Comments on: Warlords and generals: From Iraq to Afghanistan http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/16/warlords-and-generals-from-iraq-to-afghanistan/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:22:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: alex can http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/16/warlords-and-generals-from-iraq-to-afghanistan/#comment-21086 alex can Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-21086 Unlike the war in Iraq the war in Afghanistan was always seen as a good war, resulting directly from the Taliban's fundamentalist Islam actions and their support and harbouring of Osama bin Laden. Given the WMD lies surely it is time to revisit the basis of the war. <br /><br />Offensive as fundamentalist Islam is, it exists all over the world. The Taliban had at least brought peace to Afghanistan following 30 years of war. They opposed the drug lords who formed the backbone of the Northern Alliance and had offered to hand bin Laden over if evidence of his involvement in 9/11 was produced. Needless to say none was. Breast-beating and an unwillingness to think that anyone could seriously oppose them has resulted in another Vietnam by two. Loss of American prestige due to their defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan will play out as it did following Vietnam with the winner being Iran as opposed to Pol Pot. <br /><br />Australian politics will no doubt result in how we could have won if only ....!<br /><br />The long and short of it is make peace now (as von Runstedt said to Hitler) before the consequences mean we are inextricably tied there for another decade and more men, who were schoolkids when the war started, are killed and maimed while the politicians and journalists who supported and urged war have retired on their superannuation. Unlike the war in Iraq the war in Afghanistan was always seen as a good war, resulting directly from the Taliban’s fundamentalist Islam actions and their support and harbouring of Osama bin Laden. Given the WMD lies surely it is time to revisit the basis of the war.

Offensive as fundamentalist Islam is, it exists all over the world. The Taliban had at least brought peace to Afghanistan following 30 years of war. They opposed the drug lords who formed the backbone of the Northern Alliance and had offered to hand bin Laden over if evidence of his involvement in 9/11 was produced. Needless to say none was. Breast-beating and an unwillingness to think that anyone could seriously oppose them has resulted in another Vietnam by two. Loss of American prestige due to their defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan will play out as it did following Vietnam with the winner being Iran as opposed to Pol Pot.

Australian politics will no doubt result in how we could have won if only ….!

The long and short of it is make peace now (as von Runstedt said to Hitler) before the consequences mean we are inextricably tied there for another decade and more men, who were schoolkids when the war started, are killed and maimed while the politicians and journalists who supported and urged war have retired on their superannuation.

]]> By: Oz http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/12/16/warlords-and-generals-from-iraq-to-afghanistan/#comment-21087 Oz Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-21087 "Which would be somewhat more reassuring if the key Afghan authority in the north of the country wasn't ... a certain General Dostum."<br /><br />Dostum may still control northern Afghanistan but he is doing so from the Turkish capital Ankara to which he fled earlier this month after falling out with Karzai over allegations that fighters loyal to him had kidnapped a former ally turned rival. “Which would be somewhat more reassuring if the key Afghan authority in the north of the country wasn’t … a certain General Dostum.”

Dostum may still control northern Afghanistan but he is doing so from the Turkish capital Ankara to which he fled earlier this month after falling out with Karzai over allegations that fighters loyal to him had kidnapped a former ally turned rival.

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