Tag Archives: Afghanistan

McChrystal Clear : More Boots on the Ground

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Repeating the cliches.Do the numbers:500,000 troops for Pashtunistan? McChrystal repeats the clichés of classic counterinsurgency… American generals used the same vintage phrases in Vietnam, where efforts to ‘protect the population’ led to forcing rural peasants into fortified … Continue reading →

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The Afghan Quagmire : Considering the Options

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

“Smiling on Quicksand.” © Gary WintersA no-win situation?An Afghan quagmire in the making By Sherman DeBrosse / The Rag Blog / October 5, 2009 We are mourning the loss of eight American soldiers who died in a day-long battle near … Continue reading →

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Larry Ray : Echoes from Vietnam

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Larry Ray in Cu Chi Vietnam, late summer 1966.Echoes from Vietnam: Dying again in Afghanistan Afghanistan is an even older and thornier problem [than Vietnam]. And one that cannot be bombed into submission. By Larry Ray / The Rag Blog … Continue reading →

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Afghani Olympics : Will Obama Lose This One Too?

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Will Obama learn from his Chicago defeatAnd abandon the no-win Afghanistan marathon? Team Obama needs — as the International Olympics Committee has just done — to be continually reminded that the rest of the world is not an American kick … Continue reading →

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Afghanistan : Get Out Before It’s Too Late

Posted on October 3, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Learn from history:Withdraw from Afganistan now …the United States and its NATO allies [have] slipped deeper and deeper into the Afghanistan quagmire with the same historical ignorance that characterized American lack of awareness of Vietnamese history. By Harry Targ / … Continue reading →

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Prisoners of Conscience : U.S. Military Isolates War Resisters

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Incarcerated anti-war GI and musician (above) Travis Bishop. Below, he is shown before his court martial at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas on Aug. 14, 2009. Photo by Alice Embree / The Rag Blog.Army prisoners isolated,Denied right to legal counsel … Continue reading →

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Harvey Wasserman : Obama’s LBJ Moment

Posted on September 27, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

President Lyndon B. Johnson listens to tape sent by Captain Charles Robb from Vietnam, July 31, 1968. Photo by Jack Kightlinger / LBJ Library.Obama’s LBJ moment He has inherited from George W. Bush the beginnings of a horrific quagmire. How … Continue reading →

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CodePink in Austin : Mourning the War Dead

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

CodePink’s Fran Hanlon leads a Mourning March across the Congress bridge Monday in Austin, to inform the public of the war’s death toll. Photo by Michael Baldon / The Daily Texan.CodePink for peace, not bloodMourners march against death toll of … Continue reading →

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The Afghan War Is Winnable ?

Posted on August 31, 2009 by RagBlog

Soviet helicopter brought down by locals in Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.A question, does the following give a true picture? The Afghan War is winnable,The facts, perhaps, are spinnable,Karzai’s intent’s not sinnable,Our General now states. A Soviet Gen’ral said the same,His … Continue reading →

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The Forgotten War: Bringing Only More Despair

Posted on August 28, 2009 by RagBlog

A huge explosion in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Tuesday left mounds of rubble. At least 41 people were known dead. Photo: Allauddin Khan/Associated Press.Bombing Deepens Despair in a Stricken Afghan CityBy Taimoor Shah / August 26, 2009 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — This … Continue reading →

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Alice Embree : The Court Martial of Travis Bishop

Posted on August 16, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Travis Bishop (right), before his sentencing. With (left) journalist Dahr Jamail and attorney James Branum. Photo by Alice Embree / The Rag Blog.Anti-war GI Travis Bishop found guilty;joins Victor Agosto in Bell County jail I can not say that a … Continue reading →

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Victor Agosto : Soldier of Conscience Faces Court Martial

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Thorne Dreyer

Victor Agosto speaks at Austin benefit for Under the Hood Cafe. Photo by Carlos Lowry / The Rag Blog.Soldier of conscience to be court-martialedSPC Victor Agosto refuses deployment and faces incarceration August 4, 2009 SPC Victor Agosto, a soldier stationed … Continue reading →

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