Stock Quotes

By Mike Zaman

The Netherlands has become the first country to actually end hostilities in Afghanistan, but they are not alone.

Canada is withdrawing troops next year, the UK has downsized its forces but is considering downsizing additional involvement, and Poland is pulling out by 2012. Germany is also considering scaling back their forces.

The NATO countries with the exception of the US no longer see the wisdom of a struggle that appears to be unwinnable. We are not winning the hearts and minds of the people, by killing them!

Civilian causalities in July alone number 270 and more than 600 wounded. And we are loosing the prime of America, our service men and women who are struggling to understand why they are there. Those that survive will carry the scars of war.

Afghanistan is no stranger to war, having achieved independence in 1919, yet while so many countries having invaded it; no country has been able to defeat it. With over two decades of wars, Afghanistan is left with a legacy of landmines that kill and maim Afghanistan civilians every month.

Countries that have tried and failed; The Persians, Greeks, Arabs, British, Mongols, Russians and now Americans have all in their turn tried to defeat these people, each has failed. But America has made the greatest mistake in failing to understand the resolve of these people. America was an invader, but more than that America has killed more than 20,000 civilians which are considered “collateral damage” a house could be considered collateral damage, but certainly we care more about humans, or at least we should.

America has made the grandest of mistakes, forging a war based on a lie, the so called War on Terror was not about 9-11 so much as the oil pipeline across the country. Now after civilian deaths are mounting and resentment is building among the people, other countries want out, but America has invested billions of dollars in Afghanistan infrastructure, with the view to remaining in the country indefinitely.

As Davis Petraeus, recently said of the Afghanistan struggle, “If we kill civilians or damage their property in the course of our operations, we will create more enemies than our operations eliminate,”

This we have done, we have created more terrorists than we have eliminated, and have been the best recruitment vehicle for the Taliban. Families are carrying photos of children maimed by US led NATO forces, chanting “Death to America! Death to NATO” Yes General Petraeus you are so right!

What we have accomplished in the Mideast. We have made enemies that will last for two or more generations, and we have made the world less safe for Americans. What’s left to accomplish?

It’s now time to bring our troops home!

The Views and Opinions Expressed by the author are his or her opinions only and do not necessarily reflect those of this Web-Site or its agents, affiliates, officers, directors, staff, or contractors. The author at the time of this article did not own any shares or receive any consideration financial or otherwise from any company or person mentioned or referred to in the article.