President Obama Has a Curious Definition for the End of War

[n2doc]

by Kia Makarechi
President Barack Obama declared the 13-year war in Afghanistan officially over on Sunday, praising the troops and claiming that Americans are safer for their efforts. In Kabul, General John Campbell folded the flag of the International Security Assistance Force, and unfurled the flag of a new mission, Resolute Support.

But while the administration would like to characterize this as a victory, the end of a conflict, it’s more of a re-branding. More than 10,000 United States troops will remain in Afghanistan, and just over one month ago, the president secretly expanded their 2015 combat mission to include fighting with the Taliban and/or al-Qaeda, the Haqqani network, or other insurgent groups. The expansion of duties, which was first reported in The New York Times, also allows for the use of American manned aircraft and drones. Some 4,000 NATO troops will also remain in Afghanistan next year.

According to the United Nations, 2014 is the deadliest year of the war since they began counting casualties in 2008. More than 10,000 civilians are expected to die in Afghanistan by January 1.

“For more than 13 years, ever since nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us on 9/11, our nation has been at war in Afghanistan,” Obama’s statement about the changing missions read. The president highlighted the “extraordinary sacrifices” of troops, some 2,200 of whom have died to date during the $1 trillion war. “We are safer, and our nation is more secure, because of their service,” Obama said.

There were debates about whether fully withdrawing troops by the end of 2014 would further cripple Afghanistan and inflame civil war. There were debates within the administration about whether the remaining troops should be limited in their mission to attack only Taliban targets, as opposed to the Taliban and other insurgent groups. And with ISIS ravaging Iraq after an American pullout that some deemed recklessly hurried, there is a new urgency to the debate about whether Afghan security forces are capable of preventing a similarly collapsed state should Americans leave the country.

more

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2014/12/obama-end-of-afghan-war

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. "The first casualty when war comes is truth". Hiram W Johnson

[G_j]

2. re-branding

the name of the game..

[SamKnause]

3. He will say what his handlers

pay him to say.

It is hard to have respect or to admire some one who is so delusional.

Safer my ass.

USA we're number 1 in shit stirring the world over.

How many innocent lives will it take to make Americans feel safe ???

[Orsino]

4. We left a lot more than that in Germany, and for decades.

I don't think a measly 10k in Afghanistan constitutes a breach of trust...until the war begins anew eight months from now.

[n2doc]

5. Except of course for the continuous fighting

The Taliban and the rest aren't going away anytime soon.

Slightly different than Germany and Japan. Although, to be fair, you are right. We still have military in every country we have gone to war against with the exception of Vietnam and Cambodia, and maybe Grenada (I think). Cuba, Philippines, Korea, Europe, Japan.....

[Orsino]

9. Yes. "It's the fighting, stupid."

Declaring an end to combat seems foolish now.

[CJCRANE]

6. I always think the comparisons to WWII don't match

because Germany and Japan were the aggressors: they tried to take over the rest of the world and were beaten back. They knew what they had done and their people were probably ready to capitulate.

Ordinary Afghans on the other hand were just going about their business and had no idea why they were being invaded (they had no TVs under the Taliban).

[Orsino]

11. They don't need to match.

When we are pretending we're fighting a global war on terror, though, the analogy is inescapable. No one who's paid attention should be surprised at thousands of troops being left in place. Instant, total withdrawal was never promised, and is an unrealistic expectation.

Especially when we suspect They will just want to fire up this war again.

[spanone]

7. we still have troops in south korea...nearly 30,000

[Golden Raisin]

8. Where do they come up

with these awful names: "Resolute Support"? Is there a "Patriot Act" Dictionary of semi-jingoistic-fascistic-militaristic-pentagonic terms for our blunt imperial interventions around the globe?

[SomethingFishy]

10. Really? Mission Accomplished?

At least he didn't land on an aircraft carrier to make the announcement.

[Doctor_J]

12. This would be better if he would just stick to the truth

"We are safer, our nation more secure..." might as well be Bush talking.

[Scuba]

13. More empty rhetoric from the most disappointing President in my lifetime.

[MuttLikeMe]

14. *eyeroll*

[Scuba]

15. I suppose it was naive of me to expect him to fight for the things on which he campaigned.

[MuttLikeMe]

16. smh