Cable Contents Newly Revealed: " U.S. Troop Buildup in Afghanistan Will Hurt the War Effort"

from just before the invasion of Iraq. Only #10 seems to have changed.

www.counterpunch.org/vietnam203102003.html

CounterPunch
March 10, 2003
Cleared to Taxi
Vietnam 2 Pre-Flight Check

By CounterPunch Wire

1. Cabal of oldsters who won't listen to outside advice? Check.
2. No understanding of ethnicities of the many locals? Check.
3. Imposing country boundaries drawn in Europe, not by the locals? Check.
4. Unshakable faith in our superior technology? Check.
5. France secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
6. Russia secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
7. China secretly hoping we fall on our asses? Check.
8. SecDef pushing a conflict the JCS never wanted? Check.
9. Fear we'll look bad if we back down now? Check.
10. Corrupt Texan in the WH? Check.
11. Land war in Asia? Check.
12. Right unhappy with outcome of previous war? Check.
13. Enemy easily moves in/out of neighboring countries? Check.
14. Soldiers about to be dosed with our own chemicals? Check.
15. Friendly fire problem ignored instead of solved? Check.
16. Anti-Americanism up sharply in Europe? Check.
17. B-52 bombers? Check.
18. Helicopters that clog up on the local dust? Check.
19. Infighting among the branches of the military? Check.
20. Locals that cheer us by day, hate us by night? Check.
21. Local experts ignored? Check.
22. Local politicians ignored? Check.
23. Locals used to conflicts lasting longer than the USA has been a country? Check.
24. Against advice, Prez won't raise taxes to pay for war? Check.
25. Blue water navy ships operating in brown water? Check.
26. Use of nukes hinted at if things don't go our way? Check.
27. Unpopular war? Check.

Vietnam 2, you are cleared to taxi.


And then see post #73 at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x727714#728388

I wonder whatever happened to. . . .

:applause:

We are still stuck with "standing down" once the Afghans "can stand up".

If the Afghans could "stand up" in the first place, the taliban would never taken over.

So we will stand down when an unified, democratic, secular, pro-west Afghanistan stands up.

Or, to put it another way, we will quagmire until we admit defeat or change "victory".

Eikenberry's position, especially given the reality on the ground.

Obama should NEVER have tapped committed hawks to be in such powerful cabinet positions.

should Obama have tapped....

the DlC shills hard at work