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters and have decided they'd prefer to go after a bird in the bush. They're still trying to decide, though, whether they can actually afford one.
The Army has been struggling for more than 20 years to come up with an aircraft to replace the Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. OH-58, which first went into service in 1969 and has been upgraded several times. Rumors were reported last week that a decision had been made to buy a new Armed Aerial Scout after a Pentagon meeting. At that session, Army aviation officials briefed the service's assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, Heidi Shyu, on the results of flight demonstrations of helicopters manufacturers could offer for the armed scout role. They also presented options and a recommendation, but no decisions were reached.
On Dec. 18, aviation officials are to present their findings and the recommendation they decide they can afford to the vice chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III. Sometime in January, they are to take an official Army request to Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall.
"A decision will be made next year," said Army spokesman Dov Schwartz, declining futher comment.
December 5, 2012
CODEL planned for a very Kabul Christmas
By Emily Heil
Posted at 03:29 PM ET, 12/04/2012
This overseas jaunt might be a bit of a tough sell: Rep. Mark Amodei is trying to recruit colleagues to accompany him on a CODEL to Afghanistan...over Christmas.
The Nevada Republican, a freshman, sent a missive looking for folks to join him to celebrate the holiday with the troops on a trip that takes off Dec.21 and doesn’t return to Washington until Dec. 29. Not that folks don’t want to visit the war zone to light the Yuletide fires, it’s just that most already have plans with their kith and kin that time of year.
And if we were betting types, we’d put money on Congress still being in session for most of that time, anyway, since the fiscal-cliff negotiations are likely to go riiight down to the wire.
But the Amodei staffer making the e-mail pitch offers one selling point to would-be attendees: “This may be one of the few remaining opportunities for your boss to visit Afghanistan before more troop reductions occur,” he writes.
CODEL planned for a very Kabul Christmas
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/post/codel-planned-for-a-very-kabul-christmas/2012/12/04/ac4932f8-3e35-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_blog.htmlCODEL planned for a very Kabul Christmas
By Emily Heil
Posted at 03:29 PM ET, 12/04/2012
This overseas jaunt might be a bit of a tough sell: Rep. Mark Amodei is trying to recruit colleagues to accompany him on a CODEL to Afghanistan...over Christmas.
The Nevada Republican, a freshman, sent a missive looking for folks to join him to celebrate the holiday with the troops on a trip that takes off Dec.21 and doesn’t return to Washington until Dec. 29. Not that folks don’t want to visit the war zone to light the Yuletide fires, it’s just that most already have plans with their kith and kin that time of year.
And if we were betting types, we’d put money on Congress still being in session for most of that time, anyway, since the fiscal-cliff negotiations are likely to go riiight down to the wire.
But the Amodei staffer making the e-mail pitch offers one selling point to would-be attendees: “This may be one of the few remaining opportunities for your boss to visit Afghanistan before more troop reductions occur,” he writes.
December 5, 2012
Toxic cleanup work begins at Beale
December 03, 2012 11:42:00 PM
Work has begun to clean a hazardous substance in the water and soil near Beale Air Force Base, but just as it took years to become a problem, it will be years before it's fixed.
Charlotte Fadipe, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, said in an email the cleanup of chlorinated hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons could take 30 years to finish.
"The Air Force has awarded an eight-year Performance-Based Remediation contract to allow for Beale AFB to continue the cleanup and implement its final cleanup agreements," Fadipe said in the email.
State officials have previously said one substance in need of cleanup is a solvent called tricholoroethylene, which was in common use on the base during World War II and the 1950s, but mostly fallen out of favor since then.
unhappycamper comment: This is on the heels of all the water problems at Camp Lejuene. The Air Force has done the same thing at Otis AFB on cape Cod.
Toxic cleanup work begins at Beale
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/base-121541-water-beale.htmlToxic cleanup work begins at Beale
December 03, 2012 11:42:00 PM
Work has begun to clean a hazardous substance in the water and soil near Beale Air Force Base, but just as it took years to become a problem, it will be years before it's fixed.
Charlotte Fadipe, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, said in an email the cleanup of chlorinated hydrocarbons and petroleum hydrocarbons could take 30 years to finish.
"The Air Force has awarded an eight-year Performance-Based Remediation contract to allow for Beale AFB to continue the cleanup and implement its final cleanup agreements," Fadipe said in the email.
State officials have previously said one substance in need of cleanup is a solvent called tricholoroethylene, which was in common use on the base during World War II and the 1950s, but mostly fallen out of favor since then.
unhappycamper comment: This is on the heels of all the water problems at Camp Lejuene. The Air Force has done the same thing at Otis AFB on cape Cod.
December 5, 2012
Commentary: What's next for Jill Kelley, the Petraeus scandal's mystery vixen?
Carl Hiaasen | The Miami Herald
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Jill Kelley, the mystery vixen in the David Petraeus scandal, is now flanked by a high-profile Washington attorney and a professional "crisis manager."
This can only mean that she wants her own reality show, a book deal or both.
It was Kelley who received the anonymous e-mail warnings from Petraeus’ biographer-slash-mistress, Paula Broadwell, and it was Kelley who then contacted a friend in the FBI, Agent Frederic Humphries II.
(Humphries, an anti-terrorism specialist, once emailed to Kelley a shirtless photo of himself. Write your own joke.)
Commentary: What's next for Jill Kelley, the Petraeus scandal's mystery vixen? Read more here: http
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/12/05/176186/commentary-whats-next-for-jill.htmlCommentary: What's next for Jill Kelley, the Petraeus scandal's mystery vixen?
Carl Hiaasen | The Miami Herald
Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Jill Kelley, the mystery vixen in the David Petraeus scandal, is now flanked by a high-profile Washington attorney and a professional "crisis manager."
This can only mean that she wants her own reality show, a book deal or both.
It was Kelley who received the anonymous e-mail warnings from Petraeus’ biographer-slash-mistress, Paula Broadwell, and it was Kelley who then contacted a friend in the FBI, Agent Frederic Humphries II.
(Humphries, an anti-terrorism specialist, once emailed to Kelley a shirtless photo of himself. Write your own joke.)
December 5, 2012
Defense industry acknowledges likelihood of Pentagon budget cuts
By Marjorie Censer | Capital Business, Published: December 4
As negotiations to avoid a year-end “fiscal cliff” drag on, some defense industry executives have begun to acknowledge that avoiding significant cuts to weapons programs may be impossible over the long term.
Weapons makers have spent months fighting a $500 billion hit to the Pentagon’s budget that would go into effect if President Obama and Congress cannot come to an agreement to avoid a set of automatic spending cuts and tax increases. The Pentagon has said sequestration, as the budget cuts are known, would force them to buy fewer F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, Stryker vehicles and Army medium tactical vehicles as well as slow other programs and military construction projects.
~snip~
The large national debt poses a threat to national security, so reductions in defense spending are likely, he said. But it’s important that any reductions take into account the national defense strategy, said Langstaff. (Langstaff’s firm TASC provides technical services such as systems engineering to the Pentagon and intelligence agencies.)
Defense industry executives are having “the wrong conversation,” he said. “We are talking a good game, but are still unwilling to park short-term self-interest.”
Defense industry acknowledges likelihood of Pentagon budget cuts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/defense-industry-acknowledges-likelihood-of-pentagon-budget-cuts/2012/12/04/d923be4e-3d6b-11e2-ae43-cf491b837f7b_story.htmlDefense industry acknowledges likelihood of Pentagon budget cuts
By Marjorie Censer | Capital Business, Published: December 4
As negotiations to avoid a year-end “fiscal cliff” drag on, some defense industry executives have begun to acknowledge that avoiding significant cuts to weapons programs may be impossible over the long term.
Weapons makers have spent months fighting a $500 billion hit to the Pentagon’s budget that would go into effect if President Obama and Congress cannot come to an agreement to avoid a set of automatic spending cuts and tax increases. The Pentagon has said sequestration, as the budget cuts are known, would force them to buy fewer F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, Stryker vehicles and Army medium tactical vehicles as well as slow other programs and military construction projects.
~snip~
The large national debt poses a threat to national security, so reductions in defense spending are likely, he said. But it’s important that any reductions take into account the national defense strategy, said Langstaff. (Langstaff’s firm TASC provides technical services such as systems engineering to the Pentagon and intelligence agencies.)
Defense industry executives are having “the wrong conversation,” he said. “We are talking a good game, but are still unwilling to park short-term self-interest.”
December 4, 2012
Defense Execs Say Deeper DoD Budget Cuts, Higher Taxes OK
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. and Otto Kreisher
Published: December 3, 2012
WASHINGTON: Top executives from four major defense and aerospace firms sent a message to Congress and the Obama administration today: the nation expects its elected leaders to lead and the well-paid executives are willing to accept higher personal and corporate taxes on the path to find a solution to the nation's fiscal woes. On top of that, they conceded that the Pentagon budget must be cut even more deeply than the $487 billion already targeted over the next decade to seal an increasingly elusive deal to stop the automatic spending cuts known as sequestration.
David Langstaff, CEO of an engineering and analysis services company called TASC, issued the strongest call for additional defense cuts. Those who have benefited from past national spending "should be willing to sacrifice," he said. That means tax increases, bitterly opposed by most Republicans, and "reform," which usually means the kinds of cuts to the big entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare that most Democrats refuse to discuss.
Pressed to get specific on budget cuts, Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush suggested a tiny additional $20 billion to $25 billion over 10 years (on top of the $487 billion already cut by last year's Budget Control Act). But Langstaff suggested $150 billion over the next decade.
~snip~
POGO's Freeman added that the "save jobs by stopping defense cuts" argument overlooks the fact that defense firms have already "cut thousands of jobs" even as revenues rose steeply in recent years. And he derided the industry overall, saying "it's not very good at delivering jobs or delivering weapons...From the Joint Strike Fighter to the LCS (Littoral Combat Ship), lots of things are over budget, under-performing, and delayed."
Defense Execs Say Deeper DoD Budget Cuts, Higher Taxes OK
http://defense.aol.com/2012/12/03/defense-execs-say-deeper-dod-budget-cuts-higher-taxes-ok/Defense Execs Say Deeper DoD Budget Cuts, Higher Taxes OK
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. and Otto Kreisher
Published: December 3, 2012
WASHINGTON: Top executives from four major defense and aerospace firms sent a message to Congress and the Obama administration today: the nation expects its elected leaders to lead and the well-paid executives are willing to accept higher personal and corporate taxes on the path to find a solution to the nation's fiscal woes. On top of that, they conceded that the Pentagon budget must be cut even more deeply than the $487 billion already targeted over the next decade to seal an increasingly elusive deal to stop the automatic spending cuts known as sequestration.
David Langstaff, CEO of an engineering and analysis services company called TASC, issued the strongest call for additional defense cuts. Those who have benefited from past national spending "should be willing to sacrifice," he said. That means tax increases, bitterly opposed by most Republicans, and "reform," which usually means the kinds of cuts to the big entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare that most Democrats refuse to discuss.
Pressed to get specific on budget cuts, Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush suggested a tiny additional $20 billion to $25 billion over 10 years (on top of the $487 billion already cut by last year's Budget Control Act). But Langstaff suggested $150 billion over the next decade.
~snip~
POGO's Freeman added that the "save jobs by stopping defense cuts" argument overlooks the fact that defense firms have already "cut thousands of jobs" even as revenues rose steeply in recent years. And he derided the industry overall, saying "it's not very good at delivering jobs or delivering weapons...From the Joint Strike Fighter to the LCS (Littoral Combat Ship), lots of things are over budget, under-performing, and delayed."
December 3, 2012
Army Commanders Warn On Afghan Withdrawal: Forces At 'Bare Minimum'
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Published: November 30, 2012
ARMY AND NAVY CLUB, WASHINGTON: "The biggest concern of my great Afghan security force partners is abandonment," said Maj. Gen. James Huggins. "We have invested a great deal (in Afghanistan) for a long time," he said, "
but) the Afghans have done it three times longer than us."
Speaking at an event this morning organized by the Institute for the Study of War (click here for video), Huggins recalled a conversation over chai with a veteran of the 1980s war against the Soviets, now a local governor. "Do you know why the Taliban come into power?" the old warrior asked him. "Because you left us too quickly after the Soviets withdrew."
~snip~
It's "very deliberate," Huggins said. "The attacks first and foremost are focused to drive a wedge between us and our Afghan partner," Huggins explained. "There may be some that are random acts of violence just because of a cultural issue that came up that offended our Afghan partners, but that's not the norm."
All told, US forces will need to be in Afghanistan – and on guard – for a long time to come. "How does this end?" asked Lt. Col. Vowell. "I don't know if it does. There's an argument that there is no end state to problems like this.... For Pakistan and Afghanistan and the region, I think continued engagement, continued political engagement, is the long-term solution."
unhappycamper comment: Perhaps we should rename this the "Forever War".
Army Commanders Warn On Afghan Withdrawal: Forces At 'Bare Minimum'
http://defense.aol.com/2012/11/30/army-commanders-warn-on-afghan-withdrawal-forces-at-bare-minim/Army Commanders Warn On Afghan Withdrawal: Forces At 'Bare Minimum'
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Published: November 30, 2012
ARMY AND NAVY CLUB, WASHINGTON: "The biggest concern of my great Afghan security force partners is abandonment," said Maj. Gen. James Huggins. "We have invested a great deal (in Afghanistan) for a long time," he said, "
but) the Afghans have done it three times longer than us."
Speaking at an event this morning organized by the Institute for the Study of War (click here for video), Huggins recalled a conversation over chai with a veteran of the 1980s war against the Soviets, now a local governor. "Do you know why the Taliban come into power?" the old warrior asked him. "Because you left us too quickly after the Soviets withdrew."
~snip~
It's "very deliberate," Huggins said. "The attacks first and foremost are focused to drive a wedge between us and our Afghan partner," Huggins explained. "There may be some that are random acts of violence just because of a cultural issue that came up that offended our Afghan partners, but that's not the norm."
All told, US forces will need to be in Afghanistan – and on guard – for a long time to come. "How does this end?" asked Lt. Col. Vowell. "I don't know if it does. There's an argument that there is no end state to problems like this.... For Pakistan and Afghanistan and the region, I think continued engagement, continued political engagement, is the long-term solution."
unhappycamper comment: Perhaps we should rename this the "Forever War".
December 2, 2012
Global Climate Change: Preparing for World War III
by Bob Burnett | December 1, 2012 - 9:30am
~snip~
Hurricane Sandy was an impressive event but probably not sufficient to move Americans to make the sacrifices necessary to curtail global climate change. It's likely that 113th Congress will provide the funds necessary to repair the damage from Sandy, but not call for a national mobilization on the scale last seen when the U.S. entered World War II. After all, it's been 71 years since Americans were last called upon to sacrifice, and we're not used to to taking extreme steps to protect our selves and our families.
1. Abandon use of fossil fuel. Writing in Rolling Stone, environmentalist Bill McKibben observed that we can only emit 564 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050 and still have a reasonable chance of keeping the temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius. Last year we pumped in 31.6 gigatons; at this rate we'll exude 564 gigs by 2028. McKibben pointed out that the proven coal and oil and gas reserves of the fossil-fuel companies are 2975 gigatons , "the fossil fuel we're currently planning to burn." Individuals must stop using fossil fuel and the public has to shut down fossil-fuel companies.
2. Make dwellings energy efficient. Approximately, 78 percent of America's energy use is provided by fossil-fuel. As we stop using coal, oil, and gas, Americans will need renewables that, at the moment, are not available in sufficient quantities. A good first step is to make our homes more energy efficient by thorough insulation, use of a non-fossil-fuel heating system, and conversion to electricity supplied by a renewable source.
3. Move to secure locations. In June 2009, A White House task force produced "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States." Among its 10 key findings, two relate to where we should live: "Coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea-level rise and storm surge." "Thresholds will be crossed, leading to large changes in climate and ecosystems;" for example, the "Dust Bowl" region will become more vulnerable to drought and wind. Three findings relate to food and safety: "Climate change will stress water resources." "Crop and livestock production will be increasingly challenged." "Risks to human health will increase. Harmful health impacts of climate change are related to increasing heat stress, waterborne diseases, poor air quality, extreme weather events, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents." Many Americans will have to move away from coasts and storm areas to locations where food and water are available and safe.
Global Climate Change: Preparing for World War III
http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/bob-burnett/46846/global-climate-change-preparing-for-world-war-iiiGlobal Climate Change: Preparing for World War III
by Bob Burnett | December 1, 2012 - 9:30am
~snip~
Hurricane Sandy was an impressive event but probably not sufficient to move Americans to make the sacrifices necessary to curtail global climate change. It's likely that 113th Congress will provide the funds necessary to repair the damage from Sandy, but not call for a national mobilization on the scale last seen when the U.S. entered World War II. After all, it's been 71 years since Americans were last called upon to sacrifice, and we're not used to to taking extreme steps to protect our selves and our families.
1. Abandon use of fossil fuel. Writing in Rolling Stone, environmentalist Bill McKibben observed that we can only emit 564 gigatons of carbon dioxide by 2050 and still have a reasonable chance of keeping the temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius. Last year we pumped in 31.6 gigatons; at this rate we'll exude 564 gigs by 2028. McKibben pointed out that the proven coal and oil and gas reserves of the fossil-fuel companies are 2975 gigatons , "the fossil fuel we're currently planning to burn." Individuals must stop using fossil fuel and the public has to shut down fossil-fuel companies.
2. Make dwellings energy efficient. Approximately, 78 percent of America's energy use is provided by fossil-fuel. As we stop using coal, oil, and gas, Americans will need renewables that, at the moment, are not available in sufficient quantities. A good first step is to make our homes more energy efficient by thorough insulation, use of a non-fossil-fuel heating system, and conversion to electricity supplied by a renewable source.
3. Move to secure locations. In June 2009, A White House task force produced "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States." Among its 10 key findings, two relate to where we should live: "Coastal areas are at increasing risk from sea-level rise and storm surge." "Thresholds will be crossed, leading to large changes in climate and ecosystems;" for example, the "Dust Bowl" region will become more vulnerable to drought and wind. Three findings relate to food and safety: "Climate change will stress water resources." "Crop and livestock production will be increasingly challenged." "Risks to human health will increase. Harmful health impacts of climate change are related to increasing heat stress, waterborne diseases, poor air quality, extreme weather events, and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents." Many Americans will have to move away from coasts and storm areas to locations where food and water are available and safe.
December 2, 2012
Four More Years: Central and South Asia
By Conn Hallinan
OpEdNews Op Eds 12/1/2012 at 20:33:48
From the ice-bound passes of the Hindu Kush to the blazing heat of the Karakum Desert, Central Asia is a sub-continent steeped in illusion. For more than two millennia conquerors have been lured by the mirage that it is a gateway to immense wealth: China to the east, India to the south, Persia to the west, and to the north, the riches of the Caspian basin. Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, British, and Soviets have all come and gone, leaving behind little more than forgotten graveyards and the detritus of war.
~snip~
It is a clich© that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires, but a clich© doesn't mean something is not true, just that it is repeated over and over again until the phrase becomes numbing. It is a tragedy that the US was "numb" to that particular platitude, although we have company. In the past 175 years England has invaded Afghanistan four times.
Our 2001 invasion was itself built on a myth -- that the Taliban had attacked the US on 9/11 was fabricated to lay the groundwork for the invasion of Iraq 17 months later. That both invasions turned into disasters is hardly surprising. Rudyard Kipling and TE Lawrence predicted those outcomes more than a 100 years ago.
~snip~
In short, the US needs to get out, and as quickly as possible. Its NATO allies have already boarded that train -- the French are leaving a year early, the Dutch are gone, and the Brits are bunkered down -- and prolonging the war is more likely to end in a debacle than any outcome favored by Washington. It is not our country, we don't get to determine its history. That is a lesson we should have learned in Vietnam, but apparently did not.
Four More Years: Central and South Asia
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Four-More-Years-Central-a-by-Conn-Hallinan-121201-975.htmlFour More Years: Central and South Asia
By Conn Hallinan
OpEdNews Op Eds 12/1/2012 at 20:33:48
From the ice-bound passes of the Hindu Kush to the blazing heat of the Karakum Desert, Central Asia is a sub-continent steeped in illusion. For more than two millennia conquerors have been lured by the mirage that it is a gateway to immense wealth: China to the east, India to the south, Persia to the west, and to the north, the riches of the Caspian basin. Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, British, and Soviets have all come and gone, leaving behind little more than forgotten graveyards and the detritus of war.
~snip~
It is a clich© that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires, but a clich© doesn't mean something is not true, just that it is repeated over and over again until the phrase becomes numbing. It is a tragedy that the US was "numb" to that particular platitude, although we have company. In the past 175 years England has invaded Afghanistan four times.
Our 2001 invasion was itself built on a myth -- that the Taliban had attacked the US on 9/11 was fabricated to lay the groundwork for the invasion of Iraq 17 months later. That both invasions turned into disasters is hardly surprising. Rudyard Kipling and TE Lawrence predicted those outcomes more than a 100 years ago.
~snip~
In short, the US needs to get out, and as quickly as possible. Its NATO allies have already boarded that train -- the French are leaving a year early, the Dutch are gone, and the Brits are bunkered down -- and prolonging the war is more likely to end in a debacle than any outcome favored by Washington. It is not our country, we don't get to determine its history. That is a lesson we should have learned in Vietnam, but apparently did not.
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