Afghanistan Today-the GWOT Hot Spot-7-26-09-Sunday

It’s Sunday in America and as citizens of a free society we can attend the church of our choice. For being Christians we are not executed such as I read in a news report happened to a lady in North Korea for distributing a Holy Bible.

We can attend church, pray for victory in Afghanistan for American troops, go out and eat, or eat at home, in either case, fried chicken comes to mind, then sit back and watch TV, go to a park and walk, go for a swim at a local pool, or pretty much, relax and enjoy the day.

While we enjoy our Sunday in America, our U.S. Marines, and other troops fight against a ruthless enemy, with rules of engagement so restricted by our leaders, that it seems like it is Vietnam all over again, fighting with our hands tied behind our back.

God bless our troops in Afghanistan and around the world as they fight the Global War on Terror to keep America free. God bless these troops for the liberty we enjoy today.

Pray that despite all odds, the Taliban in their ruthless attacks, and from our own political and military leaders who issue orders which make victory seem like it is not what we are fighting for, American Marines secure victory in Afghanistan. Despite all the odds, pray for victory and safety for American troops. Links:

1.)  The US should have a plan for victory in Afghanistan:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/casey-sherman/if-victory-isnt-the-goal_b_244856.html?view=print

2.)  Election will be difficult during the middle of a war in Afghanistan:

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=305183&version=1&template_id=41&parent_id=23

3.) Contractor considered for guarding bases in Afghanistan:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/25/AR2009072501738.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g-GOx9esHU0hNIwP2WeFPTTHCWVQD99LRJ380

4.) Oliver North comments on Afghanistan war:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534743,00.html

5.)  Pentagon and civilians in Afghan war:

http://www.centcom.mil/en/news/pentagon-afghan-citizens-drive-military-success-in-afghanistan.html

6.) Now the enemy is referred to as “folks”. This story describes how the “folks” escaped.

Well, isn’t that the plan of Gen. McChrystal who said the enemy should escape if even the possibility of returning fire or an air strike would kill a civilian?

 Adm. Mullen said Afghan civilians were PARAMOUNT rather than US troops. There has to be a plan for VICTORY. The enemy should not be allowed to escape, they could return to kill Americans, allied troops, or even Afghan civilians!

I am sending this to my representative and senators and would like to know why our drones that our tax dollars pay for, spy satellite photos, and even recon Marines were not used to view these villages and make sure the enemy, or the “folks” as one officer refers to them as, were not allowed to escape?

Why wasn’t this in the plan? Is it because they let them to escape to avoid an investigation if they called in an air strike? Who allowed them to escape? Who did not plan for the mission? Who has been demoted for this?

Have the enemy, or “folks” who escaped killed Americans since the genarals and Commander in Chief gave the go-ahead for this plan?

Where is the court of inquiry? It should focus on which generals  gave the OK for this mission and see if it is considered dereliction of duty under military law. These are supposed to be highly trained American generals, who have gone to “finishing school” as the Wall Street Journal called it this weekend at the Command-type colleges and even to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Maybe they should have been at Council on Foreign Relations-Forward and Command College-Forward to learn how to fight the war in Afghanistan.

These generals and their hand-picked officers are those who are in charge of training Afghan troops and police. If they didn’t even plan properly for this mission, how can they train the Afghan police and Army, especially if the Afghans they are to train know of the incompetence shown in this mission by letting the enemy, pardon me, the “folks” escape?

How can they trust our training if we let the enemy escape on this supposedly important mission? Training the Afghan police and Army is supposed to be the centerpiece of our exit strategy. How much has this operation which is portrayed in the press as being bungled, set back our plans to turn over the country to the Afghan police and Army we trained?

If there is no plan for VICTORY then the Marines should be removed and replaced with the State Department, Command College-Forward, Quantico-Forward, Council on Foreign Relations-Forward, the Peace Corps, and the Afghan Army and police, among others.

How can US troops be sent to war, and on missions in which they risk their lives if there is no plan for victory?

Link and from the story:

  From the story:

Marine commanders acknowledge that they could have focused more on cutting off escape routes early in the operation, an issue that often dogged offensives against insurgents in Iraq.

“I wish we had trapped a few more folks,” the commander of First Battalion, Fifth Marines, Lt. Col. William F. McCollough, told the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who visited Nawa. “I expected there to be more fighting.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/world/asia/26marines.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

7.)  Gun battle in Khost, SE Afghanistan, Envoy Holbrook in Afghanistan; discusses ballot boxes and election in a war zone on Aug. 20, 2009. As an aside, I have noted many time the press states that Karzai is “expected” to win. This seems to be the opposite of what villagers say and even the Taliban spokesman who say the Karzai government is corrupt. Even the Western press has noted the corruption of the Karzai government, so it just seems odd the press reports he is “expected” to win! Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/world/asia/26Afghan.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

8.) NY Times op-ed: The Losers Hang On:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/opinion/26friedman.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y