Checks and Balances – Afghan War Strategy

December 1, 2009

By Padmini Arhant

In my earlier post, World Peace – Part 1, I mentioned about the military might prevalent in the economic and political aspects governing the domestic and the international societies. Although, it’s not a revelation that the military industrial complex (MIC) authority spreads beyond the realm of providing national security, it’s imperative to study the extent of the institutional power.

Besides the limited constitutional role by the military to defend the nation upon real and potential attack, the unconstitutional engagements are expansive and encroaching on the general society.

Often, it’s the “potential” more than the ‘real’ threats or attacks that are the premise for the prolonged military operation proved extremely lucrative in the prolific conventional and nuclear arms race.

Among them, the prominent activities are:

The appointments of foreign heads of the government usually the undesirable choices that are unanimously rejected by the global citizens, not part of the exclusive membership. In this context, the deliberate selection of such candidates aka the ‘puppets’ facilitates the anticipated political instability stunting economic growth and declining social progress.

It’s a perfect ambiance for creating a generation, a partly weak and submissive otherwise resigning to the state of no return and the other, resisting the status quo which becomes the recruits for the forces challenging the dominance of the superior.

The end-result being the terrorists rejecting the foreign occupation and/or the anti-government rebels vs. the military industrial complex ‘supposedly’ representing the democracy.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s nomination along with the pre-meditated military coup and the subsequent army backed undemocratic election in Honduras are the recent demonstrations by the external forces, ironically entrusted with the diplomatic responsibility.

Another interesting yet unconvincing factor is the Pentagon being the most sophisticated military institution on the face of the earth with the capability to intercept the rogue spy satellite in 2008 and many other phenomenal challenges up until now,

Claimed to have been taken to task by the overzealous fundamentalists, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgents in possession of inferior artillery and resources by any means for the past eight years.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/359031/video-of-spy-satellite-getting-shot-down

“Lockheed Martin’s Aegis missile launches and successfully destroys the rogue spy satellite. This is a huge success for the Pentagon and the anti-missiles system.

The mission was simple. At 10:26PM EST, a standard missile 3 carrying a kinetic warhead was launched northwest of Hawaii from the USS Lake Eire, a Ticonderoga Class missile defense cruiser. 24 minutes later, at 10:50, the Joint Space Operations Center at the Vandenberg Air Force base confirmed the breakup of the satellite at 153 nautical miles above the Earth from a direct hit.

The video, however, shows that the direct kinetic hit has completely obliterated its target. Now the world can rest at peace. Until A542B, that asteroid ten times bigger than Texas, finally arrives.”

American taxpayers are currently funding two simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last nine and six years respectively. With no end in sight and mounting casualties on all sides, the combined U.S. and NATO combat and support troop level serving in Afghanistan is nearly 150,000 compared to the former Soviet Union occupied level at 120,000.

Further, it’s reportedly more than double the number since the former President George W. Bush left office. Ref: U.S. force in Afghanistan swells with support troops – Washington Post October 13, 2009.

In that perspective, the military industrial complex, the President of the United States and the legislators supporting the massive contingency owe a legitimate explanation to the following questions:

Considering the nine-year war in Afghanistan, why is the mission not accomplished?

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee statement on the eve of the Presidential speech regarding the troops commitment confirmed that the U.S. defense headed by Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the commander at that time Gen. Tommy Franks failed to execute an order to apprehend the terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden within the armed forces’ grasp at Tora Bora in 2001.

What was the real motive behind abandoning the apprehension of the terror leader Osama Bin Laden that could have not only prevented subsequent attacks in Bali, Indonesia, Riyadh, Jordan and several other locations but also debilitated the terror organizations around the globe?

Is it because Osama Bin Laden remaining at large was convenient for all concerned parties i.e.the military industrial complex, Pakistan receiving over $10 billion in U.S. aid for the “war on terror” that is unaccounted until date notwithstanding the re-emergence of Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan for the war games to persist?

What were the strategies at the beginning i.e. 2001 and What are they now?

If the war was unwinnable in the past nine years, what is the basis for the present victory speculation?

How do the legislators propose funding the war amid the heavily contested health care reform and the soaring unemployment?

While demanding drastic spending cuts on health care and economic stimulus,

Are the fiscal conservatives on the right and the left comfortable with the military spending $1 million per soldier per year to satisfy the Army Generals’ elaborate military plan in Afghanistan, not to mention the expense in Iraq as well?

If the war tax is being introduced to finance the MIC mission, who is picking up the tab and where are the anti-tax advocates and the small government proponents?

The Defense department being part of the federal government, the sprawling budget allocated for military expenditure comes right out of the American taxpayers wallet.

Aren’t the conservatives bothered by the ballooning national deficit and the burden on the next generations from the unmitigated Pentagon military extravaganza? When in fact, the illegal adventure in Iraq initiated the precipitous decline of the economy.

Is it going to be the top 10 percent absorbing the costs since the rest at the bottom already hit rock bottom given the economic woes ranging from the heath care and education costs exacerbated by the rising unemployment in the stagnant economy?

Any thoughts on the deteriorating morale and the escalating social crises detailed in the preceding article such as the suicides, the divorces and the systemic collapse of the family structure among the armed personnel. Is it even a matter of concern for those touting support from the comfort zones of the executive and legislative authority?

It’s well known that truth is the primary casualty during war and election.

Afghanistan’s corrupt government is an alibi now to quell the pervasive dissent in the United States and particularly Afghanistan. The fact of the matter is the Karzai government was the preferred choice for the MIC, the U.S. Secretary State and the Defense department.

The reason being, the beleaguered leader was conciliatory to the permanent occupation of the foreign troops all along and the details were published on this website under the article titled – Afghanistan war, troops request and election analysis.

Hence, it should come as no surprise when President Karzai’s appointment is falsely propagated as a ‘re-election’ in the absence of any election following the earlier fraudulent election results that was overwhelmingly rejected by the international community.

If the kingmakers in the Afghan deal were sincere, they would have moved heaven and earth to ensure free and fair elections yielding the desirable outcome i.e. the removal of the Karzai government riddled with corruption charges from the onset for the Afghan population.

Instead, the powerhouse decided to nominate (never re-elected) the worst possible choice for the oppressed Afghan people, in order to sustain the perpetual carnage, chaos and catastrophe for the Afghans and the U.S. as well as the NATO armed personnel.

There were even photo-ops with the U.S. Secretary of State as the ‘Foreign Policy expert,’ enthusiastically blessing the second term of the Karzai government during the recent inauguration, striking a resemblance to the former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld cordially greeted by the dictator Saddam Hussein during the official visit to Baghdad.

Similar scenario was carried out with the Honduran election. Orchestrating military coup, appointment of corrupt leaders with complete knowledge and recognition of despots as the heads of the government later transform into the mortal enemies for the United States and allies to justify the implementation of war.

When evaluating the credibility and the real purpose behind the alarmingly high troops presence i.e.. the existing U.S. troops 71,000 plus the new proposal 30,000 – 35,000 combined with the NATO alliance equals nearly 150,000 to contain the approximately 25,000 Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgents beckons reasoning with clear and honest submission of facts from the high command in the military industrial complex.

It’s rather hypocritical of the powerful entities constantly fearing self-mortality despite extraordinary security to treat other human lives as easily dispensable.

Troops withdrawal and not additional deployment is required to resolve the nearly decade old conflict.

Finally, It’s about time the military industrial complex confine to national defense and refrain from regional dominance.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under National and Global Security 

Comments

Got something to say?

You must be logged in to post a comment.