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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDead Soldier's Words Have Some Questioning War in Afghanistan
By John Woodrow Cox
Tampa Bay Times
Published: Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 10:21 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 10:21 a.m.
The sun had just crept above the tree line over the Arghandab Valley in Afghanistan when Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Sitton reached the far side of the dirt road.
The day before, engineers had been clearing a path when one of them stepped on a buried explosive. One had died, four others had been injured. Staff Sgt. Michael Herne and his men had guarded the scene overnight.
At 6 a.m. the next day, Aug. 2, Sitton took over.
"All right," Herne told his platoon mate, "I'm going to sleep."
http://www.theledger.com/article/20120930/NEWS/120939991/1410?Title=Dead-Soldier-s-Words-Have-Some-Questioning-War-in-Afghanistan
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)Seeing my friends die for seemingly pointless reasons would disturb me greatly.
My spouse's death would probably send me over edge.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)...Amazing human being ...gone.
What ARE we doing in Afghanistan, anyway?
zonkers
(5,865 posts)BlueinOhio
(238 posts)To steal oil. Large deposit found while Nixon was in Whitehouse. Democratically elected president killed (some say by CIA) country thrown into civil war. They had a treaty with Russia that went bach further than 1600s. We were going to go halvsies with China then. Remember Nixon's trip there and the whole tree planting deal? Needed plausible excuse to invade. 911 committed by saudis but we attack Afghanistan bin laden obviously was in Pakistan. Reagan's freedom fighters bought by cia tied to bush sr none other than osama bin laden. After uss cole attacked bush sr told clinton not to go after bin laden. Whole silk road oil deal had another glitch though Enron was supposed to build pipeline. In the end though it looks like China is going to end up with the oil. In a nutshell. Did research paper in college why we did not participate in the olympics when they were in Russia. We need to bring our guys home but the Afghanistan people need to have help getting their country back.
progressivebydesign
(19,458 posts)unfortunately, because Bush committed us to the region, and his fucked up policies destabilized things, our current Admin KNOWS that if we pull out unilaterally, the Taliban will get control again. And once again, it will lead to more terrorism, and instability in the region.
The President and his advisors are not there to "steal oil" or do anything but leave in a manner that will not doom the people there to a Taliban regime... a stronger Middle East is better for everyone.
patrice
(47,992 posts)themselves sooner, TTE, "What would I and all other Americans commit ourselves to body and soul forever if the Afghan military was on American soil?"
OldDem2012
(3,526 posts)...as a former vet, I find any war fought without any redeeming purpose to be a total waste.
It's been a while since we fought a real war like that. I believe WWII was the last such war.
patrice
(47,992 posts)cr8tvlde
(1,185 posts)like it was yesterday and one good thing came of it ... Americans and the world were faced, literally, with a burning, screaming child representing a senseless war, and demanded it come to an end. It was the tipping point.
Staff Sgt. Sitton's is a gripping story and another senseless death. Let us hope it can bring home our soldiers...in short order.
RIP.
Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)We can't look like wimps on national defense. So we continue the lies, and the programs that trample our own civil rights all in the name of being tough on terror. We won't stop it. No amount of lives are too many to look tough on terror.
James48
(4,436 posts)bring my brothers and sisters home.
Now.
Freedomofspeech
(4,225 posts)and Amen.
patrice
(47,992 posts)Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)Afghanistan, like Iraq, has become a mission without a purpose. We are there, because we don't dare leave and admit defeat. We can't do warfighting, or even community outreach, because the enemy controls the towns, villages, and cities. We have the soldiers stand around and wait to die. Worse, stories from soldiers returning tell me the Army is demoralized, and disheartened. I would repeat all the stories told, one vet to another, but they would depress you beyond belief.
Why are we there? Because we don't want to look weak to Rethugs. If we sacrifice enough young people to the gods of war, the morons who think that is good will like us. We know we're losing, and we know we've lost. We know it was beyond foolish to go, and we know it is beyond stupid to remain. Yet we will remain, and keep sending young men and women to die, because that is better than being wimps on national defense.
Perhaps the second term will be different, but I doubt it. After all, we wouldn't shut down Guantanamo Bay's torture camp either. We wouldn't restrict Rendition, illegal wiretaps, or Fast and Furious. We are desperate to look tough, and we don't care how many die at the alter of macho.