Politablog

The founder of WikiLeaks defends releasing tens of thousands of secret files about the war in Afghanistan.

Michael Steele has come under recent criticism from almost everyone for comments he made last week. He essentially said that the war in Afghanistan is now a “war of Obama’s choosing” and that the US troops will fail.

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In a bold new offensive, US and NATO forces are turning to Afghan militias for help. More feared than the Taliban, and wearing the weapons and impunity of the US army – have they created a monster?

A NATO airstrike killed at least 27 civilians in central Afghanistan, the third time a mistaken coalition strike has killed noncombatants since the start of a major offensive in the south aimed at winning over the population. (Feb. 22)

The Joker, the nickname given by the crew to one of the 72 ton, 40 foot long Assault Breacher Vehicles. “The Joker” is seeing its first combat duty in Operation Cobra’s Anger in Afghanistan. ABV’s are fitted with a plow and nearly 7,000 pounds of explosives. The Breachers are the Marines Corps’ answer to the deadliest threat facing United States and NATO troops in Afghanistan, thousands of land mines and roadside bombs aka improvised explosive devices, that litter the Afghan Taliban region.

When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains, and the women come out to cut up what remains, jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains and go to your gawd like a soldier.

-Rudyard Kipling

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism have reduced the pace of military transformation and have revealed our lack of preparation for defensive and stability operations. This Administration has overextended our military.

-Barack Obama

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