Can the Afghan war be won?

1. 75

   Kenny MGposted 14 years ago

   Can the Afghan war be won?
   
   Many see the Afghan war as anothr Vietnam, wiout a hope of victory. Some say we should have learned from the Russians, If they couldn't win how can we?

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2. 54

   alanbedfordposted 14 years ago

   We can't. The choice is not between either pulling out or "achieving victory" (whatever that is), but between either pulling out now and cutting our losses or getting trapped in the quagmire and having to pull out 250,000 troops later after having suffered enormous casualties. Victory is not possible; in fact, it hasn't even been defined.
   
   See my Hub Page article "History Repeats Itself" http://hubpages.com/hub/History-Repeats-Itself

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3. 79

   Beata Stasakposted 14 years ago

   The question is if U.S does have an obligation to leave to Afghans a stabilized Afghanistan and make a necessary ground for a stabilization in South Asia. It is true that it is not possible to build an effective government in the country afflicted by corruption and inefficiency and on top of it fight Sunni-based religious extremists and drug trade. America can not rely even on the Pakistan because it's leaders need alliance with the Taliban because of the troubles with India. On top of everything U.S. became the local willian in this unending war. U.S. can only help in nation building and reconstruction of this poverty-stricken and anarchic state. We can not forget that Afghanistan is inhabited by not only religious extremists but by majority of friendly Afghans who just wish for a peace and prosperous life

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4. 75

   Kenny MGposted 14 years ago

   Good point Alan, a war without a well devised strategy witll have trouble getting off the ground let alone determined as victory

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5. 60

   thesecondadventposted 14 years ago

   My Dear Sweet Friends,
   War is a lose lose situation.  We force the Earth to drink the blood of hundreds of thousands of people thereby sickening and causing it to try self healing with tsunamis, earthquakes, and fires.  Peoples and nation increase in hatred and war becometh self actuating.

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6. 59

   elvanGalaxyposted 14 years ago

   Possibly not cos it is my personal view that the Us and her friends that are wagging wars in Afganistan must stop the killing of Taliban. The Taliban are also citizen of Afganistan. And we should not forget that it is the Taliban that sent the Russian packing from Afganistan. Basically, has anyone look up for the meaning of the name Taliban? If ya hasn't I guess ya need to check it out first. Taliban can be change and educated to change their relgion mindset. The Taliban must the part of the new Afgan government. We just can't kill them all.

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7. 61

   Hi-Jinksposted 14 years ago

   What is your definition of "Won?" Yes, tax the people who want to wage war.

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8. 83

   Freeway Flyerposted 13 years ago

   Not in a conventional sense. Defeating terrorism, militancy, or whatever you want to call it in Afghanistan is similar to defeating crime in the United States. There may be things that you can do to reduce the threat, but you can never declare victory. And if people think that they can create a functioning state in Afghanistan, they are bound to be disappointed.
   
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Comparing-Vietn … fghanistan

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9. 92

   john000posted 12 years ago

   I think that there is one way to evaluate intelligently whether the Afghan war can be won. When a psychiatrist takes on a new patient, it doesn't take him/her long to assess whether the patient will benefit from therapy. We have watched the middle east long enough. Between culture and religion, concepts of democracy from the west (a Greek tradition) aren't going to spin. It is time to turn our treasure toward our social needs, continue defensive military development, and fund enough offensive military development that we can strike back when terrorist try to play their trade. We simply do not have enough wealth to prop up the rest of the world - ask the Europeans!
      We can give the Middle East all the moral support they need; it's time for an all out revolution. It appears to have started, but it needs to meet fruition with every citizen willing to lay down his life for a new order for his/her children!

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