West hasn't adequately armed Afghanistan forces, Karzai spokesman says

[Elmore Furth]

Source: LA Times

A day after 14 Afghan police and soldiers were killed in a pair of attacks by insurgents, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said Monday that the West has not provided Afghan security forces with adequate weaponry.

The spokesman, Waheed Omer, also offered veiled criticism of President Barack Obama's assessment of the war effort, parts of which were made public last week.

Omer also suggested that the West's massive military effort, which began nearly a decade ago, needed to be balanced with greater attention to development. "There should be more focus on the economics of Afghanistan," he said.

"I would agree that time and effort was spent training the Afghan national army and police," he said. "But we will not agree that a lot of time and effort was spent in equipping the national security forces."



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-violence-20101221,0,1862709.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fworld+%28L.A.+Times+-+World+News%29

---

Here is an echo from the Viet Nam War:

"General William Westmoreland criticized President Johnson in a catalog of grievance memoirs. Some of his complaints were: intensifying the war too slowly, giving the South Vietnamese Army inadequate equipment, refusing to approve incursions against enemy sanctuaries in Laos and Cambodia, and failing to level with the American people. "

http://www.essaypride.com/essays.php?free_essay=2706327&title=Vietnam:-A-History

Why do I get the feeling that we are being gamed by Karzai who is playing both sides, just like the Pakistanis.

Could it be that the Afghanistan war is unwinnable?

[EFerrari]

1. LOL.

[alsame]

2. In other words, send more money. nt

[hardtravelin]

3. Fuck him

When I was over there last year, I couldn't believe the quantity and quality of the gear we'd given them:

Brand new, in the box, M16A2's, M240's, SAWs, mortars, up-armored vehicles, etc. Can they use them? No. They act like spoiled children who want everything done for them.

That is why the Taliban is whipping their ass. That country would collapse in a week if we left. Bet on it.

[rug]

4. Oh give it a rest, Karzai. You'll have plenty of time to kill your own people later.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Time is short

When we pull out, Karzai will vacate the place. To avoid getting beheaded by Taliban conquerers.

So he has to squirrel away as much loot as he can, right fucking now! (or before 2014, anyway)

:hi:

[Bragi]

5. I knew we'd forgotten something!

I remember now: we were intending to send in billions more in small arms and other citizen-focused weaponry.

It's so hard to remember all this stuff, but thankfully, we have Karzai around to remind us.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. We are building them a military that costs 4x their GDP to maintain.

Apparently the war hawks aren't the fiscal conservative wing of the RNC.







(I'm restraining an injury-inducing belly laugh right now)

[saigon68]

7. That's OK the present Occupant will help pay for this

Yup Seniors enjoy the Cat Food and the $3.00 gas ( no SS Cola)

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Hey hey hey, where's that 3.00 gas?

I'd go an extra mile or two just to fill up cheaper.

[saigon68]

16. In WI --- ===== $3.05

[SpiralHawk]

9. "More guns = more peace." - Karzai (R)

"Feel the sublime serenity of well-armed peace."

- Karzai (R)

[Paper Roses]

10. OK, we stuck our noses in areas in which we do not belong,

How much more do these people want of our blood and treasure?

Citizens of the US are in a desperate state yet we send these warmongers more money and troops to help with a unwindable cause. We should never be in the mid-east and should leave now.

We must care for those at home who, through no fault of their own are on the brink of losing everything. Please, someone in the government come to aid of American people and not to the aid of some foreign country whose aims and mores have little or no connection to ours.

I have no wish to enrich the ruling powers of the middle east with what little I have left in this world.
We are citizens of the US. Our help and support belongs here. Perhaps you do not agree with me. It is your right. I'm sick and tired of all this. We are not a supreme entity, the US is just another country in this confused and conflicted world. Take care of our own.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

11. "Let's arm them!"

Total Genius!

[Tempest]

12. A perfect example of insanity

Doing the same thing again and again (we armed Saddam and the pre-Taliban) but expecting a different outcome.

[msongs]

13. needs more weapons to sell to his taliban best friends nt

[Turbineguy]

15. They seem to be

sufficiently armed to shoot American soldiers.