Comments on: Who Lost Afghanistan? http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/ Firedoglake weblog Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:23:24 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: boba http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1241118 boba Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:46:03 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1241118 <p>Read recently that one of the main reasons for the Russian invasion was that the Soviet allied leader at the time had ordered that everyone in the country had the right to education including girls in rural areas. Pashtuns and others wedded to the past couldn’t handle that and started bombing Kabul attempting to overthrow such a radical modern government. Rather than aiding that Russian effort at humanitarian relief we instead armed the very groups most responsible for the overthrow and eventual takeover by the Taliban. Good God!!</p> Read recently that one of the main reasons for the Russian invasion was that the Soviet allied leader at the time had ordered that everyone in the country had the right to education including girls in rural areas. Pashtuns and others wedded to the past couldn’t handle that and started bombing Kabul attempting to overthrow such a radical modern government. Rather than aiding that Russian effort at humanitarian relief we instead armed the very groups most responsible for the overthrow and eventual takeover by the Taliban. Good God!!

]]> By: cinnamonape http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1241115 cinnamonape Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:43:56 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1241115 <blockquote><p>Aren’t drugs like percocet, ocycodone, codeine, etc opiate-based? Where do the companies that make these drugs get their opiate base from?</p></blockquote> <p>Turkey, I think. Goes back to arrangements in the 1960’s as part of the Cold War.</p>

Aren’t drugs like percocet, ocycodone, codeine, etc opiate-based? Where do the companies that make these drugs get their opiate base from?

Turkey, I think. Goes back to arrangements in the 1960’s as part of the Cold War.

]]> By: amghru http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1241053 amghru Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:39:26 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1241053 <p>Then we will all be arrested and held indefinately as enemy combatants without habeas corpus.</p> Then we will all be arrested and held indefinately as enemy combatants without habeas corpus.

]]> By: Steve-AR http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240945 Steve-AR Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:29:21 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240945 <p>I think legislative cover will be provided that enough of the Bush Dogs will go along with the Thugs to add up to 60 votes. At least ten Dems wanted to vote for immunity they just got put in a bad position, when Mitch over played his hand. Will Harry support immunity..no..will voting on some amendments allow the Bush Dogs to vote for cloture..yes..and it makes me sick.</p> I think legislative cover will be provided that enough of the Bush Dogs will go along with the Thugs to add up to 60 votes. At least ten Dems wanted to vote for immunity they just got put in a bad position, when Mitch over played his hand. Will Harry support immunity..no..will voting on some amendments allow the Bush Dogs to vote for cloture..yes..and it makes me sick.

]]> By: Hugh http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240944 Hugh Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:28:44 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240944 <p>No, but empires have a predictable arc of expansion, maintenance, and decline. Waging war against a part is or can be a part of all three phases.</p> No, but empires have a predictable arc of expansion, maintenance, and decline. Waging war against a part is or can be a part of all three phases.

]]> By: Knut http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240941 Knut Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:27:17 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240941 <p>That book is After Tamerlane (Oxford Press 2007). Mental block stops me from giving the author’s name. I read the book last summer, but gave the copy to my mother to read when I discovered that it won’t be publisheds in the US until February (I guess that’s tomorrow!). This is a spectacular book. The best history I have ever read of that part of the world and its periphery India, China and Europe). It is spectacular. Hopefully the reviews will be out this spring. It’s a transforming read.</p> That book is After Tamerlane (Oxford Press 2007). Mental block stops me from giving the author’s name. I read the book last summer, but gave the copy to my mother to read when I discovered that it won’t be publisheds in the US until February (I guess that’s tomorrow!). This is a spectacular book. The best history I have ever read of that part of the world and its periphery India, China and Europe). It is spectacular. Hopefully the reviews will be out this spring. It’s a transforming read.

]]> By: Hugh http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240939 Hugh Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:25:23 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240939 <blockquote><p>not accusing anyone . . . Do you still think Reid is planning to surrender when he calls McConnell’s offer “ludicrous?”</p></blockquote> <p>I think you have to distinguish between process, politics, and substance. Reid says he is against immunity for telecoms but structured the vote in the Senate to facilitate the passage of the version that contained that immunity. What happened is that Dodd came up with a bomb shell with his question about germane amendments in December that caused Reid to withdraw the Intel version in order to protect it and its immunity grant. In January, Reid again tried to help get this version which the Republicans supported passed but McConnell overplayed his hand. Harry is miffed about how things happened but was and probably still is ready to support passage of the Intel version.</p>

not accusing anyone . . . Do you still think Reid is planning to surrender when he calls McConnell’s offer “ludicrous?”

I think you have to distinguish between process, politics, and substance. Reid says he is against immunity for telecoms but structured the vote in the Senate to facilitate the passage of the version that contained that immunity. What happened is that Dodd came up with a bomb shell with his question about germane amendments in December that caused Reid to withdraw the Intel version in order to protect it and its immunity grant. In January, Reid again tried to help get this version which the Republicans supported passed but McConnell overplayed his hand. Harry is miffed about how things happened but was and probably still is ready to support passage of the Intel version.

]]> By: Fractal http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240936 Fractal Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:19:06 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240936 <p>I restarted faxing this morning, sent thank you’s to half of the Dems who voted against cloture on the FISA Surveillance bill on Monday, asked them to support Dodd’s & Feingold’s fight against retroactive immunity. So, Reid’s insistence that Dodd get a vote sounds good to me.</p> I restarted faxing this morning, sent thank you’s to half of the Dems who voted against cloture on the FISA Surveillance bill on Monday, asked them to support Dodd’s & Feingold’s fight against retroactive immunity. So, Reid’s insistence that Dodd get a vote sounds good to me.

]]> By: Fractal http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240920 Fractal Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:08:03 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240920 <p>not accusing anyone . . . Do you still think Reid is planning to surrender when he calls McConnell’s offer “ludicrous?”</p> not accusing anyone . . . Do you still think Reid is planning to surrender when he calls McConnell’s offer “ludicrous?”

]]> By: Steve-AR http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240913 Steve-AR Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:03:40 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/31/who-lost-afghanistan/#comment-1240913 <p>It was not done for “editorial” reasons but to avoid copying too much the text, which is frowned upon. That is why the link was provided.</p> It was not done for “editorial” reasons but to avoid copying too much the text, which is frowned upon. That is why the link was provided.

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