America's Afghanistan Withdrawal Should Be Accelerated?

America’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Should Be Accelerated?
Written by Paul I. Adujie


Osama was a Frankenstein of America‘s creation some thirty years ago; A vicious dog created by America, for her purposes and for her benefits and so-called geopolitical vital and strategic interests

The point or one of the points made in an article titled "Dead At Last, Dead At Last" was that Osama Was A Vicious Dog Trained by the Americans for their fight with the former Soviet Union, then the dog turned it's ferocity and violence on it's trainers and trainers children.

We should wrestle with lions because of the obvious risks that we may end up in the lion's stomach as lunch, routine lunch,lions are ferocious and dangerous by nature!

And now, in less than a week after the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, the dins of cries of “Obama, Bring American Troops Home, We Need The Money!” is rising to higher and higher decibels! Conservatives and Liberals seem agreed and almost unanimously in sync on this point.

The argument is that Osama Bin Laden is the linchpin and was at the command and control of Al Qaeda, now that the head of the hydra headed snake has been cut.

Many now say, that the hierarchy, or other heads of Al Qaeda are running for their dear lives and engaged in self-preservation or that they are now essentially, in survival mode, and further that they no longer have taste for deathly confrontations and nocturnal noisy helicopters and boisterous visits from US Navy Seals Team 6.

Osama Bin Laden the head coach is dead and the team is a leadership-leaderless quandary and demoralized, it is time to bring the troops home, is a legitimate and valid argument. 150,000 American troops pursuing 100 Al Qaeda operatives is not cost-efficient or cost-effective!

Particularly so, as this has gone on for so long in Afghanistan, while Osama was actually sauntering Abbottabad in Pakistan in an open secret plain sight sorts of way, and not in some caves!

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has deployed it’s military assets and coordinates in Afghanistan in pursuit of the Taliban and Al Qaeda and then, subsequently engaged in the needless invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Former President George W. Bush’s administration argued adamantly that Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda were acting in cahoots, hand-in-hand and or acting in conspiracy and in concert in coordinated, orchestrated and choreographed manners to inflict terrorism and extremist Islam on the world.

The world has since learned that these spurious assertions by President Bush and the suggested tenuous connections between Osama, Saddam and Al Qaeda were lies and unfounded falsehoods; but these wars which ensued, the wars were based on these lies, continues, with foreseeable unintended consequences for all

The American government in these military endeavors or so-called global wars on terror, have overextended American resources, financially, militarily and strategically!

We believe now, as we stated at the onset of the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, that it was a war of choice and a self-destructive quagmire and debacle. It was and it still is, a self-serving needless war, in which trillions of dollars have been squandered. A clear case of poverty of ideas! A squander of blood and treasures! Trillions of dollars squandered over these years, and trillions enough to end and banish poverty globally!

There remains no verifiable evidence of democratization of Iraq as such. Another 100 years perhaps?

Iraq has instead, become more fractious politically and deeply divided along ethnic and religious affiliations, without a wellspring of democracy as promised by the invaders and occupiers over ten years ago, as predicated and factored, and notably, there were no dirty-bombs or Weapons of Mass Destruction or WMD to be found in Iraq

The only semblance of hopes for democracy in the Middle East and North Africa, Arabia and Persia, is the so-called Arab Spring which is ongoing.

Arab Spring is a conglomeration of peaceful demonstrations or protests in many Middle Easter nations demanding democratization, political and economic reforms and more individual civil liberties and freedoms across the board

Expedient and myopic imperialistic policies have unintended consequences... with the guilty and innocents suffering ... Palestine is waiting for a No Fly Zone or political independence and nationhood and freedoms! That is the next item or should be, on President Obama's agenda; we hope at least!

It is thought that a combination of factors should cause for positive seismic shift in the intractable and internecine conflicts in the Middle East. The death of Osama Bin Laden combined with political uprising or the so-called Arab Spring or the call for democratization, appears to be the foundation of a new era, or a paradigm shift.

A new dawn may be upon the world, and this new dawn should be harnessed to broker lasting peace and security in the world, particularly in the Middle East and or Islamic nations of Arabia, Persia, North Africa and South East Asia etc.

And, the ground zero or the epicenter of such new dawn, is Palestine! Nationhood for Palestine territories is job one, should be job one!

This will afford dignity and restoration of humanity to Palestinians. It is the case, that Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremists and even moderates, have justified, and explained angst and violence through the prisms of the plights and predicaments of Palestine and Palestinians.

The Americans and Israelis have for the most part insisted on a zero sum game in which they adamantly persist in stating and restating unyielding rejections of they the Americans and Israelis see as attempt justifications, explanations or excuses for terrorism.

Well reasoned, well thought out or articulated policies, could finally steal the thunder and take the wind out of the sails, of these justifications, explanations or excuses for terrorism!

In direct contrasts and as opposed to the usual, perennial or age-old worn out policies based on expediencies. Expediencies as policies have become antiquated and archaic.

Expediencies have become lunacy, which in effect encourages the repeated practice of policies which offend others and have elicited undesirable outcomes for us;

Even as we persist in these expediencies unchallenged, but expecting different reactions or hoping to use our military might to beat others in conformity or compliance with our desires, without a care for their own aspirations!

There are multitudes and plethora of evidence and arguments which seeks establish, or actually establishes the amorphous nature of terrorists and so-called enemy combatants, the are fleeting, fluid and at times even flimsy.

There are no defined enemies or battle fronts.

What then, if there were a change of outlook and mindsets or perspectives, to the effect that the contentious issues, the so-called justifications, explanations and excuses are successfully tackled, dismantled solved or resolved? What if the world seizes this new opportunity to have fair and balanced policy informed by equity and justice, as opposed to lopsided policies which favor one group over others?

It is the case that seasoned military experts have argued strenuously and repeatedly, that military victory over terrorism will be impossible or at the minimum, it would be long drawn-out.

And there have been admixtures of military operations and a combination of nation-building coupled with the so-called wining-hearts-and-minds campaign.

It seems to me, that military operations which employs solely military assets and coordinates, with the sole expectation of uproarious military victories through Shock-and-Awe is forlorn, a blond-ambition.

It would remain an endless global war on terror which will dissipate and deplete American power globally.

The endless war on terror has distracted, if not derailed American economic and developmental priorities and national sense.

Empires, have historically self-destruct, immolate and implode-explode economically-financially-militarily, when such empires overextends itself and in overreaches, America nears and dangles precariously in that precipice.

There are 15 million Americans who are still unemployed and there have 4 million mortgaged homes in America foreclosed upon by banks in the past couple of years. In plain English many Americans are stranded and in dire circumstances on the home-front, while trillions of dollars have been frittered away in foreign battle fronts!

America’s involvements in three foreign wars, with a domestic economic debacle and distress to boot!

It is hoped that the death of Osama Bin Laden should initiate an attitude shift or change. But, I worry that the death of Osama Bin Laden does cause a resort to triumphal, bashful, boastful, gloating and gleeful complacency.

Such attitude may be perceived as arrogance which will in turn animate others and may lead them to resort vengeful actions warranting more reactions and the cycle of violence would continue, the situation will sorts of feed off, of each other endlessly.

Upon the revelation of the news of Osama Bin Laden’s assassination, Americans have been jubilant and celebratory, but, I think there should be every efforts to avoid the three Gs gloating, giddy and gleeful as these could lead to further unpleasantness for everyone, such as retaliations, reprisals and revenge which would just ensure that the cycle of violence continues!

And some have argued that the possibility of reprisals as reasons to maintain the current troops levels in Afghanistan

Happily, President Obama has set the right tone and poise in the aftermath of Osama Bin Laden demise. President Obama struck a cord with his somber circumspection and reflections during his visits to New York City, no gloating, no “Mission Accomplished” and no victory laps!


Attacks on September 11, 2001 killed 2,976 persons on American soil; meanwhile, the wars which were lunched in retaliations, reprisals and revenge against those suspected of inflicting those attack on September 11, 2001, the United States military has lost 6002, which is twice the number of those killed on September 11, 2001 and the United States has similarly spent or squandered over $5trillion dollars on the so-called global war on terror.

Thousands are dead, maimed, deformed, displaced and dislocated, many families are ruined by these conflicts and returning soldiers suffer brain injuries and PTSD etc; with long lasting effects and agonizing consequences for America, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan etc

There are allegedly 100 full time, active core members of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and conversely, there are about 150, 000 United States military personnel in Afghanistan, exclusive of civilians contractors doing military work, and this;

Also this is exclusive and does not include, operatives of Central Intelligence Agency, and other members of the American Intelligence Community. Similarly, there have been over 200,000 Americans troops serving in the invasion and occupation of Iraq

Here we are, one week after the death or killing of Osama Been Hiding, it can be revealed that he was hiding in plain sight. And that there were massive intelligence failures. Mammoth intelligence failures of the highest magnitudes!

There were no ultramodern caves in the tribal areas or Waziristan mountains with formations fortified by sophisticated elite units of Al Qaeda Republican Guards!

Osama Been Hiding, has in fact not lived in Afghanistan since his sightings while doing a duet with Elvis in Tora-Bora on the way to Helmand

Pakistan is the highest foreign aid recipient from the United States outside Israel or apart from Israel. The bulk of American aid to Pakistan is hinged on Pakistan’s cooperation and partnership with America on her so-called global war on terror.

And yet, events of the past week has revealed Pakistan as either completely incompetent, inept, duplicitous and grossly inefficient or a combination of all these!

Many American officials, public affairs commentators and sundry analysts are wondering loudly and publicly, how it was possible for Osama Bin Laden to have lived in Abbottabad, hiding in plain sight in a Garrison town comparable to West Point or Camp LeJeune and Pendleton, and so, complicity or incompetence, duplicity or ineptitude, double dealing and double crossing have been leveled against Pakistan. Is it probable that Pakistan was in connivance and collusion with Osama and Al Qaeda?

Osama Is Dead, Al Qaeda is in disarray, and other extremist groups are probably fearful, bring the troops home, save money, and save the long suffering and now harried American troops in hostile environments