President Elect Obama, Please Help Us with Afghanistan
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
Barack Obama visited Afghanistan in July during the Presidential campaign. During an appearance on the CBS show Face the Nation, Obama said, "I think one of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here. We got distracted by Iraq."
We didn't get distracted by Iraq, Mr. President Elect; we were lied to by your predecessor and we are counting on you to make things right.
Mr. President Elect, there is no easy answer but here are a few suggestions.
Find Bin Laden
First and foremost, we must find Osama Bin Laden. We blame him for 9-11 and isn't that why we're over there in the first place? We must find Bin Laden if we have any hope of succeding in Afghanistan.
How hard can it be? We already know where he's not. He's not in Iraq. We've been all over that country and the only thing we found is Saddam Hussein in a hole in the ground. Also missing in action were the infamous weapons of mass destruction Saddam allegedly had. And wasn't that the whole reason we supposedly invaded Iraq to begin with? But let's ignore that fact for now. If Bin Laden were in Iraq, surely we'd know it wouldn't we? For that matter, if he were in Afghanistan, you'd think we'd know about it by now.
We can't find Bin Laden quite simply because we aren't really looking for him. How do I know this? The FBI's website lists Bin Laden as "the most wanted terrorist" and the reward being offered for information leading directly to his apprehension or conviction is $25 million. If you saw him, would you turn him in? I know I would. For that amount of money, I might turn my own father in. Thankfully, he's not a terrorist.
I watched a show on the National Geographic channel about the efforts to locate Noah's Ark. Apparently a satellite exists that is powerful enough to distinguish two car headlights on the moon. My first thought was how do they know this...were there headlights on the moon landers and if there were, how are those lights still on today? After a private laugh, I said my to my dog George, "Well, why don't they just point it at Afghanistan and find Bin Laden." He just yawned and returned to his bone.
Increase Troop Levels
According to The Center for Arms Control and Non Proliferation website we have spent 661 billion dollars on the war in Iraq versus 177 billion in Afghanistan and yet, it was reported in June by The Huffington Post, that in May the combat deaths in Afghanistan outnumbered those in Iraq: "By the Pentagon's count, 15 U.S. and two allied troops were killed in action in Iraq last month, a total of 17. In Afghanistan it was 19, including 14 Americans and five coalition troops."
The Brookings Institute website says we are "trying to do with 200,000 troops (in Afghanistan,) what it took 700,000 to do in Iraq."
Didn't we make this mistake in Viet Nam too? We shouldn't fight a war we aren't committed to win. Pull half the troops from Iraq and put them in Afghanistan and increase the total troop level in Afghanistan to a level comparable to what it took to get things under control in Iraq.
Exit Strategy
Finally, don't waste time, Mr. President Elect. Get the job done, whatever that takes, and bring our troops home as quickly as humanly possible. Our troops are supposed to be fighting for America's freedom. Perhaps in the future you can make sure we only use them in a way that pays tribute to their willingness to sacrifice their lives...for our freedom. Let someone else police the world for a change.
Published by andrea gonzales
I am an unpublished songwriter and freelance writer of articles on various topics. I write mainly for the joy of expression. View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentAbsolutely! Afghanistan should have remained our priority in the "War on Terror. Good article!
Matt,
We can get out of it....all that needs to be done is to send in the planes. How can you defeat any enemy that heralds martyrdom for the cause as it's ticket to heaven. This is a political war, and for the profit of the corporate contractors now, so they can rape the Treasury for the costs of "rebuilding" Iraq while our own country could have used those contractors after Katrina and recently Gustav. The bankers are calling the shots. The more we are in debt, the more control they have over our economy. And Bush, Cheney and all the members of the CFR, including Obama, are lackeys for the bankers. Wasn't that obvious with the bailout votes....all CFR members supported it, who the ex Washington elite also then make megabucks (such as Clinton) in speaking engagements after their "retirement" from public service.
Just wanted to mention, Andrea, that my confusion seems to stem not from what you wrote so much as AC shortening your article title on the front page and inadvertently changing its meaning. I noticed that when I returned to the front page.
I'm a little confused about the intersection of the help Afghanistan and get Bin Laden themes. The article seems to be mostly about the latter. I just read a fascinating article on Afghanistan on the Peace Corps site about a woman bringing music back to the school children of Afghanistan. It seems that country is so broken, my personal hope is that Obama works to give the people hope and strength to rebuild it and improve the quality of life of the people there.
Great work, and very true! Congrats on the front!
Great article , waiting for Obama to end terrorism and the war.
It was pretty clear from the outset, and has been increasingly clearer as time has gone on, that blaming bin Laden also might just have been another of this administrations cover ups......there were no weapons of mass destruction, we were in Afghanistan for hardly a year, and the bin Laden family was in this country yet allowed to leave two days after the incident, when no other planes were allowed to leave. I'm not a conspiracy nut at all, but none of it adds up, AT ALL. And I believe Obama will transfer troops, but also go into Pakistan. To protect Dell and Microsoft's employment base, and for Haliburton's profits......this is War, Inc. and has nothing to do with national defense at this point. Bush's last official act was to sign an agreement calling for withdrawal by 2011.....coincidentally just before the next Presidential election......this is a "political" war and being used for "political" gain by both parties, and their corporate sponsors.
I'll tell you how hard it can be, he's hiding in some of the most inaccessable terrain on Earth shielded by people who will die before telliing us anything because they think he is a messenger of God. Afghanistan is not the same kind of fight as Iraq. It's a special ops war. Unless you want to do what Obama suggested during the campaign and invade Pakistan, more troops won't make any difference. And yes there are satellites that can see amazing things, if you know where the things you are looking for are already. Unlike on TV you can't just steer satellites all over over the place at will. Plus even if we did get Bin Laden, it might make you feel better, but all of those muslim fascists who want us dead for not being muslims will still try to make us all dead.
My guess is Bin Laden's having lunch with Saddam Hussein. I wonder if someone can be a martyr if they're not mirandized. Do you know?