With a hat tip to Sam Huntington of Praesidiumn Respublicae, citing this source:
The U.S. military estimates that $360 million spent on combat support and reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan has ended up in the hands of people the American-led coalition has battled for nearly a decade: the Taliban, criminals and local power brokers with ties to both…Some "war," huh? Our tax dollars are funding the enemy!
My USMC cousin (age 21) is presently stationed in Afghanistan. How much more has his life been put in danger because of the above mismanagement (not at strong enough word)?
Why am I not surprised? This 'mismanagement' is criminal.
ReplyDeleteWe should swiftly and utterly decimate the enemy, not this prolonged war with 'winning hearts and minds' and 'nation building.'
The point of WAR is to crush the enemy so badly that they give up trying to hurt you. Why do modern leaders not grasp that concept?
I hope your cousin stays safe, AOW.
It's not really mismanagement, Brooke.
ReplyDeleteThis is the cost of doing business. It's a shadowy world and we have no business wasting taxpayer money over there. Afghanistan is a sinkhole of corruption and ignorance.
Karzai and his gang of bandits have pocketed billions in US and foreign aid.
AOW: Your cousin is safer in Afghanistan that if he were in Chicago. The US Marines know how to roll.
I pray we bring him and every other military member out of that armpit and back to the good ol' US of A, and pronto.
We are wasting time and money and lives on people who hate us.
Gee AOW, remember when they flew in palettes full of cash to Iraq and couldn't account for billions?
ReplyDeleteIt's just the cost of freedom.
If we weren't in Afghanistan how would we be able to protect our precious freedoms from the Afghan Air Force?
I am so sick of this nonsense I could... well, do something! We drone on in outrage, but we are in our own echo chamber I fear.
ReplyDeleteSilverfiddle,
ReplyDeleteYour cousin is safer in Afghanistan that if he were in Chicago. The US Marines know how to roll.
I have every confidence in the USMC.
However, my cousin is in Helmand Province:
There are reports that the Taliban see Helmand province as a key testing area for their ability to take and hold Afghan territory from NATO and Afghan National Army troops.
I don't know any other details about my cousin's deployment.
Yesterday in Afghanistan:
ReplyDeleteKABUL, Afghanistan — Angry villagers stoned to death a local Taliban commander and his bodyguard in southern Afghanistan Sunday after the militants killed a 60-year-old man accused of aiding the government, Afghan officials said.
It was a rare reversal of brutality aimed at the Taliban and, some Afghan officials believe, suggests a growing sense of security in an area where the insurgency has lost ground to NATO forces in the last two years. The stoning happened in the Nawa District of Helmand Province, a verdant agricultural area along the Helmand River Valley, now considered one of the safest places in the volatile south as a result of a heavy influx of American troops and aid dollars.
Duck,
ReplyDeleteremember when they flew in palettes full of cash to Iraq and couldn't account for billions?
Yes, I do recall that.
So, what's your point?
I'm sick and tired of throwing money away when it is needed so badly here. And risking our young peoples life's.
ReplyDeleteBunkerville,
ReplyDeletewe are in our own echo chamber I fear
I've been thinking a lot about that lately -- the matter of preaching to the choir.
I do enjoy the community here in the blogosphere. As one who is largely shut in due to caregiving responsibilities, the Internet is my outlet and my social life (to an extent, anyway).
But what are we accomplishing, really?
I suppose that I do learn quite a bit of "buried" news to use in discussions and in teaching. Beyond that, I'm sure that I'm not "making a difference."
But I've never been a quitter, so I slog on.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI'm sick and tired of throwing money away when it is needed so badly here. And risking our young peoples life's.
Yes.
And, as far as I can tell, "winning hearts and minds" over there is a joke -- a very costly joke that robs us of our hard-earned dollars.
The loss of some of our finest young people is the greatest tragedy in this whole sorry mess!
Meanwhile, the tab for United States military intervention in Libya is $1 billion -- so far.
ReplyDeleteBrooke,
ReplyDeleteWe should swiftly and utterly decimate the enemy, not this prolonged war with 'winning hearts and minds' and 'nation building.'
Back in 2000, I voted against Al Gore because he advocating nation building.
Then, 9/11 came along, and GWB took us down the costly path of nation building.
Have you noticed that things in Iraq seem to be deteriorating now -- now that our forces have left that theatre of battle?
Brooke said: The point of WAR is to crush the enemy so badly that they give up trying to hurt you. Why do modern leaders not grasp that concept?
ReplyDeleteI say: Maybe because we now have a Defense Department instead of a War Department.
Corruption is a way of life in third world countries, at least that is my experience. We finished our job there a long time ago. It's past time to come home.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it just about time for the fat lady to sing?
ReplyDeleteIt's time to bring home our troops and quit giving our money to the enemy.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable.
Duck,
ReplyDeleteremember when they flew in palettes full of cash to Iraq and couldn't account for billions?
Yes, I do recall that.
So, what's your point?
-------------
The point is that these are both expensive fiascoes that have accomplished nothing.
Our tax dollars at work.
ReplyDeleteWe've also spent a billion in Libya so far.
Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
Duck,
ReplyDeleteThe point is that these are both expensive fiascoes that have accomplished nothing.
I'm not sure about accomplishing absolutely nothing.
But I will agree that not enough has been accomplished to warrant all the spent treasure and spent blood.
We are naive beyond belief. We really seriously need to rethink how we fight wars. I have no confidence in our commander-in-chief.
ReplyDeleteI'm commenting on behalf of unemployed veterans who have ventured out to start their own businesses. The Wounded Warrior Directory is a directory of almost 6000 Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses where the veteran owner has a disability that occured in
ReplyDeletethe service to their country and deserves our support. Please help us in this mission to promote and support Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses
by linking to Wounded Warriors Directory at VeteransDirectory.com and helping to promote this cause. Thank you for your support!