It's shit like this that makes it impossible for the US to win in Afghanistan

[Karthak]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7635307.stm

I can't really think of any better way to get the population to support the Taliban than this. Treating a journalist like that for doing his job. Disgusting.

[anver]

The people in Afghanistan are pragmatic. As soon as the US forces leave they'll support whoever's best for their interests anyway, so unless they keep troops there indefinitely it doesn't really matter what they do.

[Beowulf]

We won't win in Afghanistan because we're in Iraq.

[Mechs]

We won't win in Afghanistan because we're in Iraq.

We aren't the only country contributing to the fight in Afghanistan. The British, Canadians, Dutch, and Germans have been fighting along side us.

[Arctic_Slicer]

Neither the British empire or the Soviet Union were able to win in Afghanistan and it's ignorant to think that we can as well. Also arresting journalists and bombing wedding parties in Afghanistan is only going to make the population rebel against us that much more.

[SlickWilly440]

Treating a journalist like that for doing his job. Disgusting.

He was accused of supplying weapons to the Taleban and having contacts with the movement. Mr Ahmad protested, saying that as a journalist it was his job.

See, he admitted right there as helping the terrorists supply weapons. He got what he deserved.

[Sock Full of Boiled Dimes]

He was talking about having contacts I think.

[Beowulf]

We aren't the only country contributing to the fight in Afghanistan. The British, Canadians, Dutch, and Germans have been fighting along side us.
So? Starting another war in Iraq just shoveled the burden onto all those guys because Saddam was just SUCH A BAD GUY OMG HE CAUSED 9/11 AND LOVED BIN LADEN HURP!!!!

[Karthak]

See, he admitted right there as helping the terrorists supply weapons. He got what he deserved.
He admitted to having contacts among them, not smuggling weapons.

[stsparky]

Are we using Napoleonic Law?

[Sock Full of Boiled Dimes]

I wish they'd just go ahead and let us do this that way no one would be shocked when I abuse prisoners.

Not to mention I get an excuse to slap a few around.

I'm kidding.

[Mechs]

So? Starting another war in Iraq just shoveled the burden onto all those guys because Saddam was just SUCH A BAD GUY OMG HE CAUSED 9/11 AND LOVED BIN LADEN HURP!!!!

Actually it didn't, but believe whatever you want.

[Beowulf]

Actually it didn't, but believe whatever you want.
Dude I know soldiers in Afghanistan and that is the exact situation as they have described it to me. We were doing great, we started in Iraq, and the President had to start calling in favors from other countries to get them to replace us. Canada is being hit hardest of all because they have men stationed in the most volatile part of the country. We only have one army and almost all of it is in Iraq.

[Scarabomb]

Speaking from what I CAN say about the war (which is not much), we actually do have very many troops in Afghanistan but our main focus is Iraq, yes. Don't, however, discredit the fact that there has been and still is a sizable force in Afghanistan

[Beowulf]

There are 200,000 US soldiers in Iraq.

There are 31,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan supplemented by 59,000 multinational forces.

[Scarabomb]

Well, more like 140,000 in Iraq and 32,000 in Afghanistan but yea.

[Plekto]

Don't forget the mercenaries we've hired, either.
Oh, sorry - "Contractors".

BTW, honestly, we lost slightly more soldiers taking Iwo Jima than we've lost in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Not bad, really, if you're talking typical casualties in a prolonged war.

As much as I'm against the wars over there, the reality is that our losses are virtually non-existent on a daily basis compared to WWI, WWII, or Korea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_casualties_of_war

Civil War - 599 casualties per day

WWII - 416 per day

WWI - 279 per day

Korea - 46 per day

Vietnam - 211454 Casualties/58,209 dead.
Length - 5805 days(July 8, 1959 - first U.S. death - to April 30, 1975)
Casualties per day: 36.4
Deaths per day: 10.0

Iraq - 34,497 casualties/2017(March 20, 2003-now):17.1 per day. 4173 dead/2017 days: 2.07 per day.

Afghanistan - U.S. soldiers killed - 2952/2457 days(Jan 4, 2002 - first casualty - to today): 1.2 per day. 573 dead/2457 days: 0.23 per day.

Afghanistan - average mortality rate per day from violent causes - 1.7. You're 7.4 times more likely to die from daily life in Afghanistan than as a U.S. soldier. That's really low, considering.

[Scarabomb]

Don't forget the mercenaries we've hired, either.
Oh, sorry - "Contractors".

Haha, that's all they really are. Cowboys* backed by their companies. As much as people complain about US Troops doing bad things, these guys take it to a whole new level. When US Troops do something, it's fast to hit the press and pressure is put on the Govt. and taxpayer's dollars (how they're being wasted on their military...etc.). When these contracted Cowboys go nuts and guns 'a' blazin', it's covered up, not talked about.. put on the d-low/legit and dismissed... What about the taxpayers dollars there, huh?

*Incase you're offended by me referring them as "cowboys", I'm using the word to describe a group of individuals (contractors) who go down there, making the nation look bad, and basically doing what they want (shooting people for fun, messing up families and property...etc, etc.)

[Plekto]

Nah - mercenaries are just that. Scum who get paid to kill. Even the hardest ass guys in the military look at these guys with disdain. They do the most damage, have no rules or real oversight, and the soldiers take the blame instead.

I'm amazed our government uses them considering how much worse they actually make the situation.

[Arctic_Slicer]

Nah - mercenaries are just that. Scum who get paid to kill. Even the hardest ass guys in the military look at these guys with disdain. They do the most damage, have no rules or real oversight, and the soldiers take the blame instead.

I'm amazed our government uses them considering how much worse they actually make the situation.

It's because these companies have friends in high government positions. Vice President Dick Cheney used to be CEO of Haliburton and since we started using their services in Iraq and elsewhere Dick Cheney's shares in that company have increased about 3200%. So it really about the money.

There was a great documentary made about war profiteering a couple of years back called Iraq for Sale. It does a great job at showing how our billions of our tax dollars are being wasted on a daily basis. I highly recommend watching it.