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Here is the latest info on what is happening in Afghanistan-from independent investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill:

Excerpts:

After US Strikes, Afghans Describe “Tractor Trailers Full of Pieces of Human Bodies;” Meanwhile, Obama Readies 21,000 More Troops:

As rage spreads in Afghanistan after US bombing that killed up to 130 people, unnamed Pentagon officials are spinning another cover-up. Defiant Obama moves ahead with troop increase.

According to Scahill’s sources, the Pentagon was seeking to blame the Taliban for “staging” the massacre to blame it on the US.”

A couple of days after this massacre,the House Appropriations Committee approved-by voice vote- the 2009 Supplemental Bill funding ($94 billion) ongoing U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and supporting economic and other needs in Pakistan- without seeking a plan from the president for an exit strategy for the troops (including the 21,000 US force escalation) that will be stationed there.

What exactly is the ‘goal’ to be achieved through the ‘war’ in Afghanistan?

Is the ‘war’ meant to be won or is it meant to be continuous – a ‘perpetual war’ if you will .

If the ‘war’ is meant to be ‘won’ how will the US know if this ‘goal’ has been accomplished?

What is the exit strategy once the ‘goal’ is achieved?

Why the urgency to approve this funding through the use of a ‘vote now, ask questions later’ approach?

It is interesting to note that since a ‘voice vote’ was taken regarding the support for this bill, there is no written record of how individual members of the House Appropriations Committee voted on this issue. So much for government accountability…

While conducting research into the increased US troop surge in Afghanistan, I was surprised to learn the extent of Chinese investment in Afghanistan. I discovered this information in the international media. Our US mainstream media has provided very little, if any, coverage on this important development that had taken place over 18 months ago .

Excerpt:
Beijing has an interest in a stable and secure Afghanistan as it provides a safe environment in which to exploit resources. In the short term, it seems China will free ride on the provision of security by NATO and Kabul. For instance, security for the Aynak mine is provided by the American and Afghan militaries.
End of excerpt.

Let me get this straight now… U.S. troops are guarding a CHINESE enterprise that the CHINESE will benefit from in the future???

And now we find out how rich in natural resources Afghanistan REALLY is (including oil, copper, gemstones etc…). It appears that the world has known this fact since 1974 when Russia supposidly made this geological discovery during the time it was fighting in Afghanistan.

After Sept. 11 we were informed repeatedly that Afghanistan was dirt poor and had no natural resources, the implication being that going to war in Afghanistan was about freedom and democracy, not about stealing resources.

This You Tube video (4:43) discusses the following:

A bi-partisan group of 14 congressmen lead by Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich have written to President Obama asking him to reconsider sending extra troops to Afghanistan.

However, before I get back to the main topic (China’s role in Afghanistan) in this article, please watch the following three videos posted on You Tube.

Part 1Afghanistan + More Troops = Catastrophe (11:46)

Part 2 Pakistan: “The Most Dangerous Country” (10:41)

Rethink Afghanistan (Part 3): Cost of War (13:59)

Here are some of the latest euphemisms, metaphors and allegories being used by the Obama Administration in an effort to ‘sell’ a more positive ‘perception’ of war efforts to the public.

Although these terms fail the ‘Duck Test’ miserably when it comes to representing war in its true light, the Mainstream media have obediently accepted the new buzzwords into their Af-Pak vernacular.

The following satire posted in the Wall Street Journal explores how Obama’s use of new terminology has started a trend where this action has plunged us “into an Orwellian world where words have no emotional connection with the horrors they purport to describe”.

Now…back to China’s role.

THE EMERGING CHINA-AFGHANISTAN RELATIONSHIP
Excerpt:
“Some eyebrows were therefore raised when in 2007, China’s Metallurgical group launched a $3.5 billion bid and won the tender to develop Afghanistan’s Aynak copper field in Logar province. The copper field is estimated to be the largest undeveloped field in the world and has been virtually untouched since the Soviet invasion in 1979. The investment is the far largest in Afghanistan’s history and involves not only mining but also the construction of a $500 million electrical plant and a railway from Tajikistan to Pakistan to support exploration. The mine will be in full operation in around six years, lead to the employment of 10,000 Afghans, while $400 million of royalties will accrue the Afghan government yearly – more than half of the present yearly state budget.

Let us see howNewsweek is covering the China angle:

Excerpt:
“Strategically, there are good reasons why China might want to play a role in Afghanistan, with which it shares a small, mountainous frontier. Beijing is battling its own Islamic extremists in the area, and it’s extremely concerned about escalating violence in Pakistan, a close ally. Back in the 1980s, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan prodded nervous Chinese authorities to join up with American, Pakistani and Saudi intelligence agencies to launch an ambitious covert operation to train, fund and arm anti-Soviet Afghan freedom fighters, or mujahedin. In a classic strange-bedfellows arrangement, Chinese authorities provided light weapons and other assistance to joint anti-Russian efforts based in the Afghan-Pakistani border area.”

End of excerpt.

Interesting… not one word mentioned about the Aynak copper field deal.

Recap of Afghan History

Source:wikipedia.org

Excerpts:

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which connects South and Central Asia, and the Middle east- is a crossroads between the East and the West. During its long history, the land has seen various invaders and conquerors.

In the late 19th century, Afghanistan became a buffer state in “The Great Game” played between the British Indian Empire and the Russian Empire.

On August 19, 1919, following the third Anglo-Afghan war, the country regained full independence from the United Kingdom over its foreign affairs.

Since the late 1970s Afghanistan has suffered continuous and brutal civil war in addition to foreign interventions in the form of the 1979 Soviet invasion and the recent 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban government.

In late 2001 the United Nations Security Council authorized the creation of an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). This force is composed of NATO troops that are involved in assisting the government of President Hamid Karzai in establishing the writ of law as well as rebuilding key infrastructures in the nation. In 2005, the United States and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement committing both nations to a long-term relationship. In the meantime, multi-billion US dollars have also been provided by the international community for the reconstruction of the country.”

End of excerpts.

Noam Chomsky recently sat down with Amy Goodman for a Democracy Now! interview in which he discussed, among other things, the US Expansion of Afghan Occupation, and the Uses of NATO (5:56).

Chomsky explains how the original purpose of NATO was to protect the west against a Russian assault. In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and Germany became unified.The Soviet Union began its collapse.

Chomsky questions what is the NEW purpose of NATO?

He explains how NATO is essentially run by the United States and what happens in Afghanistan is heavily influenced by NATO actions.

Most of the 70,000 troops in Afghanistan are under NATO command. President Obama wants to escalate the war. He has sent 21,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan and is considering deploying 10,000 more.

Chomsky also discusses the growing peace movement by Afghan citizens and Afghan President Karzai’s early attempts to convince President Obama to stop killing Afghans.
In his efforts to promote stability in Afghanistan, Karzai approached a UN delegation in an attempt to obtain a timetable for the removal of foreign forces. Karzai even had the nerve to entertain the thought of inviting the head of the Taliban to engage in discussions to work out a solution to what is going on in Afghanistan.

Since these ‘escapades’, according to Chomsky, Karzai’s popularity in the eyes of the Western press has plummeted. Now he is being labeled as being weak and corrupt by the Western press.
Learn why this is so.

Is Karzai being led ‘up and out’ because the US will seek a more loyal surrogate to run Afghanistan?

Chomsky seems to think that Karzai-who will most likely win the next election (scheduled to take place in August 2009)- will be placed in a ‘symbolic position’ with no real power to implement any changes in his country .

There are some US groups who support the surge in Afghanistan.

Jon Soltz is co-founder of VoteVets.org, and served as a Captain in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stoltz supports Obama’s AFPAK policy. He has written an editorial titled “Obama Got It Right in Afghanistan/Pakistan”..

Excerpt:

“For those of us who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, it was extremely important that the new president get the situation in Afghanistan right. Not just for America’s security, but for those troops still in Afghanistan, and those heading to Afghanistan to put their lives on the line in the war. With today’s announcement, President Obama has shown that he “gets it.” That’s why we at VoteVets.org are supporting the plan with a petition, which you can sign on to, right here.

************************ Take Action *************************

If you are AGAINST the troop surge in Afghanistan:

1- Read ”Ten Things You Can Do to Oppose the War in Afghanistan”written by Z.P Heller for the April 8 edition of The Nation magazine and Tom Hayden’s follow-up article “Ten More Things You Can Do to Oppose War in Afghanistan” -also posted in The Nation magazine

2- Follow the actions of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and help in their efforts.
The CPC has more than 75 members and, is considered by many to be the the single largest caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives and by far the most loyal to core Democratic values.

3- Contact moveon.org and ask them why ‘Stopping Afghanistan War Escalation’ is not on its Top Priorities List for 2009.

4- Sign the Peace-Action.org petition to indicate your opposition to sending additional troops to Afghanistan.

According to its website, Peace Action is the nation’s largest grassroots peace network, with chapters and affiliates in 30 states. They organize their grassroots network to place pressure on Congress and the Administration through write-in campaigns, internet actions, citizen lobbying and direct action.

Through a close relationship with progressive members of Congress, They play a key role in devising strategies to move forward peace legislation, and, as a leading member of United for Peace and Justice and the Win Without War coalition, they share their expertise and large network to achieving common goals.

5- Make sure to check out the United for Peace and Justice and the Win Without War coalition, websites for more ideas on how you can get involved in helping to influence the troop buildup decision.

6- Sign the following petition in support of legislation that will require exit strategy for Afghanistan. Representative Jim McGovern believes Congress should require Secretary Gates to provide an exit strategy in Afghanistan. He needs your Congress Member to co-sponsor his bill. Sign this petition so a message can be sent to your Representative:

and

Sign the following Lou Dobb’s petition to show that you are opposed to the deployment of US troops stationed throughout the world.

If you support the troop surge in Afghanistan

1- Sign the petition
that is being supported by Vote Vets

No matter what your position on this issue, please pass on a link to this SCVJournal.com article so that citizens can become better informed on the situation in Afghanistan.

************************ Updates Below *************************

UPDATE X X V
December 2, 2009

President Obama, following his agonizing decision as to how to handle the Afghanistan situation, announced in his much anticipated speech Tuesday evening that he was sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan with plans to start withdrawing them in July 2011.

Text: President Obama’s Afghanistan Speech

Excerpts:

End of excerpts.

Note: Emphasis mine.

Oh…so that’s why we are fighting in Afghanistan…

UPDATE X X l V
December 1, 2009

Here is An Open Letter To President Obama On Afghanistan written by Michael Moore and posted in The Huffington Post-

I suspect that the letter captures the sentiments of millions of voters in this country.

Excerpt:

You will teach them what they’ve always heard is true — that all politicians are alike.

I simply can’t believe you’re about to do what they say you are going to do.

Please say it isn’t so.”

End of excerpt.

Read the rest of Michael’s letter here.

UPDATE X X l l l
November 8, 2009

The Army is facing a challenge with regards to finding ‘deployable troops’ to send to Afghanistan.

As a result, many soldiers who have already been ‘shattered’ by their experiences in our war zones are being sent to Afghanistan to serve our country…again.

Read “Where Will They Get the Troops? Preparing Undeployables for the Afghan Front” written by Dahr Jamail and Susan Lazare – in the latest edition of TomDispatch.com..

Here are some excerpts from the article’s introduction written by Tom Engelhardt, creator and manager of the Tomdispatch.com website:

Don’t forget to check out the fact-filled Wall Street Journal article referenced above in Engelhardt’s introduction.

For an interesting perspective on the recent Fort Hood Texas tragedy, read the following “After Fort Hood: Count All the Dead” .
by Aaron Glantz, posted November 6, 2009.

Excerpts:

“Contractor deaths and injuries (around 30,000 so far) are rarely reported but they highlight the United States’ steadily growing dependence on private enterprise.”

UPDATE X V l
October 19, 2009

Will Noam Chomsky’s earlier forecast (during a Democracy Now! interview-see above) be proven correct? Will Karzai be ‘led up and out’ because the US will seek a more loyal surrogate to run Afghanistan?”

Read this Guardian article and you decide.
“Fraud inquiry slashes Karzai vote to 48%, setting stage for runoff”
Excerpts:
“Recount by UN-backed watchdog ends with Afghan president’s tally falling below the 50% required for outright victory”.
“A UN-backed election watchdog has declared invalid hundreds of thousands of votes for Afghanistan’s president in the disputed August election, apparently stripping Hamid Karzai of outright victory and setting the stage for a second round.”
“After nearly two months of investigations, the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) – controlled by a majority of non-Afghans – found Karzai’s total had fallen to 48.3%, according to an independent analysis. He needed 50% to clinch another term in office.”

UPDATE X V
October 13, 2009

Read this short, detail-filled, well-sourced article for a non-US main-stream media- based update as to what is happening in Afghanistan as we speak.

Escalation of US NATO War in Afghanistan: The Risks of Regional Conflagration
Excerpts:
“On October 7 the United States’ and NATO’s war in Afghanistan entered its ninth year. The escalating conflict has over the past year become indistinguishable from military operations in neighboring Pakistan where the U.S. and NATO have tripled deadly drone missile attacks and the Pakistani army has launched large-scale offensives that have displaced over 3 million civilians in the Northwest Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with the province of Baluchistan the next battle zone.”

Note: Global Research is the publisher for the Montreal- based, non-profit independent research organization- Centre for Research on Globalisation (CRG).

UPDATE X I V
October 8, 2009

If you are opposed to the deployment of US troops stationed throughout the world,
here is a petition sponsored by Lou Dobbs that you can sign.
to show your opposition.

UPDATE X I I I
June 25, 2009

President Barack H. Obama signs $106 billion bill for Iraq, Afghan wars on Wednesday, June 24, 2009.
< style=”text-align: left;”>

UPDATE X I I
June 20, 2009

Can someone please remind me as to why our US Congress and our President want to escalate the war in AFGHANISTAN in 2009?

Warning: Use discretion when viewing this documentary. It contains graphic details of some of the realities of this war. (12:09)

If you have trouble viewing this embedded video, click here
Rethink Afghanistan is a 2009 documentary about the ongoing war in Afghanistan. This full-length documentary campaign is being released in real time allowing the producers to keep up with the fast-moving news cycle.
The project’s creator is Robert Greenwald, an American film director, film producer, and political activist.

Check out this link if you are interested in becoming a “Peacemaker”. You will have access to up to the minute information which will allow you to communicate more effectively with our government in an effort to deal with the situation in Afghanistan in a more humanitarian way

UPDATE X I
June 19, 2009

Congress sends $106 billion war funds bill to Obama

Here is short history of the legislation-as per govtrack.us

Excerpt:
Jun 16, 2009: After passing both the Senate and House, a conference committee is created to work out differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill. A conference report resolving those differences passed in the House of Representatives, paving the way for enactment of the bill, by roll call vote. The totals were 226 Ayes, 202 Nays, 6 Present/Not Voting.
End of excerpt.

On Thursday, June 19 the SENATE passed the “CONFERENCE REPORT” too – which irons out differences between House & Senate versions of H.R. 2346.

What now remains is for President Obama to sign the bill into law.

(The following website linkcontains details on how the individual members of the US SENATE voted on this bill.)
Here are excerpts from Jeromy Pelofsky’s Reuters article posted on 6/19.
Excerpts:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) –“ The U.S. Congress on Thursday sent President Barack Obama a $106 billion bill to pay for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars after political sparring that could foreshadow tougher fights over Obama’s agenda.

The bill, delayed by disputes over quickly closing the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay and expanding support for the IMF, highlighted the difficulties Obama may face in Congress even though his fellow Democrats control both the Senate and House of Representatives.
The bill contains $79.9 billion to continue fighting the two wars, $7.7 billion to address the H1N1 flu pandemic, and $1.4 billion in foreign aid for Pakistan, which is fighting Taliban militants spilling over the border from Afghanistan.”
”The Senate voted 91-5, with most Republicans joining Democrats to support it. Obama is expected to sign it into law. The House approval on Tuesday garnered only five Republican votes and 32 Democrats voted against it.Democrats have a commanding majority in the House, but still need to keep centrist Democrats aboard and win a few Republican votes in the Senate to forestall any procedural roadblocks mounted by the opposition party.”

End of excerpts.

This informative Reuters’ article provides more details on what the legislation calls for

UPDATE X
June 17, 2009

Tuesday June 16 2009- U.S. House Approves $106 billion war funding, Senate next.
Thirty two (32) Democrats opposed the bill and five (5) Republicans supported it.
(This website link contains details on how the individual members of the House of Representatives voted on this bill.)
Full story here
Excerpts from Yahoo News:
”WASHINGTON – War-funding legislation survived a fierce partisan battle in the House on Tuesday, a major step in providing commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan the money they would need for military operations in the coming months.

The $106 billion measure, in addition to about $80 billion for military operations, provides for an array of other spending priorities, including $7.7 billion to respond to the flu pandemic and more than $10 billion in development and security aid for Pakistan and Iraq as well as countries such as Mexico and the nation of Georgia.

Democratic leaders pushing the bill on behalf of the Obama administration had to overcome an unusual alliance. Anti-war Democrats opposed continued war spending and Republicans condemned $5 billion in the measure to secure a $108 billion U.S. line of credit to the International Monetary Fund for loans to poor countries.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., unsuccessfully appealed to Republicans for support, saying 80 percent of the package still went to the troops. “Stand up for them,” he said.

President Obama and the Democrats (who control both chambers) had to fight hard for the bill.
Ultimately, the bill was approved by a 226-202 vote , with five Republicans voting for the bill and 32 Democrats opposing it..

UPDATE I X
June 8, 2009
Bill Moyers And Jeremy Scahill Discuss Obama Foreign Policy (including Afghanistan, Iraq, Private Contractors and more). This segment of “The Bill Moyers Journal”program originally aired on
June 5, 2009
Read the transcript or watch the videos.

Part 1 Of 2 (10:15)

Part 2 of 2 (7:46)

UPDATE V I I I
June 2, 2009

This is a ‘must read’ .
Obama Has 250,000 ‘Contractors’ Deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and is Increasing the Use of Mercenaries
By Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports
Posted on June 1, 2009, Printed on June 2, 2009
Excerpt:
According to new statistics released by the Pentagon, with Barack Obama as commander in chief, there has been a 23% increase in the number of “Private Security Contractors” working for the Department of Defense in Iraq in the second quarter of 2009 and a 29% increase in Afghanistan, which “correlates to the build up of forces” in the country. These numbers relate explicitly to DoD security contractors. Companies like Blackwater and its successor Triple Canopy work on State Department contracts and it is unclear if these contractors are included in the over-all statistics. This means, the number of individual “security” contractors could be quite higher, as could the scope of their expansion.

End of Excerpt.
Learn more about Jeremy Scahill

UPDATE V I I
May 31, 2009
Here is an interesting ‘Special Report’ in the latest edition of The Economist.
The article, titled ”The fragile web of foreign trade” discusses the US/China trade relationship.
Keep facts presented in this article in the back of your mind as you watch events play themselves out in Afghanistan.
Excerpt:
“A FEW years ago, Niall Ferguson and Moritz Schularick, two economic historians, coined the term “Chimerica” to describe the symbiosis between the world’s two great powers. Chinese people save, they observed, allowing Americans to borrow and spend more than they earn. American consumers buy gizmos made in China, keeping Chinese workers in jobs. Both countries benefit.
But the financial crisis has caused many people to rethink this comfortable arrangement.

The American and Chinese economies are so entwined, however, that any attempt to separate them will end in calamity.”
End of excerpt.

UPDATE V I
May 27, 2009

How do you convince a well-read and informed person to engage in actions that go against his/her conscience?
‘Ignorance is bliss’ for some- because too much knowledge can be dangerous.
For others, ‘knowledge is power’.
It is important to know which category we, as human beings, belong to.
Read this thought-provoking article written by independent journalist Dahr Jamail titled:
Abandon the Battlefield. “There’s No Way I’m Going to Deploy to Afghanistan”
Is Victor Agosto a coward? A traitor?
Excerpts:
“It’s a matter of what I’m willing to live with,” Specialist Victor Agosto of the U.S. Army, who is refusing orders to deploy to Afghanistan, explained to IPS. “I’m not willing to participate in this occupation, knowing it is completely wrong.”

Agosto, who returned from a 13-month deployment to Iraq in November 2007, is based at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

While in Iraq, Agosto never left his base, located in northern Iraq.

 

“I never had any traumatic experiences, never fired my weapon,” Agosto told IPS in a phone interview. “I mostly worked in information technology, working on computers and keeping the network functioning well. But it was in Iraq that I turned against the occupations. Through my reading, and watching what was going on, I started to feel very guilty.”

Agosto added, “What I did there, I know I contributed to death and human suffering. It’s hard to quantify how much I caused, but I know I contributed to it.”
End of excerpts.
Conscientious objectors? No draft? What is a military leader to do?

Read this article concerning the growing movement to add more mercenary troops in Afghanistan. This is being done for many reasons-including the fact that there is no military draft in the United States.

A mercenary is a ‘gun for hire’. Anything and everything can be ‘taken care of’ if the price is right. Laws do not necessarily always apply when it comes to prosecuting mercenaries for any illegal actions.

As you read this article, note the fact disclosed by the Associated Press that of the 3,847 security contractors operating in Afghanistan, many protecting our bases and convoys, only nine are U.S firms.Excerpts:

“As President Barack Obama begins winding down the Bush war in Iraq, he is building up his own war farther east. “

“The initial surge will add 17,000 troops to the 36,000 already there. Then, later this year, there is to be a second troop surge of another 17,000 or so.”

What Obama has not mentioned is that, in addition to soldiers and civilians, there is a third surge in his plan: private military contractors.

Yes, another privatized army, such as the one in Iraq. There, the Halliburtons, Blackwaters and other war profiteers ran rampant, shortchanging our troops, ripping off taxpayers, killing civilians and doing deep damage to America’s good name.

“Already, there are 71,000 private contractors operating in Afghanistan, and many more are preparing to deploy as Pentagon spending ramps up for Obama’s war. The military is now offering new contracts to security firms to provide armed employees (aka, mercenaries) to guard U.S. bases and convoys. ”
End of excerpts.
Read the rest of this informative article.
  
UPDATE V
May 20, 2009

Here is an interesting tidbit that I ran across on George Stephenopoulos’ abcnews.com blog titled: “Jones: ‘Imprudent’ to End U.S.Airstrikes in Afghanistan Despite Civilian Casualties”

Excerpt:

“President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Gen. Jim Jones told me this morning that it would be “imprudent” to end U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan.

During his visit to the U.S. this past week, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan demanded all U.S. airstrikes end. He said a recent airstrike may have killed as many as 130 civilians.

“I think that we’re going to take a look at trying to make sure that we correct those things we can correct, but certainly to tie the hands of our commanders and say we’re not going to conduct air strikes, it would be imprudent,” Jones said in his first television interview”

End of excerpt.

Okay … noted. Now let’s move on.

I wonder if the General can explain to the public what he did…exactly… to earn the following money from Boeing and Chevron, and the US Chamber of Commerce last year?

Refer to this Wall Street Journal article titled “Hedge Fund Paid Summers $5.2 Million in Past Year“.

Read how at much money Jim Jones made last year- pay particular attention as to who paid him the money…

Excerpt:
“National Security Adviser James Jones reported $900,000 in salary and bonus from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as well as director fees from a number of corporations. He received, for example, $330,000 from Boeing Corp. and $290,000 from Chevron Corp.”End of excerpt.

The General is key in shaping and carrying out the Obama administrations’ policy decisions as they relate to the war in Afghanistan.

The information was released a few weeks ago as part of a financial disclosure that is required for federal office holders and top aides .

Is it just me…or does anyone else out there think that there is a possible conflict of interest here?

While you are at it, read the entire article to learn what some of the other important advisors to Pres. Obama made in earnings last year.

Here too- note who paid them the money.
Again I ask- are there any possible conflicts of interest here?

UPDATE I V
May 17, 2009

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Hmmm…. NATO has been busy lately.(8:57)
(Note: Here is the weblink to this interview- use in case you experience difficulties playing back this embedded video)
The Real News Network interviewed William F. Engdahl, economist and author of Full Spectrum Dominance.Excerpt: Engdahl says that the NATO exercises in Georgia are provocative to Russia because of the uncovered fact that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was behind the offensive in South Ossetia last August, while he was in the process of applying for NATO membership.(Note: This is an important accusation because NATO members have an agreement to protect each other in case of military conflict. If Saakashvili (as a NATO member-in-process) was trying to covertly instigate a conflict between Georgia and Russia – and as a result, Russia retaliated- then ALL NATO member countries would have to come to Georgia’s perceived ‘defense’)Engdahl also says that the NATO countries are interested in securing alternatives to the Russian stronghold over European oil and explains that the missile defense program NATO wishes to install in Eastern Europe and Georgia has less to do with Iran than Russia.”This is interesting too…“America threatens trade war with China”.

President Barack H. Obama signs $106 billion bill for Iraq, Afghan wars on Wednesday, June 24, 2009.
< style=”text-align: left;”>

UPDATE X I I
June 20, 2009

Can someone please remind me as to why our US Congress and our President want to escalate the war in AFGHANISTAN in 2009?

Warning: Use discretion when viewing this documentary. It contains graphic details of some of the realities of this war. (12:09)

If you have trouble viewing this embedded video, click here
Rethink Afghanistan is a 2009 documentary about the ongoing war in Afghanistan. This full-length documentary campaign is being released in real time allowing the producers to keep up with the fast-moving news cycle.
The project’s creator is Robert Greenwald, an American film director, film producer, and political activist.

Check out this link if you are interested in becoming a “Peacemaker”. You will have access to up to the minute information which will allow you to communicate more effectively with our government in an effort to deal with the situation in Afghanistan in a more humanitarian way

UPDATE X I
June 19, 2009

Congress sends $106 billion war funds bill to Obama

Here is short history of the legislation-as per govtrack.us

Excerpt:
Jun 16, 2009: “After passing both the Senate and House, a conference committee is created to work out differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill. A conference report resolving those differences passed in the House of Representatives, paving the way for enactment of the bill, by roll call vote. The totals were 226 Ayes, 202 Nays, 6 Present/Not Voting.

End of excerpt.
On Thursday, June 19 the SENATE passed the “CONFERENCE REPORT” too – which irons out differences between House & Senate versions of H.R. 2346.

What now remains is for President Obama to sign the bill into law.

(The following website linkcontains details on how the individual members of the US SENATE voted on this bill.)

Here are excerpts from Jeromy Pelofsky’s Reuters article posted on 6/19.

Excerpts:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) –“ The U.S. Congress on Thursday sent President Barack Obama a $106 billion bill to pay for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars after political sparring that could foreshadow tougher fights over Obama’s agenda.

The bill, delayed by disputes over quickly closing the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay and expanding support for the IMF, highlighted the difficulties Obama may face in Congress even though his fellow Democrats control both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The bill contains $79.9 billion to continue fighting the two wars, $7.7 billion to address the H1N1 flu pandemic, and $1.4 billion in foreign aid for Pakistan, which is fighting Taliban militants spilling over the border from Afghanistan.”
 
”The Senate voted 91-5, with most Republicans joining Democrats to support it. Obama is expected to sign it into law. The House approval on Tuesday garnered only five Republican votes and 32 Democrats voted against it.

Democrats have a commanding majority in the House, but still need to keep centrist Democrats aboard and win a few Republican votes in the Senate to forestall any procedural roadblocks mounted by the opposition party.”

End of excerpts

This informative Reuters’ article provides more details on what the legislation calls for.

UPDATE X
June 17, 2009

Tuesday June 16 2009- U.S. House Approves $106 billion war funding, Senate next.

Thirty two (32) Democrats opposed the bill and five (5) Republicans supported it.
(This website link contains details on how the individual members of the House of Representatives voted on this bill.)
Full story here
Excerpts from Yahoo News:
”WASHINGTON – War-funding legislation survived a fierce partisan battle in the House on Tuesday, a major step in providing commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan the money they would need for military operations in the coming months.
The $106 billion measure, in addition to about $80 billion for military operations, provides for an array of other spending priorities, including $7.7 billion to respond to the flu pandemic and more than $10 billion in development and security aid for Pakistan and Iraq as well as countries such as Mexico and the nation of Georgia.
Democratic leaders pushing the bill on behalf of the Obama administration had to overcome an unusual alliance. Anti-war Democrats opposed continued war spending and Republicans condemned $5 billion in the measure to secure a $108 billion U.S. line of credit to the International Monetary Fund for loans to poor countries.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., unsuccessfully appealed to Republicans for support, saying 80 percent of the package still went to the troops. “Stand up for them,” he said.
 

Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, contended that Democrats were endangering troops by shifting money to create room for a “global bailout loan program.”
End of excerpts.
President Obama and the Democrats (who control both chambers) had to fight hard for the bill.
Ultimately, the bill was approved by a 226-202 vote , with five Republicans voting for the bill and 32 Democrats opposing it..

The bill is H.R. 2346
OMB Watch provides an excellent overview of discussions and controversy surrounding H.R. 2346

Can someone please help me to understand what the definition of “ANTI-WAR” is?
So many politicians and citizens are classifying themselves as being ‘ANTI-WAR”…

UPDATE I X
June 8, 2009
Bill Moyers And Jeremy Scahill Discuss Obama Foreign Policy (including Afghanistan, Iraq, Private Contractors and more). This segment of “The Bill Moyers Journal”program originally aired on
June 5, 2009
Read the transcript or watch the videos.

Part 1 Of 2 (10:15)

Part 2 of 2 (7:46)

UPDATE V I I I
June 2, 2009
This is a ‘must read’ .
Obama Has 250,000 ‘Contractors’ Deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and is Increasing the Use of Mercenaries
By Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports

Posted on June 1, 2009, Printed on June 2, 2009
Excerpt:
According to new statistics released by the Pentagon, with Barack Obama as commander in chief, there has been a 23% increase in the number of “Private Security Contractors” working for the Department of Defense in Iraq in the second quarter of 2009 and a 29% increase in Afghanistan, which “correlates to the build up of forces” in the country. These numbers relate explicitly to DoD security contractors. Companies like Blackwater and its successor Triple Canopy work on State Department contracts and it is unclear if these contractors are included in the over-all statistics. This means, the number of individual “security” contractors could be quite higher, as could the scope of their expansion.
End of Excerpt.
Learn more about Jeremy Scahill

UPDATE V I I
May 31, 2009

Here is an interesting ‘Special Report’ in the latest edition of The Economist.
The article, titled ”The fragile web of foreign trade” discusses the US/China trade relationship.
Keep facts presented in this article in the back of your mind as you watch events play themselves out in Afghanistan.
Excerpt:
“A FEW years ago, Niall Ferguson and Moritz Schularick, two economic historians, coined the term “Chimerica” to describe the symbiosis between the world’s two great powers. Chinese people save, they observed, allowing Americans to borrow and spend more than they earn. American consumers buy gizmos made in China, keeping Chinese workers in jobs. Both countries benefit.

But the financial crisis has caused many people to rethink this comfortable arrangement.

Protectionists have long blamed Chinese imports for destroying American jobs. A new gripe is that, by lending America so much money, China helped inflate the asset bubble that has now burst so painfully.

Although no one forced Americans to borrow so much, nor to gamble the money on property, the crisis has fuelled nativist anger. Lawmakers added “Buy American” clauses to this year’s stimulus package, and there are still absurdly tight limits on the number of skilled foreigners who can work in America.

The American and Chinese economies are so entwined, however, that any attempt to separate them will end in calamity.”
End of excerpt.

UPDATE V I
May 27, 2009 

How do you convince a well-read and informed person to engage in actions that go against his/her conscience?

‘Ignorance is bliss’ for some- because too much knowledge can be dangerous.

For others, ‘knowledge is power’.

It is important to know which category we, as human beings, belong to.

Read this thought-provoking article written by independent journalist Dahr Jamail titled: Abandon the Battlefield. “There’s No Way I’m Going to Deploy to Afghanistan”

Is Victor Agosto a coward? A traitor?

Excerpts:

“It’s a matter of what I’m willing to live with,” Specialist Victor Agosto of the U.S. Army, who is refusing orders to deploy to Afghanistan, explained to IPS. “I’m not willing to participate in this occupation, knowing it is completely wrong.”

Agosto, who returned from a 13-month deployment to Iraq in November 2007, is based at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

While in Iraq, Agosto never left his base, located in northern Iraq.

“I never had any traumatic experiences, never fired my weapon,” Agosto told IPS in a phone interview. “I mostly worked in information technology, working on computers and keeping the network functioning well. But it was in Iraq that I turned against the occupations. Through my reading, and watching what was going on, I started to feel very guilty.”

Agosto added, “What I did there, I know I contributed to death and human suffering. It’s hard to quantify how much I caused, but I know I contributed to it.”
End of excerpts.

Conscientious objectors?

No draft?

What is a military leader to do?

 
Read this article concerning the growing movement to add more mercenary troops in Afghanistan. This is being done for many reasons-including the fact that there is no military draft in the United States.

A mercenary is a ‘gun for hire’. Anything and everything can be ‘taken care of’ if the price is right. Laws do not necessarily always apply when it comes to prosecuting mercenaries for any illegal actions.

As you read this article, note the fact disclosed by the Associated Press that of the 3,847 security contractors operating in Afghanistan, many protecting our bases and convoys, only nine are U.S firms.

Excerpts:
“As President Barack Obama begins winding down the Bush war in Iraq, he is building up his own war farther east. “
“The initial surge will add 17,000 troops to the 36,000 already there. Then, later this year, there is to be a second troop surge of another 17,000 or so.”

What Obama has not mentioned is that, in addition to soldiers and civilians, there is a third surge in his plan: private military contractors.

Yes, another privatized army, such as the one in Iraq. There, the Halliburtons, Blackwaters and other war profiteers ran rampant, shortchanging our troops, ripping off taxpayers, killing civilians and doing deep damage to America’s good name.

“Already, there are 71,000 private contractors operating in Afghanistan, and many more are preparing to deploy as Pentagon spending ramps up for Obama’s war. The military is now offering new contracts to security firms to provide armed employees (aka, mercenaries) to guard U.S. bases and convoys. ”
End of excerpts.

Read the rest of this informative article.
  
UPDATE V
May 20, 2009

Here is an interesting tidbit that I ran across on George Stephenopoulos’ abcnews.com blog titled: “Jones: ‘Imprudent’ to End U.S.Airstrikes in Afghanistan Despite Civilian Casualties”

Excerpt:

“President Barack Obama’s national security adviser Gen. Jim Jones told me this morning that it would be “imprudent” to end U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan.

During his visit to the U.S. this past week, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan demanded all U.S. airstrikes end. He said a recent airstrike may have killed as many as 130 civilians.

“I think that we’re going to take a look at trying to make sure that we correct those things we can correct, but certainly to tie the hands of our commanders and say we’re not going to conduct air strikes, it would be imprudent,” Jones said in his first television interview”

End of excerpt.

Okay … noted. Now let’s move on.

I wonder if the General can explain to the public what he did…exactly… to earn the following money from Boeing and Chevron, and the US Chamber of Commerce last year?

Refer to this Wall Street Journal article titled “Hedge Fund Paid Summers $5.2 Million in Past Year“.

Read how at much money Jim Jones made last year- pay particular attention as to who paid him the money…

Excerpt:
“National Security Adviser James Jones reported $900,000 in salary and bonus from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as well as director fees from a number of corporations. He received, for example, $330,000 from Boeing Corp. and $290,000 from Chevron Corp.”End of excerpt.

The General is key in shaping and carrying out the Obama administrations’ policy decisions as they relate to the war in Afghanistan.

The information was released a few weeks ago as part of a financial disclosure that is required for federal office holders and top aides .

Is it just me…or does anyone else out there think that there is a possible conflict of interest here?

While you are at it, read the entire article to learn what some of the other important advisors to Pres. Obama made in earnings last year.

Here too- note who paid them the money.
Again I ask- are there any possible conflicts of interest here?

UPDATE I V
May 17, 2009

Hmmm…. NATO has been busy lately.(8:57)
(Note: Here is the weblink to this interview- use in case you experience difficulties playing back this embedded video)
The Real News Network interviewed William F. Engdahl, economist and author of Full Spectrum Dominance.Excerpt: Engdahl says that the NATO exercises in Georgia are provocative to Russia because of the uncovered fact that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was behind the offensive in South Ossetia last August, while he was in the process of applying for NATO membership.(Note: This is an important accusation because NATO members have an agreement to protect each other in case of military conflict. If Saakashvili (as a NATO member-in-process) was trying to covertly instigate a conflict between Georgia and Russia – and as a result, Russia retaliated- then ALL NATO member countries would have to come to Georgia’s perceived ‘defense’)Engdahl also says that the NATO countries are interested in securing alternatives to the Russian stronghold over European oil and explains that the missile defense program NATO wishes to install in Eastern Europe and Georgia has less to do with Iran than Russia.”This is interesting too…“America threatens trade war with China”.

According to this article “The United States government is planning to revive a bill that will punish China for artificially boosting its trade through “currency manipulation”.

“The Daily Telegraph” a.k.a “The Telegraph “was founded in 1855. It is the highest selling legitimate British newspaper with a daily circulation exceeding 842,000 readers.

The Telegraph was formerly aligned with the British Liberal Party however in recent years its bond with the Conservative Party has been gaining strength.

UPDATE I I l
May 13, 2009

Here is an informative and thought-provoking article in which the author, Pepe Escobar, claims that the

wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are over pipeline routes and control of the distribution of oil in central Asia-

NOT TERRORISM.

The facts as he presents them are accurate.

You decide as to whether or not you agree with his thesis.

Pipeline-Istan: Everything You Need to Know About Oil, Gas, Russia, China, Iran, Afghanistan and Obama

I suggest that readers frequently refer to the map included in his article so as to be able to follow along with the story.

I find Escobar to be a well-informed and witty journalist however he does do a lot of “globetrotting“ in his presentation of important facts in his articles which support his thesis.

Miscellaneous:
Pepe Escobar was born in Brazil. He is a foreign correspondent who has been based in several major cities around the world during his career. He is the roving correspondent for Asia Times Online and is analyst and correspondent for The Real News Network.. Escobar focuses on writing about ‘geopolitics’ for the layperson.

He wrote and published the following article “Get Osama! Now! Or else …” two weeks before Sept. 11.

Since Sept.11 he has focused his energies on covering Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, and the wider middle east.

He is the author of several controversial books. (I am in the process of writing a book review on his latest work “Obama Does Globalistan” for SCVJournal and Amazon.com).

Escobar is also affiliated with the new, Paris-based European Academy of Geopolitics.

Here is a ‘quick and dirty’ definition of Geopolitics: the study of how the geography (defined as location, size, natural resources-for example) of a nation plays a role in its history. It is important for one to become familiar with the global application of this term inorder to try to make sense of what is happening on the international scene today.

UPDATE I I
May 12, 2009

Some more insight into the past conflicts in Afghanistan and their implications for the present and future conflicts…

Becoming What We Seek to Destroy
Posted on May 10, 2009 in Truthdig.com
By award-winning journalist Chris Hedges

Excerpts

“We are morally no different from the psychopaths within the Taliban, who Afghans remember we empowered, funded and armed during the 10-year war with the Soviet Union. Acid thrown into a girl’s face or beheadings? Death delivered from the air or fields of shiny cluster bombs? This is the language of war. It is what we speak. It is what those we fight speak.”

“The American ground troops are midterm in a history that started roughly in 1984 and 1985 when the State Department decided to assist the Mujahedeen, the resistance fighters, through various programs and military aid. USAID, the humanitarian arm serving political and military purposes, was the seed for having a different kind of interaction with the Afghans,” she (Dr. Juliette Fournot ) told me. “The Afghans were very grateful to receive arms and military equipment from the Americans.”

“But the way USAID distributed its humanitarian assistance was very debatable,” she went on. “It still puzzles me. They gave most of it to the Islamic groups such as the Hezb-e Islami of [Gulbuddin] Hekmatyar. And I think it is possibly because they were more interested in the future stability of Pakistan rather than saving Afghanistan. Afghanistan was probably a good ground to hit and drain the blood from the Soviet Union. I did not see a plan to rebuild or bring peace to Afghanistan. It seemed that Afghanistan was a tool to weaken the Soviet Union. It was mostly left to the Pakistani intelligence services to decide what would be best and how to do it and how by doing so they could strengthen themselves.”

Read the rest of this very interesting article.

Truthdig is a web magazine that presents articles from a progressive perspective. Authors are considered authorities in their fields. Many of the articles posted are considered controversial in nature. The site was co-founded by Zuade Kaufman (Los Angeles entrepreneur) and Robert Scheer (journalist).

UPDATE I
May 12, 2009

Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Is Fired

Headline: Gates Replaces Top General in Afghanistan
Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Monday that he has asked for the resignation of Gen. David McKiernan, the top general in Afghanistan. Gates has nominated Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal to replace McKiernan.

By Ann Scott Tyson,Washington Post Staff Writer, May 12, 2009

Wait a minute… is this the same Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who was the ‘de facto’ leader in the ‘failed’ hunt for Osama bin Laden?

Headline: Bin Laden Trail ‘Stone Cold’
U.S. Steps Up Efforts, But Good Intelligence On Ground is Lacking
By Dana Priest and Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Writers, September 10, 2006

Okay…This announcement makes me feel ‘warm and fuzzy’…NOT

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Tags: Afghaniston War, Iraq, NATO

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