Is Afghanistan a Lost Cause?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/asia/us-soldiers-told-to-ignore-afghan-allies-abuse-of-boys.html?src=recg&_r=0

So, we've propped up the Afghan Local Police (ALP) to protect villagers from the Taliban. Yet, some within the ALP get off on honor killings of young women for sexual transgressions while plowing the azzes of under-aged village boys for sport. It's my understanding that nearly 10,000 US service persons remain in Afghanistan and a few are starting to tell tales that the brass does not want publicized.

Updated On: 9/23/15 at 02:43 PM

It's all so convoluted to me.

We install the Afghan Local Police (ALP) because compared to the Taliban they represent the lesser to two evils, in principle. The ALP and US military commanders turn a blind eye to members of the ALP who delight in the mercy killing of any young girl who steals a kiss from a boy, that is while those same US-UK trained-overlords take time out from forcibly sodomizing poor young village boys for ****s & giggles. The latter past time is roundly denounced by the Taliban as counter to Sharia Law. Yet, those same Taliban Sharia Law adherents believe it's perfectly ok to douse acid in the faces of young girls seeking an education outside the home.

Moreover, we maintain a bizarre war on drugs domestically while allowing Afghan farmers to continue planting and harvesting poppy and cannabis at record levels. With the American & continental Europeans economies being what they are, we couldn't risk disrupting the world's leading opium & marijuana exchanges which would bankrupt several major commercial banks nearly overnight.

Finally, the most damning account is provided in the following article that highlights the cost of nation-building underwritten by US taxpayers. See http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/09/23/How-US-Wasted-Billions-Dollars-Rebuilding-Afghanistan

I'm all for the gov't clearing a path for NGOs to provide humanitarian aid to those in need of it, but in my heart & mind, nation-building, training warlords, and maintaining permanent military posts abroad, given our track record, is the height of insanity. Not one of my neocon friends can justify continued US military presence in Afghanistan.

What is the big payoff?

Updated On: 9/24/15 at 02:00 AM

Afghanistan has always been screwed up. It was screwed up before the Soviets stepped in (they just made it worse). It was screwed up before the U.S. stepped in (they just made it slightly less screwed up). It will be screwed up long after the U.S. has left. I really don't know what the answer is, but I sincerely hope they get their sh!t together someday.