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October 13, 2009
Obama Ready to Pay Afghan Fighters to Ditch the Taliban
The Obama administration is considering outbidding the Taliban to persuade Afghan villagers to lay down arms as it struggles to find a new approach to a war that is fast losing public and congressional support.
Despite five war councils in two weeks, President Barack Obama has so far failed to come up with a strategy for the conflict that may define his presidency. Fierce infighting continues between his own generals and advisers.
Obama has been handed three options by General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the US forces in Afghanistan. These range from 20,000 to 60,000 more troops, which would almost double the US military presence. McChrystal is said to favour an increase of 40,000 men, without which he warns the mission will fail.
The White House is uneasy about sending so many on top of an extra 21,000 already dispatched this year, fearing this could escalate the war which has already claimed the lives of 241 American soldiers this year.
Obama’s delay in coming to a decision has led generals to warn that the Taliban will see it as lack of resolve and take advantage. The Taliban stepped up attacks last week with a bomb in Kabul, which killed 17 people, and an onslaught against a US military post in which eight Americans died.
Anthony Zinni is one of a number of retired generals who have taken to the airwaves insisting more troops should be sent. “The risk if you take too much time is you look like you’re dithering and both our allies and enemies will wonder if we’re really committed,” he warned.
The president is reportedly frustrated that the debate has become polarised between those who want to send more troops and their critics, who say it would lead to another Vietnam. They advocate more reliance on drones and special forces.
Leslie Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, argues that the president has only himself to blame. “It was Obama who insisted in March and again last month that this was a ‘war of necessity’ and must be fully resourced rather than looking at what we really have at stake in Afghanistan.”
One official said the key emphasis in the White House meetings had been to identify options that would prepare the way for American troops to leave. Apart from training more Afghan troops, the focus has shifted to accepting a political role for the Taliban, while also trying to weaken them by winning some over.
Afghans are known for changing sides back and forth during their long years of war — there is an old saying that “you can rent an Afghan but never buy one” — and battles have often been decided by defections rather than combat.
Paying Taliban foot-soldiers to switch sides could spare US lives and save money, say its advocates. A recent report by the Senate foreign relations committee estimated the Taliban fighting strength at 15,000, of whom only 5% are committed idealogues while 70% fight for money — the so-called $10-a-day Taliban. Doubling this to win them over would cost just $300,000 a day, compared with the $165m a day the United States is spending fighting the war.
The tactic was used to good effect in Iraq where the US government put 100,000 Sunni gunmen on its payroll for about $300 a month each.
Some experts disagree. Gilles Dorronsoro from the Carnegie Institute insisted: “You cannot break an insurgency that strong with money. It’s not a mercenary force — it’s a very powerful movement.”
More troops, say McChrysal’s allies, could tip the balance of power away from the insurgents and give the population the confidence needed to switch sides.
McChrystal had his knuckles rapped for failing to go through the chain of command when he described advocates of a focused attack on Al-Qaeda as “short-sighted”. He was told to cancel a trip to Washington to brief Obama.
One serving general close to McChrystal told The Sunday Times he has been taken aback by the White House’s attitude. “It surprised a lot of us — we thought the policy decision was made to come down on the counter-insurgency course of action.”
The source described as “crazy” the idea that “we can just cut deals with the Taliban without having to do anything”.
He added: “At the moment you can’t recruit from Pashtun communities or their families will be killed, so we need to first improve security.”
The Pentagon insists that not sending more troops would signal a lack of resolve and give the enemy the opportunity to regain the initiative.
Obama has scheduled further talks for this week. But it has not gone unnoticed among his generals that among the works of art chosen by the Obamas to hang in the White House is Edward Ruscha’s painting about indecision, I Think I’ll ... The picture superimposes phrases such as “maybe ... yes”, “maybe ... no” and “wait a minute” on top of a blood-red sunset.
Wild Thing's comment....
So what happens when you stop paying the Taliban or does Obama plan on paying them forever. And since Obama is a Muslim he will never say the truth, that Muslims LIE, they are taught that in the Koran. So one can NEVER believe a Muslim.
Might as well say we are going to fund terrorism.
Obama thinks he can buy the Taliban the way he bought blacks in this country...with promises of government money. Every so often he has to come out and hand them a few thousand dollars (such as in Detroit the other day) and he thinks this will be the same.
Posted by Wild Thing at October 13, 2009 06:55 AM
Comments
I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT I AM READING!!!!!
I'm serious guys - Unless America & the coalition start fighting these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with less regard to civilian losses, bomb the poppy fields to smithereens, and stop supporting corrupt leaders like Karzai, we are going to LOSE! We NEED to bring our troops back home NOW! Not one more American life is worth this crap. Here's a question for you guys....
What were these warlords & dictators doing before we intervened? Huh? Yeah that's right....they were busy killing each other. They were doing that before the Russian invasion too. BUT, as soon as foreign soldiers enter a muslim land it acts as a catalyst, a call to arms to drive the Infidel out. They start co-operating with one another and targeting any government within their lands who co-operate with foreign forces. That is why Pakistan is set to fall if they keep up with their bombing campaign and targeting the Pakistani Army,Police and Government officials. We should pull out and let them get back to what they do best.............fighting and squabbling amongst themselves! I say we pour ALL our resources & energies into homegrown terrorism and border control....what say you?
Posted by: Lyn in Australia at October 13, 2009 08:00 AM
Afghanistan is known as the graveyard of empires -we are going to be next if we keep fighting these turds like a bunch of pussies!!! Patton must be rolling in his grave right about now!
Posted by: Lyn in Australia at October 13, 2009 08:03 AM
Even if we did pay the 'Tollyban' where would they spend the money. It's not like there a Cadalac dealership on every corner and Wal-Marts galore everwhere in Afghanistan. Typical Chicago tactic buy off your enemy.
So now we are resorting bribes and payola, to make some headway in Afghanistan. This administration doesn't know history either. What ever happened to 'Not one penny for tribute.'
Oh hell thats right its not Tribute, its a bribe.
This is a joke right ? The whole world is trying to de-value the dollar, what is a dollar going to be worth over there in 6 months.
When obama said, he would do anything to defend this country, I guess he was talking about paying off our enemies. And what if that doesn't work ,you asshole ?
I got to say, even the Taliban has higher standards than obama.
Posted by: Mark at October 13, 2009 08:42 AM
They would spend the money on more weapons - or they would funnel the money straight back to their Taliban pals Mark. You are dealing with religious fanatics - not the boyz in da hood!
Posted by: Lyn in Australia at October 13, 2009 08:58 AM
Instead of trying to bribe the Taliban, we should be "making them an offer they can't refuse".
Posted by: Rick at October 13, 2009 09:35 AM
Where have you gone President Thomas Jefferson? Yeah - used our U.S. Marines to fight the Barbary Pirates in the 1800's in our FIRST war on terror!
By the way, we are all INFIDELS unless we submit to Islam and pay the tax. Tonight on PBS watch FRONTLINE to see what is and isn't going on in Afghanistan (imbedded reporters) with our Leathernecks! www.pbs.org/frontline
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at October 13, 2009 09:44 AM
The war in Afghanistan started in New York and Washington D.C!
Unless we make the rulers of Muslim countries willing to bestir themselves and hunt down Mullahs who preach Mohammad’s strategy of submission of the infidels everyone will be subject to attacks by the Muslims. They will collect taxes and be happy but they will grow dissatisfied and the young bucks will attack even when it makes their own countries poorer. This is the Muslim Way, Sharia
Posted by: Avitar at October 13, 2009 11:09 AM
Dhimmitude!!!
Posted by: Jack at October 13, 2009 11:56 AM
Lyn - you make very good points. We need to ditch the ROEs and fight to destroy the Taliban or get out and let them go back to fighting each other.
obama probably has no idea what he is doing. Paying off the Taliban is a crazy idea. Of course, it would be taxpayers money used and obama has shown a gleeful enjoyment in spending other people's money.
Posted by: TomR at October 13, 2009 12:23 PM
In following Obama's indecisiveness on Afghanistan I remembered something in a Wisdom book--Sun Bear's Dancing with the Wheel. I went to it and was reminded that we are in the Ducks Fly Moon, September 23-October 23, and that the animal totem is Raven. Wow! Obama is Raven who was born white and turned black (Indians consider the mother as the parent of importance, so he would have been a white man to them). Some of the things the Old Ones said that Obama should learn from here in the Ducks Fly Moon of October are:
"Almost all tribes have a legend about the raven explaining why he is black. In all of these legends the raven begins as a white bird whose color was changed either as a punishment for wrongdoing or because of danger undertaken in an effort to help man. This duality in the legends indicates the duality Native people feel about the raven. To some, the raven is a bad omen; to others, a good one. The Pueblo peoples connect the raven with the kachina spirits. Ravens have been given credit both with bringing the dark clouds that yield the rain and with holding them away.
People experiencing the raven energy must be careful not to be totally indecisive, and so changeable they confuse even themselves."
They saw him coming. Russell Means, the most prominent Native American, despises him. Leonard Peltier, from prison, says that he is now Obama's prisoner.
The Lakotah Sioux teach me something every day.
Posted by: horace at October 13, 2009 12:26 PM
Maybe if he paid criminals, they would rob and steal either.
Posted by: BobF at October 13, 2009 01:35 PM
BobF, he's already paying crooks in the Black House. The sooner this traitor is removed, the sooner we reclaim our country.
Posted by: cuchieddie(former Army Infantry) at October 13, 2009 03:02 PM
Very astute Lyn. So you don't think they can be bought off ?
Posted by: Mark at October 13, 2009 04:21 PM
If we can buy them, so can the oil-money rich Saudis. The Saudis are the heart of the movement to defeat the West.
Posted by: TomR at October 13, 2009 11:06 PM
Mark - Islamists are creatures of opportunity - of course they will take Obama's money. However, that will NOT buy their alliegence. That belongs to Allah - co-operating with the Infidel in any way would be seen as Haram. Your Obama doesn't have a clue what he is up against. But our Chief of Australian Defence Forces, Air Chief Marshall Angus Houston does know......he knows you can forget about a democracy in Afghanistan the way we percieve it for a start. If you have spare time you can view his interview with Australian Lateline.
Posted by: Lyn in Australia at October 15, 2009 06:25 AM
