Sunday, January 7, 2018

There Are Now 76 Countries Involved In America’s War on Terror

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Tom Engelhardt, Tom Dispatch: Mapping a World From Hell

76 Countries Are Now Involved in Washington’s War on Terror

He left Air Force Two behind and, unannounced, “shrouded in secrecy,” flew on an unmarked C-17 transport plane into Bagram Air Base, the largest American garrison in Afghanistan. All news of his visit was embargoed until an hour before he was to depart the country.

More than 16 years after an American invasion “liberated” Afghanistan, he was there to offer some good news to a U.S. troop contingent once again on the rise. Before a 40-foot American flag, addressing 500 American troops, Vice President Mike Pence praised them as “the world’s greatest force for good,” boasted that American air strikes had recently been “dramatically increased,” swore that their country was “here to stay,” and insisted that “victory is closer than ever before.” As an observer noted, however, the response of his audience was “subdued.” (“Several troops stood with their arms crossed or their hands folded behind their backs and listened, but did not applaud.”)

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Running an empire is always costly. But while Tom Engelhardt provides a good picture on what is currently happening, he does not provide a solution on what should be done. And that is the rub .... the U.S. desperately needs a debate on what should be its foreign policy and national security objectives, the military that is required to do such a job, and a State Department that can handle the diplomatic aspects of it. But there is no debate, little if any think-tank or foreign policy institute contribution, no political pressure, zero media attention, and definitely no public pressure that something should be done. And the nations that are involved in America's War on Terror are just as guilty .... if not more so .... as this never-ending war continues to grind on.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Cost of caravan guards is high.

Cost of caravans not making it is higher.

Unknown said...

"Tom Engelhardt provides a good picture on what is currently happening"

Every country listed is a country experiencing an insurgency or has a base that is used to in the War on Terror or as part of treaty obligations.

"... the U.S. desperately needs a debate on what should be its foreign policy and national security objectives, the military that is required to do such a job"

So if we give up on Congo or Chad, because we do not have the money, or they should handle it themselves, or racism (Leftist response), what happens when it snowballs?

Many of the excuses you could make for not being in Africa, Asia, South America etc could have been made or have been made for not being involved in WW2. Would the world have been better is the U.S> had not fought the NAZIs?

Anonymous said...

Wnu , you seem unusually out of your depth (considering your experience).anyone looking at the US and remember history , would understand what happening. Pax americana is coming to it's last stretch we are two or three decade a way from black swan event that will start the shit show (maybe sooner ).
Aizino ,
said like true believer , maybe the US could do it , defeat the terrorist , contain the Chinese and stand up to Russia and continue victorious , but history of humanity say another story , empires continue same as usual until the end ( the end is bad very bad thing like civil war , massacre , cities burning etc it same the role ) , but hay US could be that special one that defy history , so don't stop believing my man ;) .

Unknown said...

Anon,

You wanted to use the word 'hey' not hay. 'Hay' is for horses. You should sue your TESL instructor.

Seeing as you do not not know history very well, it would behoove you to look into the extremely important role that Congo played in WW2. What happened in Congo saved 6 million lives.

You won't figure that one out blinkered that you be.