Since I’ve found few or no area experts in favor of our war in Afghanistan (just geopol or COIN gurus), I’ve widened the parameters of my search for insight.
Here are a few comments from selected experts after viewing a presentation about the War. They have been slightly edited and paraphrased, as you will see by clicking through to the original text.
“… so damn loud and stupid that it’s like being shouted at by idiots for two and a half hours.”
— Matthew Turner, London
“Second time out for our military threatening world domination. … This boring, preposterous nonsense is stretched to an agonising 7 years and running”
— Anthony Quinn, The Independent, 19 June 2009
“… al Qeada is back, and they’re looking to whup some American ass! If the that sentence leaves you cold and uncomprehending, then congratulations – you are not among the supports for this war, which suggests that you have more discrimination than the submissive citizens who turned the Iraq War into a worldwide mega-hit, costsing more than a trillion dollars.”
— What a full metal racket, Chris Tookey, Daily Mail, 18 June 2009
“It goes without saying that if you liked the Iraq War, then you will like this one. … Most citizens won’t care what critics have to say and will probably find themselves enjoying the War. That is, if they can get over their sense of déjà vu whilst doing so. The Afghanistan War is more of a remake than it is a sequel. In fact if you walked into this auditorium halfway through the presentation you’d be forgiven for thinking that you were in fact watching one about the Iraq War again! If you don’t mind coughing up the price of a full-blown War twice {for little in the way of results}, then you won’t feel cheated by the Afghanistan War.”
— James Ohley
“IN THE glory days of the US Military, generals lived by the credo: ‘Make it big. Do it right. And give it class.’ … They have always had a passion for big, noisy spectacles and the Afghanistan is a bravura display of their ability to mastermind global destruction. What it lacks is the human touch, decent planning, restraint and all the old-fashioned marshal virtues that appear to be the luxuries unlimited resources can’t buy. The war core supporters, excitable schoolboys, will have little time for such criticisms and will simply savour the sense of overkill served up for their delectation. The rest of us will be only too happy to ignore the War to them and go in search of projects suitable for the grown-ups.
— Allen Hunter, Daily Express, 19 June 2009
Over images of a one-sided battle between men in a rocky landscape, a booming voice-over declares: “Earth – birthplace of the human race – a species capable of great compassion and great violence” … There is nothing – nothing – in this presentation that can be taken seriously – although that becomes something of a problem in itself, given DoD’s relentless exploitation of imagery from 9/11 and the Second Gulf War.
— Anton Bitel
I found it at once loud and boring, like watching paint dry while getting hit over the head with a frying pan. And at two and a half hours, it really is very long. Because this War really is quite staggeringly uninteresting.
— Peter Bradsaw, The Guardian, 19 Jne 2009
Afterword
To read other articles about our wars, see these FM reference page (listed on the right side menu bar):
- About America’s national defence strategy and machinery
- About Iraq & Sub-continent Wars – my articles
- About Iraq & Sub-continent Wars – studies & reports
Posts about the War in Afghanistan:
- Scorecard #2: How well are we doing in Iraq? Afghanistan?, 31 October 2003
- Quote of the day: this is America’s geopolitical strategy in action, 26 February 2008 — George Friedman of Statfor on the Afghanistan War.
- Another perspective on Afghanistan, a reply to George Friedman, 27 February 2008
- How long will all American Presidents be War Presidents?, 21 March 2008
- Why are we are fighting in Afghanistan?, 9 April 2008 — A debate with Joshua Foust.
- We are withdrawing from Afghanistan, too (eventually), 21 April 2008
- Roads in Afghanistan, a new weapon to win 4GW’s?, 26 April 2008
- A powerful weapon, at the sight of which we should tremble and our enemies rejoice, 2 June 2008
- Brilliant, insightful articles about the Afghanistan War, 8 June 2008
- The good news about COIN in Afghanistan is really bad news, 20 August 2008
- Stratfor says that our war in Pakistan grows hotter; Palin seems OK with that, 12 September 2008
- Pakistan warns America about their borders, and their sovereignty, 14 September 2008
- Weekend reading about … foreign affairs, 19 October 2008
- “Strategic Divergence: The War Against the Taliban and the War Against Al Qaeda” by George Friedman, 31 January 2009
- America sends forth its privateers to pillage, bold corsairs stealing from you and I, 9 February 2009
- “The Great Afghan Bailout” by Tom Engelhardt, 14 April 2009
- Stratfor: “The Strategic Debate Over Afghanistan”, 13 May 2009
- A joust between two schools of American military theory, 19 May 2009
- Can we answer SecDef Gates’ question about NATO and the Af-Pak War?, 19 May 2009
- Troops without proper equipment in 2004, troops without proper equipment in 2009 – where’s the outrage?, 20 May 2009
- New bases in Afghanistan – more outposts of America’s Empire, 21 May 2009
- The simple, fool-proof plan for victory in Afghanistan , 1 June 2009
- Advice about our long war – “It’s the tribes, stupid”, 9 June 2009