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Originally Posted by KirStang
Not so much about "what do we need to prove in Afghanistan" as in, how can we stabilize A-stan so that the country's problems don't spill in to and destablize Pakistan too (a nuclear-capable country).
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Outsiders can not have a lasting impact on "stabalizing" Afghanistan in the remote areas. This has been proven many times. But are you suggesting the war on terror has changed to a war to prevent the destabilization of Pakistan?
---------- Post added at 04:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:12 PM ----------
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Originally Posted by dippin
this is a joke, right?
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Perhaps it is to you.
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If not, what were Bush's clear objectives?
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To remove Sadaam from power and to render his military impotent and unable to wage war. To incapacitate Iraq's ability to use or develop WMD.
After the above was accomplished the war evolved into an occupation "building democracy", which I still have mixed feeling about. Iraq was also a chosen location to engage terrorists as we battled them along with the Iraqi people for political control of the country.
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And please, don't insult our intelligence by ignoring the several different objectives he set up. And how was Bush's execution of the war much better?
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I am not suggesting mistakes were not made, no major war in history has been executed without mistakes, however, in my view what leaders have as a primary responsibility is to clearly define the cause. In Obama's case I thought his cause was to end the war, but he is escalating the war in Afghanistan and seems to be expanding the war to include Pakistan in a manner that is not clear to me.
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Last I checked, Iraq was a mess for at least 4 years, Rumsfeld had to resign over it, and Afghanistan was slowing drifting back into Taliban's hands. And shouldn't all those questions be asked of who started the wars? And are you seriously saying that he "treated prisoners of war as prisoners of war?"
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We did not start the war.
In the war on terror the rules of engagement are unique, but generally I think Bush treated prisoners of war like prisoners of war as opposed to treating them like criminals.
---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:25 PM ----------
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Originally Posted by Willravel
His only objective was getting Bin Laden (and intelligence tells us Bin Laden's not been in Afghanistan for years). After that, it was just the same as Iraq; vague crap about brining freedom, fighting "trrrists" that didn't actually attack us, etc.
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What about the one's who have declared war on us and are acting accordingly? Are you suggesting we are fighting a mythical enemy?