Isn't It Our Turn Now, To Leave Afghanistan?

[laststeamtrain]

Richard Greener
Award-winning essayist
Posted: February 21, 2010 03:52 PM

Isn't It Our Turn Now, To Leave Afghanistan?


Have we forgotten why we are in Afghanistan? Why a free democracy goes to war is crucial to both freedom and democracy. This is not about ideology, a worldview or black-helicopter conspiracy theory. This is about the actual, precise and legal reason why we sent our military forces into Afghanistan - our justification for invading that country, and why we're still there spending our national treasure in lives and money.

On September 14, 2001, barely 72 hours after the Twin Towers fell, after the Pentagon was struck and the last terrorist controlled airplane smashed into the ground in Pennsylvania, the House and Senate approved a joint resolution. What that resolution said is important for us to remember, especially now - eight and a-half years later - with more than 100,000 US forces still in Afghanistan, and with major military operations underway right now, this very minute. People are dying there. Why?

That Congressional resolution read as follows - "To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States." With these words, it passed the House by 420-1. In the Senate, the vote was 98-0. At most, this was a semi-declaration of war against al-Qaida, not the Taliban and not the country of Afghanistan. Remember, "...those responsible for the recent attacks..."

Congressional authorization in hand, six days later President George W. Bush addressed Congress. He made six specific demands of the Taliban régime in Kabul. They were -1. Deliver to the United States authorities all of the leaders of al-Qaida who hide in your land. 2. Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens you have unjustly imprisoned. 3. Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your country. 4. Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. 5. And hand over every terrorist and every person and their support structure to appropriate authorities. 6. Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.

Those were the exact words of President Bush who ended with this warning - "These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate."

In September 2001 our motives were clear and unmistakable. Who does not understand the right of self-defense? However, none of Bush's demands were met. On Sunday October 7, 2001 forces of the United States began offensive operations in the country of Afghanistan against the organization known as al-Qaida. Such was the authorization of our Congress. That's the way we do things in this free democracy.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/isnt-it-our-turn-now-to-l_b_470749.html

[Ken Burch]

1. Yes, it is.

We should never have escalated this war just to "look tough". "Toughness" is a reactionary, bloodsoaked concept that is of no use to any Democratic administration in terms of how it deals with the world.

[Demeter]

2. It's Way Past Time, Actually

We should have left before we even went in.

[Dan]

3. We will,

as soon as we are totally bankrupt...

[nightrain]

5. or as soon as the weapons manufacturers get to unload their new items because

the military's old inventory is drained. No good war goes to waste.

[classysassy]

4. Why are we at war around the world?

Profit,money for the war profiteers.Greed,no sense of justice or mercy.BRING BACK THE DRAFT AND WATCH THE MADNESS END.

[winyanstaz]

6. The plan of the New World Order is to rule the world...

Using American lives, taxpayer money and all our humongous stock of war machines etc.....and to do so they MUST control all the oil first.

Secondly they MUST crash the world economy to force the Nations into the New World Order and to accept a one world currency (which they will control of course).

Third they must get rid of leaders, teachers, all "other" religious leaders (then the one they have chosen to be the "official religion" and to murder a lot of the population.

Fourth they must control the media, the military, the propaganda and the government.

The attacks on 9-11 was the "pearl harbor" they needed to justify every single thing that has been done in the name of this "war on terror."

Once you accept this fact, all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

They are such big dreamers, they want to control absolutely every aspect of our lives...including the water we drink, the air we breath, the food we eat and when we are marched off to fight and die for their causes.

So far they seem to be doing a bang-up job of it.

[Tutankhamun]

7. We went to Afghanistan for the military/indu$$$trial complex and the TAPI oil pipeline.

That's why we went there, and that's why we're still there. Very simple.

[change_notfinetuning]

8. The only thing left to accomplish, besides totally bankrupting ourselves, is to

make more enemies. I guess we found something we're good at.