Troops Question U.S. Presence in Afghanistan

[Sol Invictus]

(Remember the mission was for Bin Laden, whatever happened to that plan?)

Martin Fletcher
The Times Online
October 8, 2009

American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned, according to the chaplains of two US battalions that have spent nine months on the front line in the war against the Taleban.

Many feel that they are risking their lives — and that colleagues have died — for a futile mission and an Afghan population that does nothing to help them, the chaplains told The Times in their makeshift chapel on this fortress-like base in a dusty, brown valley southwest of Kabul.

“The many soldiers who come to see us have a sense of futility and anger about being here. They are really in a state of depression and despair and just want to get back to their families,” said Captain Jeff Masengale, of the 10th Mountain Division’s 2-87 Infantry Battalion.

Read entire article (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6865359.ece)

[Lysander]

It was an idiotic war to begin with anyway, never a good idea to do something drastic as that when you're pissed off.

If they really would have wanted to capture Bin Laden using intelligence and special forces would have been a gazilion times more useful.
But Americans were pissed after 9/11 and it would have been political suicide not to start a war. And you needed a new mid-east base in your quest for world control.
And by you I mean your government, I don't hate Americans I hate your government.

Sending western men to die in an area that has a history since Alexander's times of guerilla and clan-war... Not too clever.

[Sol Invictus]

It was an idiotic war to begin with anyway, never a good idea to do something drastic as that when you're pissed off.

If they really would have wanted to capture Bin Laden using intelligence and special forces would have been a gazilion times more useful.
But Americans were pissed after 9/11 and it would have been political suicide not to start a war. And you needed a new mid-east base in your quest for world control.
And by you I mean your government, I don't hate Americans I hate your government.

Sending western men to die in an area that has a history since Alexander's times of guerilla and clan-war... Not too clever.

They've been trying to find Bin Laden for many years before 9/11 even happened. They said they had foreknowledge of the attacks, and all the world's intelligence agencies could not find him. Let me ask you this: an enemy of Israel, and Mossad can't track down Bin Laden, but a CNN team can come into his hide-out and interview him? What's wrong with this picture?

It's not about Bin Laden. It's not about winning the Afghan War, it's about prolonging it. It's about creating terror and bringing more death.

[Lysander]

They've been trying to find Bin Laden for many years before 9/11 even happened. They said they had foreknowledge of the attacks, and all the world's intelligence agencies could not find him. Let me ask you this: an enemy of Israel, and Mossad can't track down Bin Laden, but a CNN team can come into his hide-out and interview him? What's wrong with this picture?
What's wrong with it? Well I'll answer with a counter question: were they really looking?