quote:

Originally posted by Krypton They believe they can passify the Pashtuns. Eventually, they will fail. This is no longer about 9/11.

Who will fail? Your attempts at being cryptic always fall flat on their face.

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

quote:

Originally posted by ******** Is it an attempt at genocide?

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Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On Who will fail? Your attempts at being cryptic always fall flat on their face.

The occupation will fail. Just like it did for the British and Soviets.

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Do you suppose the specifics of their "failures" have really made a difference though? Obviously they're not really there anymore, but war takes place on innumerable imperceptible levels - culturally and militarily, the Pashtun people have endured irrevocable change due to their hardships. Even if the US were to rescind its every last troop and representative (private contractors included), Afghanistan would still be forced to not only recuperate in every civic sense, but also be impelled to defend itself from whatever future exists for a bone amongst vultures. Perhaps temporary sovereignty shall some day come to the country and its people, but it shall not be in the form of any victory or revolution or united seditious endeavour against the world's tyrannies, but in leaving the Bedouins alone so they can wallow in the remnants of a time-tarnished tradition and either assimilate themselves into the devices of current civilization or fade into the desert as the winds that made them.

Never forget that your fervor is at the behest of the chair which holds your ass from the dirt.

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Halcyon, what exactly is your point?

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What does failure look like? Don't you first need to define success?

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quote:

Originally posted by Krypton Halcyon, what exactly is your point?

The Pashtuns have already been passified[sic].

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

quote:

Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov What does failure look like? Don't you first need to define success?

A very fair question.

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

The thing that ends the war is the very thing that isnt visible. first they need to fracture the leadership of the Taliban which is starting to happen. Then they need to stop or at best try to slow down or hinder the Opium trade. This can put a real damper on the Taliban. Another thing thats the problem is we can get into Pakistan without them crying that we are invading them... UAV's are very effective but its like only using air assets to fight a war, its not really able to get in and win without troops on the ground. it will be endless unless we can get them out of that corridor in Pakistan really.

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Kill 1 Person thats Murder, kill 100,000 People thats foriegn policy!

Obama looks to be putting more heat on the Taliban in Afghanistan. This war has been in the news more often lately. He seems to be interested in narrowing the targets.

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The Democratic Party

quote:

Originally posted by Krypton The occupation will fail. Just like it did for the British and Soviets.

Both the British Empire and Soviet comunisim collapsed shortly after they realized they could not occupy Afganistan. I tend to think that if the US isn't honestly seeking objective self determination it will also bring the US civilization to it's knees, with one possible exception: it might have already happened.