If killing OBL wasn't the logical end of our mission in Afghanistan, whatever COULD be???

[ImNotTed]

al Qaeda? There are probably more al Qaeda in Connecticut than Afghanistan.

Pakistan? This makes no sense to me whatsoever: We're not going to invade, and, as for surveillance, that's an intelligence job, backed up by Special Ops if the spooks discover anything we need to act on. Less than 1,000 personnel required, I would think. Probably half that, actually.

Nation-building? HA! Ask the Soviets about that. Except you can't, of course, since the Soviet Union collapsed two decades ago. (Something about shitty conditions at home while maintaining an empire abroad, I seem to recall.)

[lob1]

1. They keep saying we can't leave until Afghanistan can

defend itself. If they can't defend themselves after 10 years, I don't think it's going to happen. In fact, I don't think they want it to happen. If Afghanistan could defend itself, the first thing they'd do is drive us out.

Just declare victory and get out.

[JoePhilly]

2. You miss something ...

The minute Bush diverted our troops to Iraq, he left the effort in Afghanistan to stagnate.

From that moment, until Obama started to add troops, nothing was going to change in Afghanistan. During the time period between those 2 events nothing happened in terms of helping Afghanistan stand on its own.

[Maine_Nurse]

16. Even if we put in 400,000 troops for 10 years, nothing...

will change. The minute we leave, things will rapidly begin to revert to the way they have been for centuries.

[ImNotTed]

19. You got it

Hey, Afghanistan isn't even a country in the way we define the term.

[CrossChris]

3. When the Last Terrorist gives his retirement speech in a press conference.

Then, terrorism will be over. Mission Accomplished!

[truebrit71]

4. You are making the assumption that OBL had anything to do with why we are there at all...

..and guess what..it ain't about 9/11...

[montanto]

5. Logic? This is America dude.

[ImNotTed]

20. Good Point

What was I thinking??? :dunce:

[Initech]

6. We're not in afghanistan to win it. There is no end to this "war".

[CrossChris]

9. I think the end of this "war" is the destruction of social programs b/c we can only afford wars

THEN it will be the real "Mission Accomplished."

[Initech]

11. It's not a war on terrorism, it's a war for profit.

Profit for them - the upper 1%, not for us

[Purveyor]

7. When this country is so fucking broke, with rioting in the streets that we can't afford it any more.

[struggle4progress]

8. Obama to outline Afghanistan troop withdrawal plan

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 3:07 PM EST

(CNN) Washington -- President Barack Obama will deliver a nationally televised address Wednesday night outlining his long-awaited plan to begin U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan -- a move meant to appeal to a war-weary public without damaging American security interests.

The president's speech is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET ...

http://www.kcentv.com/story/14957796/obama-to-unveil

[gkhouston]

18. Americans are no longer interested in the "security" argument.

All these wars have done is rack up a bunch of debt and make us even less popular in a region that hated our guts to begin with. We need to stop digging and get the hell out.

[damntexdem]

10. Fluffy bunnies and unicorns.

And everyone living together happily.

;-)

[Scuba]

12. Several steps remain...

<img src="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" />

[ImNotTed]

21. Screw Lee Greenwood!

:blush:

[Rex]

13. 911

And since the event was pretty much whitewashed by the GWB administration...we are left with the Ghost of 911. IOW, nothing...we are chasing shadows now in Afghanistan and have no centralized mission. It is sad beyond compare how our military is abused for political gain.

[Scottybeamer70]

14. It's a staging area.......

for the invasion of Iran.........wait and see.

[libodem]

15. An oil pipeline to

Israel.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. Destroy the Taliban

[ImNotTed]

22. The morning after the President's speech--

--I stand by every point I made, every question I asked, in the OP.

[Starry Messenger]

23. Pipelinestan & Empire

There were never any other reasons.

[ImNotTed]

24. Kick before going downstairs

:scared:

[zoosareprisons]

25. Afghanistan = Eastasia

It's a perpetual war.

[Javaman]

26. We. Are. Never. Leaving.

remember taking history in high school? Remember the part about "the western Roman empire"?

that is what Iraq/Afghan/Paki-land is to us.

we wouldn't build an "embassy" larger than vatican city if we weren't going to be spending a little time over there, right?

we are never leaving.

[S_E_Fudd]

27. Osama didn't just waltz into a happy, peaceful, prosperous country and take over...

The conditions were ripe for him to operate from there because the Taliban had already taken over....

Trying to make sure the country doesn't slip back to that condition again would seem to be a worthy goal before withdrawing...

[WatsonT]

28. Typically speaking killing the leader of an organization

does not wipe out that organization.

This isn't chess, where we get the king and it's all over.