I think we’ve about had enough of Hamid Karzai, don’t you? Not only are the American people tired of our little jaunt to Afghanistan, the administration is growing weary, and Karzai himself is getting worn out by a foreign presence.
And not only that … one American soldier is just a little fatigued with this whole temperamental Karzai thing. I’m sure it must have something to do with the fact that Karzai is making ten times more each week in CIA payoffs than the soldier is making during an entire 20-year career. Or maybe not; maybe the soldier is tired of Afghan chow.
In any case, the soldier was recently caught throwing stones at a huge portrait of Hamid Karzai. Local citizens, disappointed by the disrespectful behavior stopped sharpening their knives long enough to turn the soldier in. And of course, the soldier has been reassigned. Who knew it would be so easy to get out of a combat zone? I wish I’d known that during the Vietnam War.
The incident does offer us a reminder that perhaps it is time for a divorce. Let us resolve to return American soldiers home; the Afghans can go to hell.
I grow weary of Karzai's complaining about the behavior of some of our troops ... proving once and for all, the Afghan has no sense of humor. Keep in mind there is no stress quite like living in a combat zone; our troops always looking for ways to deal with it, both as individuals, and as members of fire teams and squads. The result is often silly. No one back home understands it, certainly not the press. It is almost never politically correct, always unique, and I think inevitable. One example is throwing stones at a portrait of Hamid Karzai; another is this signature that appeared at the bottom of an email:
And not only that … one American soldier is just a little fatigued with this whole temperamental Karzai thing. I’m sure it must have something to do with the fact that Karzai is making ten times more each week in CIA payoffs than the soldier is making during an entire 20-year career. Or maybe not; maybe the soldier is tired of Afghan chow.
In any case, the soldier was recently caught throwing stones at a huge portrait of Hamid Karzai. Local citizens, disappointed by the disrespectful behavior stopped sharpening their knives long enough to turn the soldier in. And of course, the soldier has been reassigned. Who knew it would be so easy to get out of a combat zone? I wish I’d known that during the Vietnam War.
The incident does offer us a reminder that perhaps it is time for a divorce. Let us resolve to return American soldiers home; the Afghans can go to hell.
I grow weary of Karzai's complaining about the behavior of some of our troops ... proving once and for all, the Afghan has no sense of humor. Keep in mind there is no stress quite like living in a combat zone; our troops always looking for ways to deal with it, both as individuals, and as members of fire teams and squads. The result is often silly. No one back home understands it, certainly not the press. It is almost never politically correct, always unique, and I think inevitable. One example is throwing stones at a portrait of Hamid Karzai; another is this signature that appeared at the bottom of an email:
“If you want to serve and defend America while a member of the world’s finest fighting force, join the United States Marine Corps. If you want to get shot and peed on, join the Taliban.”
We should have cut loose Ali Baba Karzai and his 40,000 thieves years ago. We are funneling billions to him, his cronies, and the Taliban, and it's past time to stop it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I served there.
Reader’s digest used to have a section dedicated to “Laughter in Uniform.” Among those of us who served in uniform, most of the stories were amusing. Among those who have not, the anecdotes left them wondering
ReplyDeleteOn the serious note, I think it is long past the time we brought our troops home; Karzai won’t last long beyond that.
We had NO BUSINESS going in there in the FIRST PLACE.
ReplyDeleteBUSH TWO was every bit as idiotic as his critics have said, but OBAMA is far WORSE. Obama is like BUSH on SPEED.
How many more young Americans will be callously expected to DIE for a MISTAKE?
How much longer will legitimate, red-blooded American Americans tolerate being used and sacrificed as a CAT'S PAW for ISRAEL?
" Let us resolve to return American soldiers home; the Afghans can go to hell. "
ReplyDeleteYou have my vote, Sam!
My three point plan. Let's leave, let the Taliban come in, and then turn the whole thing to glass.
ReplyDeleteAfter September 11, 2001, we all wanted something done, some retaliation against those that attacked this nation. Looking back, I think Iraq and Afghanistan were a bad idea, at least the spreading Democracy part, winning hearts and minds, spending blood and money by the ton, literally, on people who hate us.
ReplyDeleteWe need to turn off the flow of money, like the suitcases of cash that Karzi depends on, and do it now.
Debbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
Jack said......
ReplyDelete"On the serious note, I think it is long past the time we brought our troops home"
Yes! Since our presence there has, apparently, not fulfilled our objectives (whatever they were), by this time, it never will. Afganistan is a "throwback", even by Middle Eastern standards and a "cesspool" which will remain as such for time immemorial!
It's time to pull OUT of the Middle East and let the barbarians willingly cut each others' throats.
ReplyDeleteObama, however, has proven time and again that he doesn't mind sucking up CONFLICT OIL when, instead, he could be taking the oil -- MASSIVE RESERVES -- under our very feet. Hence, kicking CONFLICT OIL to the curb and letting cousins kill cousins and brothers kill brothers, as barbarians are wont to do.
MP154
Free Thinke, I agree with most of what you wrote, but take a major issue with your unfortunate and erroneous comment about Israel.
ReplyDeleteElected Americans bring no honor to their country by consorting with scum like Karzai. Now I have heard it said that sometimes, in our country’s national interest, it is necessary to lay down with low vermin. Two points: my grandmother said that whoever lies down with dogs has to put up with their fleas. Second issue, no one has ever shown me how nation building in Afghanistan or Iraq was in our national interests. My gut reaction to such claims is that someone is full of crap … and it isn’t me. If American diplomacy is so willing to give up its morality, then we are no different from the scum with whom we are willing to lie. And we haven’t even gotten to this immoral waste of the taxpayer’s money yet.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. Some of us have been calling for this since early 2002, as our invasion has taken our eye off of al Qaeda and sqaurley into nation building. Since Karzai's 'election', we have been violating a fundamental tenet of counter-insurgency - having a legitimate host nation government in place.
ReplyDeleteKarmai, like most Afghanis, has a tribal mentality. As with tribal mentalities, alliances are made and broken according to parameters which are tribal -- not nation state -- in orientation. To expect Karzai to govern or to behave differently has been the height of foolishness. Charisma exuded doesn't mean that tribal mentality has been abandoned.
ReplyDeleteTake an objective look at the history of Afghanistan. These people have always been fiercely independent, and most of them (especially those who have eschewed immigrating to the West) really do not want to have a nation state in the sense that the West wants to believe. Indeed, many Afghanis actually pride themselves on what we in the West would term "political corruption."
BRING THEM HOME-
ReplyDeletelet the pagans continue to be pagan and kill each other instead killing our BEST!!!
Carol-CS
Too early, we haven't destabilized Pakistan.
ReplyDeleteUgh. My comment above should read "Karzai," not "Karmai." I've got to stop fixing dinner while I'm in the middle of typing a comment.
ReplyDelete