Afghanistan Today-A hot spot in the GWOT-1/13/09-Tues.

Oh for the blissful ignorance of the September 10, 2001 world. Sure, we were attacked by Bin Laden and Al Qaeda before 9/11/01 but we really didn’t know about it. Sure, two U.S. Embassies were blown up in Africa, and oh, sure, a U.S. ship, the USS Cole was blown up on Oct. 12, 2000, less than a year before 9/11/01, and yes, we were attacked in Somalia, but America was asleep at the wheel. The country was focused on a married U.S. Congressman and his missing younger friend, Chandra Levy, a stain on a blue dress, Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp, and an assorted cast of characters and events. All the while, terrorists trained away in Afghanistan, and walked right into America and began flying lessons. We all know what came next, the event many people have forgotten: the attacks by 19 foreign Muslim terorrists on U.S. soil killing thousands on September 11, 2001.  An attack most thought the American public would never forget has been forgotten by most.

We are back in the world of 9/10/01 in the United States today. The world is at war, but most Americans are living in, what do they call it, blissful ignorance? If  ignorance is bliss, we have plenty of bliss today in the USA. Links below to 10 stories about the Global War on Terror, the GWOT.

1.)  Obama wants to close down Gitmo. These enemy combatants should not be brought to US soil. Also, at the time of a troop surge into Afghanistan of 30,000-40,000 U.S. troops, the enemy combatants do not need to be put back on the battlefield-that does not seem too smart.

Link:

http://rr.com/view/content/story.cfm?storyId=6554277&view=NEWS&sSect=LP1-T2VGEN&trProv=NE_AP_1

2.)  NATO chief describes southern Afghanistan as in a stalemate. Amazing the world’s superpower, the USA is being held to a stalemate by a bunch of terrorists. Simply amazing. Any U.S. general who is held to a stalemate and issues restricted rules of engagement so U.S. troops can’t win, should be demoted or removed from command and replaced by those who want to win with less restricted rules of engagement. Otherwise, this is more like a 100 year war, and 7 years has already been lost, so the clock starts now on the 100 years. Link:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/01/military_afghanistan_craddock_010909w/

3.)  Joe Biden visits Afghanistan. Obama calls Afghanistan an “urgent crisis” and this story says U.S. troops are being rushed there. I hope they have proper training and equipment, unlike the 2/7 and 3/8 Marines. If it is an ‘urgent crisis’ then Obama, as commander in chief needs to replace losing generals with winners, and loosen the restricted rules of engagement so U.S. troops can win. Read the stories at the next 2 slots, #4 & #5 to see how the 3/8 Marines there have broken down Humvees and other equipment problems which put them at a disadvantage against the enemy in Afghanistan. Link:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_biden_afghanistan_011109/

4.)  Christmas 2008 in Afghanistan: broken down Humvees designed for Iraq could get the Marines in 3/8 killed. What general has been demoted for allowing Marines to deploy with the wrong equipment and mostly trained for Iraq? Whatever happened to looking our for their men? Any generals out there on patrols with the Humvees which break down? They should go on patrols at least 3-4 times a week with the units with the Humvees which break down and see how long this situation lasts. Why is this being allowed to happen? I wrote my senators and representative about it, I suggest if you want changes, you do the same: write your senators and representative. Make them aware that Marines are being sent into battle with Humvees that break down due to being designed for Iraq, and not the mountains of Afghanistan. Would the generals or politicians want their son or daughter riding around in a Humvee which could break down and leave them exposed to an attack?  From the story and link:

“About an hour in, a Humvee broke down, a common problem here as armored vehicles outfitted for Iraq’s flatter conditions encounter Afghanistan’s rougher terrain. Transmission fluid leaked from the chassis, and eventually the drive shaft fell off. The troops hooked the vehicle to the back of another and headed back to the base. They scrapped the original mission.”

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/v-print/story/58486.html

5.) The Taiban are making fools of us and our inept leadership. Read this story and send it to your senators and representative and ask which generals have been demoted for allowing Marines to deploy with Humvees which barely function in Afghanistan as they were designed for Iraq? Please pray for our 3/8 Marines in Afghanistan right now, and for the troop surge of 30,000+ U.S. troops. Link:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/v-print/story/59479.html

6.)  Joe Biden visits Iraq: bombs go off, deaths around Baghdad. Link:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_biden_iraq_011209w/

7.)  British Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090112/tuk-afghanistan-killed-marine-named-45dbed5.html

8.)  “Get Afghanistan Right” week. Interesting link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20090112/cm_thenation/4396152_1

9.)  Afghanistan will be a challenge for Obama. See the map and graphics:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-11-afghanistan_N.htm

10.)  Behind the lines with the Taliban:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-taliban11-2009jan11,0,7946082.story