US

AP Looks at the CIA and Special Ops Forces First In, Last Out of Afghanistan

AP CIA and Special Ops Forces First In, Last Out of Afghanistan

This file image from video released by the U.S. Defense Department and made available Oct. 20, 2001, shows U.S. special forces boarding an unidentified aircraft at an unknown location, the day Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Gen. Richard Myers, announced at the Pentagon that U.S. special forces "attacked and destroyed targets" in Afghanistan. The Central Intelligence Agency together with U.S. special operations were the first Americans into Afghanistan after the attacks of Sept. 11th, and will likely be the last U.S. forces to leave. (AP Photo/DOD Pool, File)

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — They were the first Americans into Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks and will probably be the last U.S. forces to leave.

As most American troops prepare to withdraw in 2014, the CIA and military special operations forces to be left behind are girding for the next great pivot of the campaign, one that could stretch their war up to another decade.

The war’s 10th anniversary Friday recalled the beginnings of a conflict that drove the Taliban from power and lasted far longer than was imagined.

“We put a CIA guy in first,” scant weeks after the towers in New York fell, said Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, then a colonel with U.S. special operations forces, in charge of the military side of the operation. U.S. Special Forces Green Berets, together with CIA officers, helped coordinate anti-Taliban forces on the ground with U.S. firepower from the air, to topple the Taliban and close in on al-Qaida.

Recent remarks from the White House suggest the CIA and special operations forces will be hunting al-Qaida and working with local forces long after most U.S. troops have left.

When Afghan troops take the lead in 2014, “the U.S. remaining force will be basically an enduring presence force focused on counterterrorism,” said National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, in remarks in Washington in mid-September. That will be augmented by teams that will continue to train Afghan forces, added White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.

The White House insists this does not mean abandoning the strategy of counterinsurgency, in which large numbers of troops are needed to keep the population safe. It simply means replacing the surge of 33,000 U.S. troops, as it withdraws over the next year, with newly trained Afghan ones, according to senior White House Afghan war adviser Doug Lute

It also means U.S. special operators and CIA officers will be there for the next turn in the campaign. That’s the moment when Afghans will either prove themselves able to withstand a promised Taliban resurgence, or find themselves overwhelmed by seasoned Taliban fighters.

“We’re moving toward an increased special operations role,” together with U.S. intelligence, Mulholland said, “whether it’s counterterrorism-centric, or counterterrorism blended with counterinsurgency.”

As out-going head of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Mulholland has been in charge of feeding a steady stream of troops to commanders in the field. He knows they need as many special operations troops as he can produce and send. Those special operations forces are made up of U.S. Army Rangers, known for their raiding operations against militant targets, and U.S. Special Forces Green Berets, whose stock in trade is teaching local forces to fight a common enemy so the U.S. doesn’t have to.

Senior U.S. officials have spoken of keeping a mix of 10,000 such forces in Afghanistan, and drawing down to between 20,000 and 30,000 conventional forces to provide logistics and support. But at this point, the figures are as fuzzy as the future strategy.

A foundation for special-operations-style counterinsurgency already under way, Mulholland explained, with the establishment of hundreds of sites in remote Afghan villages, where Green Berets are paired with Afghan local tribesmen trained by the Americans.

The program has been so successful, in the eyes of NATO commanders, that they’ve assigned other special operators like Navy SEALs to the mission, and even paired conventional forces to stretch the numbers and cover more territory.

Intelligence officers know they will be a key component, whatever happens with U.S. troops.

A senior U.S. official tasked with mapping out their role envisioned a possible future in which Afghan forces are able to hold Kabul and other urban areas, but the Taliban comes back in remote valleys or even whole provinces.

In that event, the official said, CIA and special operations forces would continue to hunt al-Qaida in Taliban areas the Afghan forces can’t secure. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning for sensitive operations.

“If the CIA built an intelligence network that could provide special operations forces with targets, we could do the job,” said Maj. Gen. Bennet S. Sacolick, who runs the U.S. Army’s Special Warfare Center and School.

The only question will be which organization is in charge, and that will depend on the Afghan government, the senior U.S. official said. If Afghan authorities are comfortable with U.S. raiders continuing to operate openly, the special operations forces can lead, the official said. If they want a more covert presence, the CIA would lead, with special operation raiders working through them.

Another branch of special operations would continue to support the Afghans in remote locations, trying to keep the Taliban from spreading. The bare bones of that force have been put in place over the past two years — a scattered framework of small teams of U.S. operators paired with Afghan local tribesmen trained by the Americans.

The notion of a pared down U.S. fighting force, consisting of a latticework of intelligence and special operators, plus the far-flung units in the field, has spurred some criticism on Capitol Hill.

“You cannot protect the United States’ safety with counterterrorism waged from afar,” said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s emerging threats panel. His concern is that the White House has paid too little attention to how special operations and intelligence will keep the Taliban from overwhelming Afghanistan’s remote terrain.

“I would like to know how many special operations forces they need, and how many conventional troops they propose to support them,” he said, “and a rough time line.”

The smaller special operations footprint could work, if it’s part of a larger tapestry of counterinsurgency efforts, said retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of the Afghan campaign.

“I believe direct action operations are only effective when part of a holistic strategy,” McChrystal said in an interview. “That does not necessarily imply large U.S. forces or responsibility, but it must include a spectrum of efforts that addresses root causes, partners with indigenous governments and efforts, and approaches the causes as well as the symptoms on extremism and-or terrorism.”

In other words, diplomats and aid groups would have to replace the current military efforts at building Afghan government and services — and do it without a large footprint of U.S. forces to provide them security.

The smaller numbers would also put the U.S. troops left behind at greater risk, officials concede, with fewer support troops to rush to the rescue.

That’s the mission a group of elite special operators was on in August, flying into a remote valley to aid another group of U.S. raiders on the ground, when the Taliban shot down their Chinook helicopter, killing 38 U.S. and Afghan forces on board.

Asked if it could happen again, Mulholland stopped and bowed his head, taking a long pause to think back to how it started.

“From the beginning, we accepted that risk,” Mulholland said, remembering the early days when he sent load after load of special operations forces into Afghanistan, with no sure way to get them out.

He paused again. “We still do.”

Comments (36)

  • MastrSSG
    Posted on October 12, 2011 at 5:24pm

    Just curious, do you know the number of uses for these poppies?
    Next time your on the battle field wounded and in shock, why don’t you tell me to go away rather than inject you with a derivative of these poppies preventing you from going further into shock and dieing.
    or maybe you can deny your dentist from doing work on you without pain relief. or your grandmother in chronic pain relying on codeine to help relieve it.

    The problem isn’t the 4000 yr history of Afghan poppy growers, It’s heroin junkies living off the ass of society making illegal drug transactions that make it possible for Taliban rebels to profit from it. The Taliban uses that profit to train and equip people to come here and fly planes into out buildings or to kill people on our soil or anywhere they find Americans by any means. We kill those people by the hundreds.
    What would you have us do before you stop calling us criminals. Kill every living thing in our path so we don’t have to deal with social issues of a backward nation?

    We provide humanitarian aid, education, and protection to those who want and need it badly. As well as defend our nation from those who want to destroy it.
    I set up a temporary medical facility in one place where the elders brought they’re animals in first to be treated because they were more valuable than the children. I had to treat the goats first before they would bring in the elderly, women and kids who were sick or hurt. So burning down they‘re crops aren’

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on October 12, 2011 at 4:50pm

    @ V man
    THE OTHER 1/2 OF MY POST THAT DIDNT GET POSTED.

    We give them seed for other crops and teach them how to grow more sustainable crops over the long run. What happens is the Taliban come back, kill innocent civilians and destroy generational farms. So in order to eliminate further violence with the help of our new friends, we kill those perpetuating these heinous crimes and eliminate another black market opium source.

    Some of these Farmers grow opium specifically for the Afghan government for sale to pharmaceutical companies. If the head of that government is corrupt and sell’s a portion of it to the illegal drug trade there isn’t anything we can do about it. Again a simple hand full of soldiers ordered to fight the enemy can’t take on all of what ails that government. We sure as h.e.l.l aren’t complicit in aiding heroin use in America. Again our job isn’t police its killing the enemy and gathering INTEL.

    If you want to eliminate Heroin use in America, I tell ya what, DON’T DO DOPE! And prosecute those who do. He.l.l why not execute those who stick that needle in they’re arm every day. Those people are much more complicit in the murder of innocent people than any of the people like me your blaming.
    By the way, saffron is worth more on the open market not the other way around. Over 1000 per lb vs 800 for a whole crop.

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 7:16pm

    Again @ V MAN

    For the record, I made no connection to my service and your freedom. I simply said after all the hell I went through to help save 1000’s of innocent civilians OVER THERE I get to come home and get nothing but s.h.it for my effort from jerks who don’t know what its like to actually be there and to have to face such an enemy. But because you brought it up I will say, if you think for a second we aren’t fighting over there for our own salvation over here, you are sadly mistaken! Part of me hopes we do pull our troops I would like to see them home and show guys like you how wrong you are. But I also know what will happen, so I just say thank you!

    Do you even realize how long we in America have been fighting Islamic fundamentalists?

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • MastrSSG
      Posted on October 11, 2011 at 7:20pm

      Long before Heroin in America and long before Oil. From our first moments as a country in the 1700’s. For no other reason than we aren’t an Islamic nation. So excuse me if I don’t buy the “we started it” line of bull!

      Report Post » MastrSSG  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on October 11, 2011 at 6:56pm

    @ V MAN

    Because I believe you honestly have strong opinions and I respect your passion, I’m going to try to get through to you one more time so maybe you can redirect your obvious anger to those really causing this problem.
    Growing Opium in Afghanistan has been happening for over 4000 yrs and for the most part isn’t a crime. In the United States major pharmaceutical companies purchase 80% of its produced Opium from India and Turkey and about 20% from Afghanistan. Most of the rest of the world buys the largest percent from Afghanistan.

    Where it becomes illegal, is when the Taliban bribes some farmers to produce it for black market trade. That puts a lot of these innocent farmers in bed with the Taliban. Some aren’t so innocent and do it out of loyalty to the Taliban. Its up to us to change their minds by trying to work with them hoping they realize we aren’t there to hurt them but make life better for them. Thus making it easier to fight the real enemy who at every turn want to kill us on any soil they find us including our own. At the same time we have to realize we are in a sovereign nation and have to work with the Afghan government to the extent we can only do so much. What we do is purchase these fields, destroy them, and offer alternative solutions. We give them seed for other crops and teach them how to grow more sustainable crops over the long run. What happens is the Taliban come back, kill innocent civilians and destroy generational farms.

    MastrSSG  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 10:22pm

    Don’t take it personally? Really? Your talking about me and people I know, served with, lived with, bled with, in some cases buried early. Your talking about men who had more honor in they’re little finger than most men will experience in 10 lifetimes! You come here and talk about s.h.i.t you know nothing about claiming those good men who “don’t shut down Opium growth and yes even pay for burnt crops” are doing something nefarious and need to be prosecuted for illegal activity and I’m calling bull S.H.I.T. I’m telling you what it’s really about and your calling me and people I know criminals. So yes I take it personally. And heck yes I’m going to defend those men I call my brothers. If I have any guilt at all, it sure as h.e.l.l. isn’t because we were duped into being shills for drug king pins. We’re much smarter than you give us credit for.

    I walked out of Africa with a shattered face, broken bones, a man on my back and a fist full of ribbons that meant I get to go home and listen to jerks like you who spew crap about people they couldn’t hold a candle to. It means I get to live in constant pain, with sleepless nights, horrific dreams, and a monthly check that doesn’t cover 1/2 my bills. Just so I can be a called criminal by a mutt like you who doesn’t know crap about what it takes to change the lives of millions of people who have spent 1000′s of years living the same way in a culture that celebrates this kind of trade over generations. Entire

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
  • Sick_Boy
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 12:16pm

    As a retired 18-D (Last Class 1-96, Ft. Sam) and having Capt (USMC) M. Johnny” Span as a former DETOPS Commander in 1997, and having performed numerous training/operations abroad during my career-with a handful of fallen brothers- I feel some of the more ignorant commentators here should just say, Thank you,” to all of the men with green faces standing-by, or on station, ready to do bad things to bad guys. “For those who defend it, freedom has a special flavor the protected will never know.” Anon. Khe Sahn

    Report Post »  
  • Oldwarrior
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 6:53am

    V, you have your right to say and write as you please. Those in afghainstan, now as been given a taste of freedom. Given a spark of freedom…just think if just a few of them a handful..feed the flame of freedom … That country will never be the same..thanks to our men and women in the military and to those that give there all. May be not this year not in ten years but it will happen ..

    Live free or die…

    Report Post »  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 9:43am

      Yea, freedom. roflmfao

      They’re producing over 80% of the entire EARTH’S opium.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • MastrSSG
    Posted on October 10, 2011 at 1:15am

    @ V-MAN MACE & Okie from Muskogee

    Well let me try to put this into perspective for you. Normally I wouldn’t comment on such nonsense but having been in combat in Afghanistan, Chad, and Libya as an 18-D (Medical Sergeant) with 2 different Special Forces units over 6 yrs I take particular offence to your ignorance. This isn’t a movie!

    The work we do there SAVES LIVES! I personally treated 10‘s of1000’s of innocent civilians, including children, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers and even sick or wounded animals who have been caught in the middle of some tribal feud lasting hundreds of years. Not only did we treat the sick and help them develop medical facilities and train people how to administer medicine and save they’re own lives we taught veterinary medicine to save the only things keeping some of them alive, we taught farming techniques, irrigation, helped build housing. We worked tirelessly and at great risk to help broker peace between many tribal leaders not only establishing peace in places that hadn’t seen it for decades we also made sure aid shipments got to those who needed it desperately. We broke up black market trade we didn’t participate in them.

    In Afghanistan when I was there, we worked hard with the Mujahideen to push back the soviets and stop communist control over the area. We were successful. Again we saved millions! I personally lost 9 of the most honorable trustworthy friends I’ve ever known.

    Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 9:42am

      Helping the Taliban grow opium and protect its transport and manufacture “saves lives”?

      Well, I’m sorry bought all the falsified Drug War propaganda and I thought Opium kills and debilitates communities, I thought we don’t negotiate or help terrorists, I thought we were at war with the Taliban in Afghanistan, at war with the Mexican Drug Cartels, etc.

      My bad. I didn’t mean any offense to you. This isn’t about you personally, you decided to take it personally because you have some sense of guilt. If it doesn’t apply, then let it fly.

      Perhaps you broke up SOME black market trades, but you were more than likely breaking up the competition of the some other local opium farmer, BECAUSE THEY’RE STILL PRODUCING OVER 80% OF THE ENTIRE WORLD’S OPIUM!!!! RIGHT OUT OF AFGHANISTAN!!!

      Hamid Karzai’s freakin BROTHER was the TOP KINGPIN!!!!!! COME ON MAN KEEP IT REAL!!!

      KEEP IT REAL WITH YOURSELF!! You can try to pass off some half truth as full fact to me, (even though I’m much more saavy than that) but you folks start sounding like you actually believe your OWN lies more than the person you are trying to convince! Stop trying to justify the fact that you’ve been used like a pawn in a corrupt operation by dredging up memories of the op, pleasant or otherwise. You’re opening old wounds for nothing and playing in the open, oozing sore.

      That entire operation is CORRUPT!!!

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • MastrSSG
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 6:25pm

      Don’t take it personally? Really? Your talking about me and people I know, served with, lived with, bled with, in some cases buried early. Your talking about men who had more honor in they’re little finger than most men will experience in 10 lifetimes! You come here and talk about s.h.i.t you know nothing about claiming those good men who “don’t shut down Opium growth and yes even pay for burnt crops” are doing something nefarious and need to be prosecuted for illegal activity and I’m calling bull S.H.I.T. I’m telling you what it’s really about and your calling me and people I know criminals. So yes I take it personally. And heck yes I’m going to defend those men I call my brothers. If I have any guilt at all, it sure as h.e.l.l. isn’t because we were duped into being shills for drug king pins. We’re much smarter than you give us credit for.

      Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • MastrSSG
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 6:27pm

      Continued @ v man …I have a lot to say sorry.

      I walked out of Africa with a shattered face, broken bones, a man on my back and a fist full of ribbons that meant I get to go home and listen to jerks like you who spew crap about people they couldn’t hold a candle to. It means I get to live in constant pain, with sleepless nights, horrific dreams, and a monthly check that doesn’t cover 1/2 my bills. Just so I can be a called criminal by a mutt like you who doesn’t know crap about what it takes to change the lives of millions of people who have spent 1000′s of years living the same way in a culture that celebrates this kind of trade over generations. Entire populations of people who would die without it. Some tribes in Afghanistan have been producing Opium since 4200 BC it doesn’t stop over night or by a handful of soldiers trying to kill our enemy and protect innocent lives.

      Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • MastrSSG
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 6:28pm

      I walked out of Africa with a shattered face, broken bones, a man on my back and a fist full of ribbons that meant I get to go home and listen to jerks like you who spew crap about people they couldn’t hold a candle to. It means I get to live in constant pain, with sleepless nights, horrific dreams, and a monthly check that doesn’t cover 1/2 my bills. Just so I can be a called criminal by a mutt like you who doesn’t know crap about what it takes to change the lives of millions of people who have spent 1000′s of years living the same way in a culture that celebrates this kind of trade over generations. Entire populations of people who would die without it. Some tribes in Afghanistan have been producing Opium since 4200 BC it doesn’t stop over night or by a handful of soldiers trying to kill our enemy and protect innocent lives.

      Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • MastrSSG
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 6:29pm

      When I said we were teachers trying to save lives by giving alternatives in irrigation and farming that’s exactly what I meant. Before you try to control illegal drug trade in a system that lives on it you better have a plan for them to live by before you destroy they’re entire livelihood. Not to mention it isn’t our job to even consider playing police. Especially in a place where your trying to establish relationships with old men who could swing either way with support. If they don’t support you they die. If they do support you they die. So you better find a way to protect them and they’re tribe at the same time make damn sure you aren’t falling into a trap. Burning down or trying to stop opium trade kills more people and puts our soldiers in un-necessary extreme danger. It also means the loss of valuable Intel that without it, we loose even more lives including many innocent civilians.

      You asked me if “Helping the Taliban grow opium and protect its transport and manufacture “saves lives”? The simple answer is Yes it does! You want the whole truth but you aren’t willing to see it when it slaps you in the face. Were talking about a product that I guarantee you has by far saved more lives than its taken.

      Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 11, 2011 at 10:32am

      The truth hurts, doesn’t it? Your boys are over there HELPING the Taliban grow and protect opium.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVp4883pmB4

      Another thing is, your high-and-mighty stance about being a soldier so that “jerks” like me can talk…mhmm.

      Let me tell you something, sir. I didn’t delegate the defense of my freedom to you. I delegate that to myself and my firearms. I didn’t authorize you to go over there and fight wars based on lies. You work for me. My tax dollars support this farce of nation building, and I’m sick of it. It isn’t making me any safer at home, you cannot police the world, WE’RE BROKE AS A NATION, and I want my troops home yesterday.

      You don’t get any sympathy from me for your sore body and mind, I didn’t send you into that hellhole to play Call of Duty 4.

      “You asked me if “Helping the Taliban grow opium and protect its transport and manufacture “saves lives”? The simple answer is Yes it does! ”

      The simple answer is you’re SMOKING, EATING, AND INJECTING HEROIN INTO YOUR EYEBALLS.

      You’re a hypocrit, and trying to engendar sympathy from a person who watches people go to jail in banker-owned slave labor complexes for simple possession, trafficking, and use of the same drugs that you and your soldiers are HELPINGGGGGG the Taliban manufacture and distribute, for the same drugs, guns, and cash that the FBI,CIA,DEA,ATF, etc., are HELPINGGGG the Mexican Drug Cartels move across my southern border.

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • MastrSSG
      Posted on October 11, 2011 at 6:05pm

      Because I believe you honestly have strong opinions and I respect your passion, I’m going to try to get through to you one more time so maybe you can redirect your obvious anger to those really causing this problem.
      Growing Opium in Afghanistan has been happening for over 4000 yrs and for the most part isn’t a crime. In the United States major pharmaceutical companies purchase 80% of its produced Opium from India and Turkey and about 20% from Afghanistan. Most of the rest of the world buys the largest percent from Afghanistan.

      Where it becomes illegal, is when the Taliban bribes some farmers to produce it for black market trade. That puts a lot of these innocent farmers in bed with the Taliban. Some aren’t so innocent and do it out of loyalty to the Taliban. Its up to us to change their minds by trying to work with them hoping they realize we aren’t there to hurt them but make life better for them. Thus making it easier to fight the real enemy who at every turn want to kill us on any soil they find us including our own. At the same time we have to realize we are in a sovereign nation and have to work with the Afghan government to the extent we can only do so much. What we do is purchase these fields, destroy them, and offer alternative solutions. We give them seed for other crops and teach them how to grow more sustainable crops over the long run. What happens is the Taliban come back, kill innocent civilians and destroy generational farms.

      Report Post » MastrSSG  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 12, 2011 at 1:37pm

      You’re a hypocrit, sir.

      How do you justify growing opium for the Taliban while Americans, those who are your fellow countrymen, who you swore a duty to serve and protect, are arrested for and killed by the same drugs?

      By admitting that Big Pharma buys opium to make…pharmaceutical heroin? By admitting the fact that Afghanistan produces over 80% of the WORLD’S opium?

      So it becomes “illegal” in your opinion when the Taliban gets local farmers to produce opium for their own nefarious purposes instead of allowing it to be produced for…pharmaceutical companies? Because they’re “sovereign”? Are you mad?

      Am I sovereign as a US citizen? Isn’t it your duty to protect my sovereignty? Why aren’t you protecting MY sovereignty to grow marijuana, coca, poppy, peyote, etc., and export it around the world? What compels you to give THE TALIBAN more deference than ME, AN AMERICAN CITIZEN?

      Those folks don’t want to grow saffron. They get exponentially more growing poppy. I’m not stupid. They want to use their land to produce what THEY want to produce for what’s in THEIR monetary interest. Not what YOU want them to grow for YOUR interest. THAT’S why that drug war WILL NOT WORK, just like the Mexican Drug War IS NOT working AND WILL NOT WORK.

      Stop wasting my dollars and soldiers trying to police the world. You can’t even stop Americans from getting high. How can you remove the mote from their eye when we have a TREE in ours?

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
  • PuzzelWitt
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 10:25pm

    Really Okie from rainbow city… ask yourself this… “T R I B A L” what does that mean?
    you will never get the meaning… as they live life today it’s not much from there begining… “Poppy” is like a corn field to them… while you turn on a light switch, they rub two sticks together! Now how ridiculous do I sound? you see you are talking about .001 percent of our guy’s and yes there is always a few, a very few bad apples… and I STAND WITH & IN FRONT OF THE LINE WITH 82DAIRBORNE… “LOOK ONE OF US IN THE EYES AND SAY THAT”…

    Report Post »  
  • tweigel
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 7:27pm

    @OKIE FROM MUSKOGEE, We cannot even control our own border in this country with Millions scurrying across the border trafficking narcotics. We have the Obama government selling guns to every drug cartel known to man. We have fields of drugs growing in the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee, but you think our troops in Afghanistan are corrupt? Our troops are there to kill Al-Qaeda and Taliban undermining and killing the citizens and government of Afghanistan. How in the world you can call these guys corrupt, seeing how vast and mountainous a country like Afghanistan is, is beyond me?

    Report Post » tweigel  
  • politicaljules
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 5:45pm

    Nothing like a media that will publicly publish your plans so the enemy gets all the information they need. Thanks Madeleine Morgenstern for helping the enemy.

    Report Post »  
  • Sirfoldallot
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 1:40pm

    PS, Thank you every 1 of you ! God Bless America

    Report Post » Sirfoldallot  
  • Sirfoldallot
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 1:37pm

    Freedom, speak you’re mind , but you could get fired. Barry want us to tear each other apart.

    Report Post » Sirfoldallot  
  • lukerw
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 12:42pm

    The Afgans are the Last real Warriors of World… eat, sleep, barter, and go out and Ambush someone. Their tactics over came the British, then the Russians, and now the US. I say leave these Losers to their Rock Piles, and come home!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • peapaw
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 12:07pm

    V-MAN MACE you have no idea of what you are talking about, quit wasting electrons.

    Report Post » peapaw  
    • lukerw
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 12:36pm

      Right on… the main product of the Afgans was Opium… and the main reason we are there is to disrupt the Drug Traffic. Unfortunately, if you know the area, nothing else will give them a reasonable replacement Economy! So, this is not going to work!!

      Report Post » lukerw  
  • jeffyfreezone
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 10:59am

    I am so in awe of these men. I believe there is nothing they can’t do. Please read Horse Soldiers and you will agree with me.

    Report Post »  
  • V-MAN MACE
    Posted on October 9, 2011 at 10:55am

    How much Opium have those soldiers helped the Taliban manufacture and transport abroad?

    How many billions of that drug money are they bringing home?

    How many packages of heroin will flood the streets of America thanks to them?

    Corrupt, I tell you.

    Completely, utterly corrupt.

    Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • 82dAirborne
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 11:09am

      Look one of us in the eyes and say that.

      Report Post » 82dAirborne  
    • travlman77
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 11:12am

      Anyone that makes such accusations without any facts whatsoever is an Idiot.

      Report Post » travlman77  
    • Look4DBigPicture
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 11:25am

      V-Man Mace — I will defend your right to say what you think, but personally, I find you disgusting and ignorant.

      Report Post »  
    • V-MAN MACE
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 1:40pm

      82dAirborne

      Your internet toughguy act has compelled me to curl up in a fetal position and whimper in the corner. ***Please don’t waterboard me.***

      travlman77

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElEciFI0Pew

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVp4883pmB4

      Those pesky, pesky FACTS. They always come back to bite your body in half, chew you up, and spit you out.

      Look4DBigPicture

      You can’t handle the truth. Are you still loking for the big picture?

      Report Post » V-MAN MACE  
    • Shasta
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 1:42pm

      V-Baby, I would call you evil and vile, but you would just take it as a compliment.

      Report Post » Shasta  
    • Okie from Muskogee
      Posted on October 9, 2011 at 6:39pm

      @V Man

      More likely to Europe streets and mid Asia streets then American streets. Not all special forces and/or CIA handle but much of the over all plans are for these developments. 

      @82nd

      I have and gladly will again anytime. You may not have personally been exposed to such corruption but to deny it exists is a strait bold lie. If America is waging a war on drugs why do we allow Poppy to grow in our controlled Afghanistan? Again, not all are involved but the overall scheme is bigger then what is told. 

      Report Post » Okie from Muskogee  
    • Pigpen
      Posted on October 10, 2011 at 12:21am

      Why else are we in Afghanistan? I mean, WHY are we still in-country? Osama bin Laden is dead. So why are we allowing the US gov’t to continue dragging out this absurd police action? And don’t talk to me about terrorist training. Terrorists can train in MANY different places, I for one am not up for occupying them all! So if we are not in Afghanistan to preserve the opium, then for what? There is a frighteningly prophetic book called “The Grand Chessboard” which offers an explanation to that question. I suggest you google it. And 82DAIRBORNE, I appreciate your bravado, but it was actually the operators themselves and the stories they have told while “looking me in the eye” as you put it that has convinced me that sadly, the rumors you hear about the political class doing heinous things via the intelligence and direct action communities is, yes, true.

      Report Post » Pigpen  

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