Boots on the Ground

[StLucieBengal]

(05-16-2015, 11:46 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I've been to Afghanistan and there is absolutely nothing there that would be advantageous to us. Unless we have a shortage of dirt and rocks.

There has always been a fight for Afghanistan. A battle for who controls the opium.

Plus you have the heartland theory and rimland theory at play throughout as well.

[BmorePat87]

(05-16-2015, 09:48 PM)bfine32 Wrote: These "kind of groups" were there long before we showed up. We just brought the cameras.

The West showed up over 100 years ago. Before that, the Turks (the Ottoman Empire) were occupying them.

So, yea, they have been there for longer than the US itself has been there, but continuing to do what other forces have done for a long time makes them flourish. They have so many recruits because we keep killing their mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters.

[*bfine32*]

Why do folks make things up? We didn’t invade Afghanistan to meddle, mine trillions of dollars of minerals, control the opium trade, or to kill mothers. We went to Afghanistan because we were invited:

[Belsnickel]

(05-17-2015, 11:27 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why do folks make things up? We didn’t invade Afghanistan to meddle, mine trillions of dollars of minerals, control the opium trade, or to kill mothers. We went to Afghanistan because we were invited:

No one in this thread said we went into Afghanistan for any reason other than 9/11.

[Benton]

(05-17-2015, 11:27 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why do folks make things up? We didn’t invade Afghanistan to meddle, mine trillions of dollars of minerals, control the opium trade, or to kill mothers. We went to Afghanistan because we were invited:

We were invited because the instability caused to mining operations. Since the 70s or 80s, both Russia and the US have supplied resources and dollars, and at times military support, to Afghanistan because of what is under the soil. We weren't invited until after the attack because they weren't an economic issue before.

[*bfine32*]

I will say there appears to be quite a few Rand Paul supporters in this thread.

[BmorePat87]

Cute straw man

[StLucieBengal]

(05-17-2015, 11:27 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why do folks make things up? We didn’t invade Afghanistan to meddle, mine trillions of dollars of minerals, control the opium trade, or to kill mothers. We went to Afghanistan because we were invited:

I didn't say that we went there for opium. Just stating that the area has been valuable for generations because of the opium trade.

[GMDino]

(05-17-2015, 11:27 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why do folks make things up? We didn’t invade Afghanistan to meddle, mine trillions of dollars of minerals, control the opium trade, or to kill mothers. We went to Afghanistan because we were invited:

No...that would be Iraq.

[Steeler Eater]

(05-16-2015, 11:54 PM)Benton Wrote: Does that include the $1-2$2 trillion in natural resources mined from there by us companies in the last decade-ish?

This. Don't forget that because we are there, we are blocking the Chinese from doing the exact same thing. Here is an article from 2010 that states there is 1 trillion dollars worth, not countin te stuff we were already mining. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/world/asia/14minerals.html?referrer=&_r=0

[Steeler Eater]

(05-16-2015, 09:46 PM)bfine32 Wrote: We didn't cause anything; we simply brought it to the light of day. I have witnessed the aftermath of a 9-year old girl mutilated simply because she had the nerve to try to go to school. I have had to witness dog fights to the death as sport. Not trained Pit Bulls, but just whatever mongrel Haji could get his hands on. I have had to resist the strong urge to stomp the ass of all in attendance. I have had to dodge IEDs emplaced by people that we had just brought medical aid to.

I could share hundreds of other stories.  

It was a simpler life before we exposed the atrocities that go on over there on a daily basis; but there is no way we caused it.

Let me start off by thanking you for your service. My post was talking about Iraq and Syria, not Afghanistan. I probably should have clarified that from the get go. We meddled in Iraq by taking down Saddam and supplying weapons to Syrian rebels and allowed the Wild West to be created, even though the evil dictators had control of their countries. We may not have liked all of the practices that they implemented, but they ruled by fear and kept their people in check. Since we more than contributed to the half a million Iraqi deaths during the war, we are now dealing with the repercussions and have only ourselves to blame for turning the hate towards ourselves.

[JSR18]

I see the major problem as we simply left too early. Coupled with the fact that we advertised what date we were "leaving". Iraq was in no way, shape or form capable of taking care of itself.

Unfortunately, the only way to keep Iraq stable would have been to keep a permanent presence in that country and others around it capable of putting out any hot spots.

Kinda like we still have posts in Germany...

[Bengalzona]

(05-17-2015, 12:17 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Do you have any type of link as to where the US has mined $1-2$ Trillion dollars of natural resources from Afghanistan since we started "meddling"?

From what I heard, China was wheeling and dealing to buy up all of Afghanistan's mineral rights.

Real grateful blokes, these Afghanis, eh.

[*bfine32*]

(05-18-2015, 09:55 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: From what I heard, China was wheeling and dealing to buy up all of Afghanistan's mineral rights.

Real grateful blokes, these Afghanis, eh.

I have little doubt that it is there. My 1st time there in 2004 there was already talk of how rich the area is in Copper and Lithium. I was just surprised to learn that we had been mining it for the last decade at a profit of $1-2 Trillion Dollars.

FWIW, I hope the Chinese buy up all the mineral rights. Let them worry about securing such sites. These folks are so backwards that they attack NGOs that are just there to try to bring them drinkable water.

[fredtoast]

(05-17-2015, 11:27 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Why do folks make things up? We didn’t invade Afghanistan to meddle, mine trillions of dollars of minerals, control the opium trade, or to kill mothers. We went to Afghanistan because we were invited:

And what were the two main reasons Bin Laden cited for attacking the United States?.........U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and the United States support for Israel.


You need to learn some history.

[*bfine32*]

(05-20-2015, 12:15 AM)fredtoast Wrote: And what were the two main reasons Bin Laden cited for attacking the United States?.........U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and the United States support for Israel.


You need to learn some history.

....he also said the Bush was more concerned with reading his storybooks to children that he was about the attacks on the WTC.

I guess we all have folks that we take at their word. Your choice is surprising.

No doubt you know more about the history because you read about it. I only experienced it,

[Belsnickel]

(05-20-2015, 12:26 AM)bfine32 Wrote: No doubt you know more about the history because you read about it. I only experienced it,

So, you have been in the region for over a century?

[StLucieBengal]

They are pissed about everything. But Sykes-Picot really pushed this thing into high gear. Then all the arming we did throughout time. They have a point but they also behave like savages.... Well at least a significant portion of them do in that area.

[*bfine32*]

(05-20-2015, 07:38 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: So, you have been in the region for over a century?

Not sure the reason for the question, but no I have not been in the region for over a century; however, I can tell you very little has changed in that country over the last 100 years. I was also unaware that it could only be considered history if it was 100 years or greater.

I have had a peek behind the curtain. Have you?

[Belsnickel]

(05-20-2015, 01:07 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Not sure the reason for the question, but no I have not been in the region for over a century; however, I can tell you very little has changed in that country over the last 100 years. I was also unaware that it could only be considered history if it was 100 years or greater.

You said you experienced the history of the U.S. and other western involvement in the region that led to the animosity against us. In order to experience that history you would have had to have been there for it. That's over a century of western meddling before you were there.