Americans want out of Afghanistan
The Washington Times reports that a new CNN/ORC poll finds that 82% of Americans want us out of Afghanistan before the arbitrary December 14, 2014 withdrawal date set by the Obama administration.
The numbers show that the 12-year operation has become one of America’s most unpopular military conflicts CNN reported, and most Americans want U.S. troops to withdraw before the December 2014 deadline date.
“Those numbers show the war in Afghanistan with far less support than other conflicts,” CNN polling director Keating Holland said. “Opposition to the Iraq was never got higher than 69 percent in CNN polling while U.S. troops were in that country, and while the Vietnam War was in progress, no more than six in 10 ever told Gallup’s interviewers that war was a mistake,”
Only a quarter of poll respondents said the United States should maintain a military presence in the country after the December 2014 deadline for withdrawal. Fifty-seven percent, meanwhile, said the conflict isn’t going well for the United States — and only a third think America is winning.
Yeah, I’m part of that 82%, but not because I don’t think what we’re doing in Afghanistan is important, quite the contrary. I think that the more of those Islamists that we kill, the better place is this planet. I supported the war when we first sent CIA and Special Forces troops to help the Northern Alliance boot out the Taliban who had been supporting al Qaeda terrorists. I supported the war in Afghanistan while our goal was to eradicate the area of people who had no respect for basic human dignity. I would still support the war in Afghanistan is our mission there was to kill the human filth there in copious numbers.
I publicly supported the current administration’s efforts there until the Fall of 2009 when this administration decided that their only mission in Afghanistan was abandoning the country and withdrawing our forces there. This President had the opportunity to show the world that we were serious about our commitment to Afghanistan when the generals asked for 60,000 troops. The CIA and the Defense Department correctly predicted that our operations in Afghanistan would eventually fail if Obama didn’t commit the numbers of troops to the conflict for which the generals were asking. But Obama compromised on the numbers by half to placate politicians long enough for him to be reelected.
The Obama Administration made the mission in Afghanistan a mere vengeful operation when bin Laden was killed and they farmed the meme that the war was over because the terror master was dead. The war should have been about changing the course of human history, not about the death of one man.
The Obama Administration’s inability to deal with chief Taliban spokesman, Hamid Karzai, has also poisoned Americans’ opinions regarding the future of Afghanistan. Karzai blames the US for all of Afghanistan’s problems while virtually ignoring the effect the actual enemies of his people are having in the country. Who wants to back an ingrate like Karzai?
Yes, Americans want out of Afghanistan, but it’s the politicians who are to blame, not the troops or the job they’re trying to do with the half-assed support of their government.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War
but but this was the just war. Obummer said so himself, then proceeded for years to intentionally undermine efforts to be successful and get into the history books for being yet another democrat failure in chief.
Mission successful, Obummer!
What a fucking disaster. What a waste.
I guess my question is what will happen when the US and ‘partners’ pull out?
I guess that goes hand in hand with my next question: How’s Iraq doin’?
As usual the US is blamed for all things wrong in Afghanistan. We always are. Karzai is out to line his pockets, period. Jon is right, Afghanistan will go the way of Iraq. Why, because these people do not love their lives, freedom and country more than they love the Koran. They have the ability to clean up their country and kill as many terrorists as we do. They have no heart to do it though. Obama has been an utter failure in this war. I am tired of going to funerals and memorials for fallen soldiers. On its present course, with its present leaders and ROE and an end game as solid as warm jello, I say it is time to pull out. ASAP. Different country, different decade but smells a lot like Vietnam again to me. It started out to help the Afghan people attain a better future for themselves. Now I don’t know what it is about. I don’t think Obama, Kerry or anyone in the Admin knows for sure either. Another war fought from the White House instead of commanders in the field. I am just so tired of spending precious American blood while the Administration is trying to figure out a strategy and keep Karzai happy. I am just sad about the whole thing. Our service men and women have done all asked of them. They give their all and at this point for what? I am saying it is time to protect American troops by either fighting the war with the troops needed and killing every SOB that needs killing or protecting them by bringing them home. I have not written this well. Sorry.
Why are we keeping Karzai happy, again?
Hey Ex-. Take a look at my post in the Weekend Open Thread will you? I’m trying to figure out what some Navy dogtags stuff means. Before your time by 20+ years but maybe you know. Thanks.
If I’d had my way, the retaliation for 9/11 would have consisted of ICBMs, and the “Afghanistan war” would have been over about 45 minutes after the North Tower collapsed.
My heart bleeds every time I read about another American dying in Afghanistan. In this or any war, we need to hit them with the full might of the world’s best military, or not at all. This nickel and diming our troops to death, many because of ridiculous ROE that value the enemy over Americans and allies, needs to stop immediately.
Either fight to win or bring them all home TODAY.
Going in and kicking in the teeth of the Taliban and Hussein was 100% justified. Staying there and attempting to make chicken Salad out of chicken shit was wrong. Any further action taken against nations that harbor Islamic radicals should be strictly punitive and abrupt in nature. Go in, kill a few hundred, level government buildings, take out power and transport grids and get the hell out.
What I want to know is what we stood to gain by tearing apart the entire infrastructure of both countries. I know that you cannot fight war pretty, and what happens in the fight happens. But I also believe that if you make a mess you clean it up. When I heard that 500,000 dead Iraqi children due to lack of hospitals or medical care statistic, it got me to thinking. I have been on the ground in Iraq, 2008-2009, and I couldn’t figure out what we were supposed to be doing there then, and I can’t figure it out now.
The war isn’t helped by the pus licking politicians and their yes toady flag officers who put those both-hands-tied-behind-our-backs Mommy-may-I ROEs on our good troops.
There wasn’t any infrastructure in Afghanistan to destroy. And it isn’t rebuilding a nation state when they never had one to begin with. As soon as we decided not to stick around long enough to finish a task of dubious possibility, we should have left. With national will, there was a chance of success, albeit slim. Without, no chance and no point.
@9
“When I heard that 500,000 dead Iraqi children due to lack of hospitals or medical care statistic…”
Where did you “hear” that croc of shit? Adam Kokesh? Your bullshit comment suggests that the US Military went around intentionally blowing up hospitals, and preventing medical care for kids. I’m throwing the BS flag on you, bedwetter.
Best change your screen name to “Total Fool”…
Stop with the “It’s all the politicians fault!”. Hogwash. The US spends untold millions of dollars every year attempting to educate officers on the nature of war; The war colleges, National Defense University, etc. exist to make generals more than just military technicians. The advice they give to civilian officials is supposed to be a little more than things like how much time it takes to deploy a given unit.
There are also specialized units like Military Police, Military Government, and Civil Affairs which are supposed to enable the military to do more than just kill people and break things. This whole “warrior” ethos is BS; we have SOLDIERS, not warriors. There is a difference.
I remember watching the videos from Baghdad, etc. at the end of the Gulf war. Looting, violence, vandalism, and chaos, while the US Army sat on its thumbs watching. Then there were a few years where occupation forces were basically ‘trolling for IEDs” until some bright general actually remembered some of the things he had been taught in all that government paid education.
Ah, to hell with it. Politicians may suck, but effing lifer generals can be just as ignorant and screw up just as much.
@9“When I heard that 500,000 dead Iraqi children due to lack of hospitals or medical care statistic…”
Wow. I heard that Harry Reid is a pedophile. Doesn’t make it true. Can you cite a credible source for this statistic?
I was in Kirkuk 2004-2005 and Al Anbar 2006-2007, and there were continuous rebuilding and improving medical facilities, as well as power, oil production, roadways, water systems, etc.
Didn’t see much “destroying” all of their infrastructure.
Saw an awful lot of medical relief missions, and accompanied some.
But, I spent most of my time outside the wire or in remote outposts. Guess the fobbits had all the scoop on what was “really going on”, not the guys out on the missions.