Take your pick. It is either one or the other. The net consequence for Afghans is the same.

I still must ask..What the hell is the point, again?

Me thinks, probably both sides. I am fine with that. That is the way things work, in reality.

Just sayin’…

The term “war pimp” is strong, but I would ask you to consider your position, especially in relation to those that see this war as racist, colonist nonsense.

One emotional reaction, does not make another such reaction correct.

You may not agree with others on this violent conflict, but things like threatening others to just “keep it up,” at least in reaction an emotional gut post, does not help your position.

We aren’t a democracy, thank the gods, we are a representative republic, trite to mention it, but important to remember.

Wikileaks’ materials are not falsifications, so far the government hasn’t denied anything they published, so please, enough with the trust our leaders thing, ok, it’s filling my head with Lee Greenwood while an imaginary bald eagle is pecking at my ear (an experience I find painful). While there might be mechanisms in place to bring politicians to justice, those mechanisms are often so hampered by political realities that render them almost farcical.

“People like Assange can do whatever they want, can act according to their own wills no matter which ideas or principles need to be left by the wayside.”

Umm.. yeah, can’t connect that phrase to many of our leaders, past and present?Not everyone in government is an alpha type, certainly, but plenty are and those people tend to do what they want. That’s just the nature of human society. Bringing this back to A-stan. Part of the problem in that country is due to a certain degenerate, bellicose Congressman from Texas who was looking for meaning in his life and doing what he wanted, secretly, with lots of other people’s money.

But while Cyrus is rooting for the GIRoA, ANA and ANP to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda, he is right that all of us [GIRoA, ANSF, UNAMA and 50 odd nation ISAF coalition] have to perform this task more competently.

Cyrus, check this briefing out:
http://thesop.org/story/world/2010/07/27/commander-explains-conditions-in-afghanistan.php
“in the last month, he said, there were 100 civilian casualties. Ninety percent of those casualties, he added, were caused by the insurgents. And in the past six months, the general said, no innocent civilians were killed by aerial bombings.”

To emphasize, this is “ONLY” in the 14 provinces of RC-East [Parwan, Panjir, Kapisa, Bamiyan, Wardak, Logar, Laghman, Nuristan, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktya, Khost, Paktika, Ghazni.] In some other parts of Afghanistan, the Taliban are causing less than 90% of all civilian casualties.

As you are probably aware, Cyrus, since 2001, several times as many Afghan civilians have been killed by pro GIRoA forces in traffic accidents as have been killed in ISAF air strikes. One of the largest priorities for MoI, MoD, and ISAF has been driver training for the ANSF, and pressuring ISAF contributing nations to drive better. Improved driving is the biggest reason for the drop in pro GIRoA caused Afghan civilian casualties in recent years.

Driving accidents have caused a lot of public anger at GIRoA/ANSF/ISAF, since ANP and ISAF drivers in the past have run away after accidents and not apologized to and provided compensation for the victims. GIRoA/ANSF/ISAF have handled victims from air strikes far better with top ANSF and ISAF commanding generals personally apologizing to the bereaved and distributing compensation.

Due to so many traffic accidents without redress, many Afghans feel as Cyrus does that Afghan Police, Afghan Army and ISAF don’t care about Afghans civilians and kill them callously.

Despite this, Cyrus, remember that Iran has no better ally and friend than President Karzai, the GIRoA, ANA and ANP. If the GIRoA is defeated, then the Taliban might capture nuclear weapons and unleash them against Shiite population centers [in addition to against Russia, Europe, North America and India.] Therefore, you should focus on ideas for how Iran and the international community can collaboratively work together to increase Afghan capacity and help the Afghans/GIRoA/ANSF defeat the Taliban.