Foreign Affairs

bemildred

(90,061 posts) Mon Mar 19, 2012, 10:51 AM Mar 2012

Flood gates of Afghan anger are opening

The Afghan investigation team of legislators investigating the Kandahar killings submitted a chilling report to the Afghan parliament in Kabul earlier today, which alleges that the killings were not the rampage of a rogue sergeant, as Pentagon claims, but a planned massacre involving many troops and even US army helicopters. The team also alleged that two Afghan women were sexually assaulted by the US troops before they were shot. The team claimed that 15 to 20 American troops were involved and it was a case of revenge killing following some insurgent activity in the area.

President Hamid Karzai probably knew that Washington was not telling the whole truth and feared that the cover-up won’t work beyond a point. So he decided to go public and distance himself from the American version. On Friday, Karzai said cryptically that the American version is “not convincing.” He added in good measure, “It is by all means the end of the rope here” — meaning that US-Afghan relations are at a breaking point.

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2012/03/17/flood-gates-of-afghan-anger-are-opening/

15 replies

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Flood gates of Afghan anger are opening (Original Post) bemildred Mar 2012 OP

du rec. nt xchrom Mar 2012 #1

At this point, it doesn't matter whether it was 1 or 150,000 US troops. Mission over. Mission fail leveymg Mar 2012 #2

IF their version is true, and the US is covering up a massacre of those proportions loudsue Mar 2012 #3

It hardly matters what's true now. bemildred Mar 2012 #4

Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing! longship Mar 2012 #6

Maybe Obama should belatedly declare that the mission was accomplished amandabeech Mar 2012 #8

You'd win that bet. bemildred Mar 2012 #9

I hope that you've met plenty of good folks as well. amandabeech Mar 2012 #10

It's the ambitious ones you have to watch out for. bemildred Mar 2012 #12

It is the ambitious ones who often end up in top jobs in our government as well. amandabeech Mar 2012 #14

Karzai is working both sides of the street. He always has in order to cover his ass when the demosincebirth Mar 2012 #5

Of course Karzai wants the US to stay. He was part of the SS Chevron Condileeza Rice coup crew. leveymg Mar 2012 #7

Bemildred, what would you advise the President to do now? amandabeech Mar 2012 #11

Crudely: bemildred Mar 2012 #13

Well, that sounds like a good plan. amandabeech Mar 2012 #15

xchrom

(108,903 posts)

1. du rec. nt

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 10:53 AM

Mar 2012

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

2. At this point, it doesn't matter whether it was 1 or 150,000 US troops. Mission over. Mission fail

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 11:20 AM

Mar 2012

Thank you, Gen. Petraeus for selling us yet another bogus basket of goods, just like he did about Iraqi WMD. See, , http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1780931

When is someone in the MSM or DC going to start questioning that icon's competence and credibility?

From the DU post linked above:

PETRAEUS' IRAQ WMD DECEPTION: How the General Earned His Stripes With Bush-Cheney

Edited on Tue Sep-11-07 08:12 AM by leveymg
In the last few days, it's come to light that Gen. Petraeus was the original source for incorrect information released to the U.S. media in May 2003 that mobile biological warfare trailers had been located in Iraq. False intelligence findings were indeed substituted for a 122-page DIA report suppressed by the Pentagon.

During the next year, the Bush-Cheney Administration continued to make false assertions that Saddam Hussein had a biotoxins program in place before the invasion, and that certain trailers found in Iraq proved that claim.

We now learn that a team of Defense Intelligence Agency investigators concluded on May 26 that the trailers found had no connection to a biowarfare program, but, nonetheless, Pentagon spokesmen and the Administration continued to make unfounded allegations that the mobile labs had been manufacturing anthrax, smallpox, and other deadly germs.

Gen. Petraeus appears to have taken no steps to correct the record after he falsely stated to reporters on May 13 that there is a "reasonable degree of certainty that this is in fact a mobile biological agent production trailer."

We should all ask why this part of Petraeus' history has been glossed over. Why has Congress and the media not pointed this out about the General before?

loudsue

(14,087 posts)

3. IF their version is true, and the US is covering up a massacre of those proportions

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 11:22 AM

Mar 2012

then we need to know about it. AND, if it is true, it's time for Obama to not only pull our troops OUT NOW, but he also needs to see about getting some things straightened out in the military ranks. The whole frikkin' military needs to get reprogrammed: they're not just raping our own female soldiers? The whole thing is starting to stink worse than a skunk in the middle of the road.

Originally we had heard that it was German soldiers that were the problem. Was that another lie? What the hell is going on?

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

4. It hardly matters what's true now.

Reply to loudsue (Reply #3)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 11:37 AM

Mar 2012

People are going to believe it, lots of people are going to believe it.

I haven't heard anything I find convincing as far as what happened and why so far, other than it's clear there are lot dead and injured people and Bates had something to do with it.

longship

(40,416 posts)

6. Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing, Bing!

Reply to bemildred (Reply #4)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 11:46 AM

Mar 2012

We have a winnah!

Good insight. We don't know the answers because we don't have all the facts and some of the putative facts are in question.

Nota bene, that doesn't mean that any arbitrary conspiracy theory is supported.

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)

8. Maybe Obama should belatedly declare that the mission was accomplished

Reply to bemildred (Reply #4)

Tue Mar 20, 2012, 08:04 PM

Mar 2012

when Bin Laden was assassinated, and proceed forthwith to return home.

There is no reason to stick around and prolong the agony for all concerned.

I bet that you were someone who saw the possibility for Vietnam in the Sand, and awful, awful mission creep under Petreus.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

9. You'd win that bet.

Reply to amandabeech (Reply #8)

Tue Mar 20, 2012, 08:34 PM

Mar 2012

And I've known lots of weasels like Petraeus, though not with his rank.

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)

10. I hope that you've met plenty of good folks as well.

Reply to bemildred (Reply #9)

Tue Mar 20, 2012, 08:52 PM

Mar 2012

The military people I've known were the vets among my family and their friends, so I can't say that I've known anyone like Petraeus.

On the other hand, I have known many, many weasley lawyers of all specialities and experience levels.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

12. It's the ambitious ones you have to watch out for.

Reply to amandabeech (Reply #10)

Wed Mar 21, 2012, 09:35 AM

Mar 2012

Most of the service-people I met were salt of the earth, good people, trying to make a living, raise a family, be good citizens, etc.

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)

14. It is the ambitious ones who often end up in top jobs in our government as well.

Reply to bemildred (Reply #12)

Wed Mar 21, 2012, 02:11 PM

Mar 2012

They are not always the best.

demosincebirth

(12,537 posts)

5. Karzai is working both sides of the street. He always has in order to cover his ass when the

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 11:45 AM

Mar 2012

U.S. packs up and leaves. He wants us in Afghanistan, but he can't publicly say it. He demonizes the U.S. in order to curry favor with the Taliban.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

7. Of course Karzai wants the US to stay. He was part of the SS Chevron Condileeza Rice coup crew.

Reply to demosincebirth (Reply #5)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 12:28 PM

Mar 2012

His ties to BushCo are the only reason he got were he is, after Ahmad Shah Massoud (the real leader of Afghanistan) was assassinated on September 9, 2001.

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)

11. Bemildred, what would you advise the President to do now?

Reply to bemildred (Original post)

Wed Mar 21, 2012, 12:40 AM

Mar 2012

I'm truly interested in your opinion.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)

13. Crudely:

Reply to amandabeech (Reply #11)

Wed Mar 21, 2012, 09:46 AM

Mar 2012

1.) Remove all occupying troops (really, stop meddling).
2.) End drug prohibition (the critical issue, funding, but not just in Afghanistan).
3.) Consult with China, Russia, and Iran to see if we can reach an agreement on supporting a stable, autonomous government.

The objective would be an independent Afghani government that is not a pawn of anybody else, i.e. able and willing to pursue it's own independent interests.

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)

15. Well, that sounds like a good plan.

Reply to bemildred (Reply #13)

Wed Mar 21, 2012, 02:16 PM

Mar 2012

I have a little problem with ending drug prohibition, but I certain understand the good points of it.

I like bringing in the other powers, including Iran. I think that all of them have an interest in a stable situation there. Russia and China, I think, also do not want another breeding ground for radical Islam, since both have difficult with that group in their border areas, and sometimes elsewhere.

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