ISIS has captured Tora-Bora as Trump ignores US commanders in Iraq/Afghanistan.

The beautiful and austere Safed Koh mountain range, which houses the mountain fortress called Tora Bora.
We have been at war in Afghanistan for almost 16 years now, and for much of that time, it’s been two steps forward and three steps back.
This week, we went three steps back as ISIS captured the mountain fortress of Tora Bora. The ISIS forces in Afghanistan include the remnants of Al-Qaeda. Tora Bora is where Bin-Laden went immediately after 9/11. It’s a large complex with miles of tunnels, roads and caves dug into granite mountains.
If you think this is only two steps back, recall that Tora Bora was originally built with funding from the CIA. The CIA helped build this fortress for the Mujahideen to support their war against the Soviets.
Important events are occurring on the battlefield, you would think our president, as commander in chief would want to be briefed closely on them.
In nearly five months in office, President Trump has yet to meet or speak with either his Iraq or Afghanistan commander, even as his administration weighs deeper and longer-term involvement in both conflicts and asks Congress for a vast increase in defense spending. — LA Times
This is in stark contrast to George W. Bush, who took his responsibility as commander in chief seriously and spoke weekly with his commanders in the region. Obama was also diligent about fulfilling his duties to the troops by maintaining close contact with his commanding generals.
So there is now, no ongoing, direct oversight of the US military operation in Afghanistan from the White House. At least not from the President. While the White House is talking about escalating the conflicts. Trump, who has been a bullshit artist all his life, is bullshitting his way through our biggest military engagement since Vietnam. Think I’m exaggerating?
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said this yesterday:
Yesterday afternoon, the President directed the Department of Defense to set troop levels in Afghanistan. This will enable our military to have greater agility to conduct operations, recognizing our military posture there is part of a broader regional context. — DoD statement
The President has passed the buck and handed to the War Department, the authority to send additional Americans into battle. Maybe if we brought back the draft, people would sit up and take notice. Or then again, maybe not, Trump and his chicken hawk friends will find a way to have their children diagnosed with bone spurs.
Perhaps we should be thankful Trump isn’t interested in Afghanistan or Iraq. In Syria, which Trump has talked about, coalition airstrikes have caused hundreds of civilian deaths in the past couple of months (ditto in Iraq). That includes 200 people sheltering in a school in Raqqa. The UN calls the loss of civilian life “staggering”. The administration’s response has been to increase secrecy, Trump’s administration is now refusing to confirm whether or not US forces were involved in airstrikes that killed civilians.
Perhaps it’s time to take a step back and think about what we’re doing here.
By most counts, we will spend Six Trillion Dollars on the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan when all is said and done. It’s difficult to understand a figure as large as $6,000,000,000,000. So I think of what else we could have done with that money.
6 Trillion would buy us one of these four nice things:
- 50 years of tuition-free public college plus 50 years of free universal pre-K.
- 7 years of free health-care for 100 million Americans.
- $20,000 as a gift to every man, woman and child in America.
- At a cost of $1 Trillion each, all this:
- Photovoltaic solar power plants to fuel 300 million homes
- Bullet trains connecting every major city
- 10 million homes for the homeless
- Long-term habitats in low-earth orbit, aka 10 Space Stations
- A real shot at colonizing another planet by sending 10 manned missions to Mars
- The Starship Enterprise
Instead, we are blowing up villages with fellow humans in them. We have very little to show for all the millions of tons of explosives we’ve dropped, and the rivers of blood we’ve spilled. Spreading death and destruction across much of the Middle-East such that the monetary cost of the wars pales in comparison.
Was Nero toying with his clubs while Rome burned?
We’ve demonstrated to the world that our president is diligent about getting in a round of golf every week. But he can’t be bothered to speak with the generals in charge of his campaigns, while we have tens of thousands of troops deployed on the front under his command.
What is the purpose of these wars?
Why do we think “regime change” led by us is the best alternative?
Why are we setting a hundreds of billions of dollars on fire every year?
Why are we blowing up brown people in several countries?
What the fuck is the point?
Thanks for this. I am glad that you brought it to people’s attention.
I see the situation in three different ways.
1) The Generals are happy when they can play toy soldier. It does matter to them that it is real life and other people’s children are involved.
2) The MIC is happy because that is why they exist. Even as you point out that the money can be better spent elsewhere.
3)Trump being the megalomaniac that he is really doesn’t care what goes on as long as he can get credit for short term successes.
Equally bad, Tillerson announced yesterday in response to a question by Rep Ted Poe, that they are considering a peaceful transition for regime change in Iran.
Then earlier this afternoon, the senate passed a bill to impose sanctions on Iran and Russia. Bernie was one of two senators voting against it (the other was Rand Paul). He had indicated last week he was not in favor it, so it wasn’t a total surprise.
Bernie’s statement:
I know that it is a”pie in the Sky’ thought but will there ever be a resolution condemning US interference in other countries elections.
I read Bernie’s rationale. I see it as a back-door move by Republicans to work in Trump’s pledge to tear up the P5’s deal with Iran.
That’s how I saw it too.
Still makes wonder despite what I read in the MSM if Clinton would have been any different. After all, many of career diplomats are still in the State Dept.
This is war related but at a different front.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/duterte-us-support-marawi-1.4155574
Seems to a trend where US troops enter a sovereign country without an invitation.
VICE did a series on ISIS held cities in the Phillipines. I was surprised the folks allowed them to ask in some instances pointed questions.
Bernie on the war in Yemen:
The Us should be sending food and medicine rather than supplying arms and logistcal support.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/yemen-cholera-epidemic-contagious-infection-one-child-every-minute-save-children-research-a7789786.html
T and R, Subir. It’s always a pleasure to read your posts on here. 🙂