SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
We must not " just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state," Hightower writes. (Photo: Kenny Holston 21/Flickr)
Operation Endless War: How Long Must US Troops Stay in Afghanistan?
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Dec 06, 2014
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Amazingly, the hawks argued that Obama shouldn't "rush" the timeline for training Afghan security forces to defend their own country.
Rush? Hello: IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS!
"Operation Enduring Freedom," as the government originally dubbed this mess of a military mission, should be renamed "Operation Endless War."
Here we go again -- not merely conducting training exercises, but continuing to mire our courageous but overstretched military forces in the Afghans' civil war, including using U.S. ground troops in combat missions against the Afghan Taliban.
How many more Americans will die or be horribly maimed in that hapless land? How many more billions of our tax dollars will be dumped into Afghanistan's abyss? And why?
Why are we there? Why are we wasting so many lives and so much of the money we desperately need here at home?
And why are We the People not consulted on such a massive and momentous decision?
It's reported that the Pentagon not only wants to keep troops there through 2016, but beyond. How many troops? What are they to achieve? That's a secret.
When Obama announced last May that the United States would have no combat role in Afghanistan after this year, he said, "It's harder to end wars than to start them."
True, but that doesn't mean we can just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state. If Obama won't fight them, we must. To help, go to www.peace-action.org.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
This column was distributed by OtherWords.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Amazingly, the hawks argued that Obama shouldn't "rush" the timeline for training Afghan security forces to defend their own country.
Rush? Hello: IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS!
"Operation Enduring Freedom," as the government originally dubbed this mess of a military mission, should be renamed "Operation Endless War."
Here we go again -- not merely conducting training exercises, but continuing to mire our courageous but overstretched military forces in the Afghans' civil war, including using U.S. ground troops in combat missions against the Afghan Taliban.
How many more Americans will die or be horribly maimed in that hapless land? How many more billions of our tax dollars will be dumped into Afghanistan's abyss? And why?
Why are we there? Why are we wasting so many lives and so much of the money we desperately need here at home?
And why are We the People not consulted on such a massive and momentous decision?
It's reported that the Pentagon not only wants to keep troops there through 2016, but beyond. How many troops? What are they to achieve? That's a secret.
When Obama announced last May that the United States would have no combat role in Afghanistan after this year, he said, "It's harder to end wars than to start them."
True, but that doesn't mean we can just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state. If Obama won't fight them, we must. To help, go to www.peace-action.org.
Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the books "Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow" (2008) and "There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion" (1998). Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.
Only a few months ago, President Barack Obama announced the good news that our combat role in Afghanistan -- the longest war in U.S. history -- would finally end by New Year's Day.
Put away that champagne.
A flock of screeching war hawks brought heavy political pressure on Obama to reverse himself. So our troops will stay in that war-ravaged, corrupt, bankrupted, ethnically divided country for at least another year or two.
Amazingly, the hawks argued that Obama shouldn't "rush" the timeline for training Afghan security forces to defend their own country.
Rush? Hello: IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS!
"Operation Enduring Freedom," as the government originally dubbed this mess of a military mission, should be renamed "Operation Endless War."
Here we go again -- not merely conducting training exercises, but continuing to mire our courageous but overstretched military forces in the Afghans' civil war, including using U.S. ground troops in combat missions against the Afghan Taliban.
How many more Americans will die or be horribly maimed in that hapless land? How many more billions of our tax dollars will be dumped into Afghanistan's abyss? And why?
Why are we there? Why are we wasting so many lives and so much of the money we desperately need here at home?
And why are We the People not consulted on such a massive and momentous decision?
It's reported that the Pentagon not only wants to keep troops there through 2016, but beyond. How many troops? What are they to achieve? That's a secret.
When Obama announced last May that the United States would have no combat role in Afghanistan after this year, he said, "It's harder to end wars than to start them."
True, but that doesn't mean we can just surrender to those who are turning America into a militaristic state. If Obama won't fight them, we must. To help, go to www.peace-action.org.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.