Afghanastan
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Started by wglassfo - Dec. 22, 2018, 11:06 p.m.

 Possibly 15000 troops in Afghanastan. Why???

I think about 1/2 is pastun tribal villages mostly located in mountains and valleys. Part of the vast mountain terrain. The land is dry, with terrenstial moonson rain storms, otherwise, watered by melting snow from mountain snow pack. Chief source of revenue is/was poppy or opium, sold to Taliban who smuggle the drugs to a market. Chief food is sort of flat bread and goat's milk. Village will have a couple of stoves which provide flat bread for the village. Most of the men are mountain men who have lived in this land for centuries, tending to their goat herds. The people have not changed their culture for centuries. No running water, a communal latrine, no electricity, hot in summer, but cold at night  Down through the yrs they have defeated most if not all invaders for centuries. Some wars took decades but they do not surrender. All invaders are seen as the enemy. The Taliban recruits a lot of their insurgents from the local mountain men youth, as they have convinced the locals, the invaders are the americians and like all other invaders must be driven out. Some of the Pastun do not like the Taliban idea of muslin law but are more joined at the hip with fellow muslim,  as the Taliban is fighting to free the land from the invaders. Most of the Taliban uses old Russian AK-47 guns etc left behind by the Russians and also from any source of money they can source, much of it from the opium trade or smuggling

My question: why is the USA in Afhganastan. What is the mission. Has anybody articulated a coherent reason why the USA should stay in Afhganastan, once the mission to kill Osama was completed. What stratigic value does this country have to anybody, Why is everybody having a hissy fit over pulling out USA troops and letting the country  live as they have for centuries. If they don't exactly agree with the Taliban harsh ideas of what a good Muslin should live like in Afghanastan, I am sure the Pastun will be more than willing to decide the issue with the Taliban. However, once Osama Bin  was eliminated, I think Trump is correct to remove all USA troops from Afghanastan. I may have missed something which means the USA should stay in the country and mountains. About the only reason I can think of,  the country is a hot bed for terroists, but if you think you will eliminate the Taliban in their own mountains, good luck with that sorry idea, especially when Pakistan gives the Taliban safe harbour right across the border. Might have better luck with better intelligience and border security

If I am wrong, please correct me

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