Saturday, October 06, 2012

Panetta - It's About Time

Finally, for all of you who think I am totally one sided, I'm going to say something positive about a member of the Obama administration.  Leon Panetta for finally poking back at Karzai.

We all know how much respect I have for Afghanistan's President.  Zip.  Zero.  He has made a career out of siphoning off  millions of U.S. tax payer dollars.  Along with that affront his avocation seems to be complaining about our efforts on his behalf. Building roads, rebuilding towns, trying to befriend his people and keeping the Taliban at bay, training his police and army so they can protect their own country after our withdrawal.

The complaining never seems to stop.  Now he's criticizing us for not pursuing militants in Pakistan and spending too much time on those in Afghanistan.

For one thing, Pakistan is  a sovereign nation itself and we cannot go about crossing into their territory willy nilly.  We've asked Pakistan for help in containing these militants and have gotten nothing.  Of course the fact we sacrificed a doctor, who literally pin pointed bin Laden for us, to Pakistani justice doesn't do much to encourage the average Joe to step forward.

Then there are the Afghans themselves who take great delight in killing the very men who are training them.  We shouldn't concentrate on that?  Sorry Mr. Karzai.  Good luck to you when we're gone.

Mr. Panetta finally had it.  Maybe he was tired.  Who knows.  His reaction was hardly the norm for this administration but he did step up to the plate and suggest that just maybe Mr. Karzai should say thank you now and then.  To all the allied forces who's young men are fighting and dying for Afghanistan, whatever it is other than a hodgepodge of warlords, Islamist extremists and Karzai himself heading it's corrupt government.

He has even gone so far as to complain they are not getting the weapons they need and hinting he may have to go elsewhere.  China or Russia.  I don't know about China, but I have my doubts.  They'd want something in return but I can't think what they might get other than opium.  Russia?  Again, I don't know.  They were struck by lightning once, would they return and chance it again?

Tensions between the two countries are high, mostly because of Karzai's attitude.  Maybe it's time for one of our drones to malfunction and hit one more target.  If  lucky, Mr. Karzai then would no longer be around to complain.

How 'bout it Mr. President?  Next time you and the boys are playing with your wish list and picking the death of the day by drone maybe it could get the 'stans mixed up.  After all, Karzai himself thinks we should concentrate on the safe havens.

2000 and counting American service personnel would be singing praises from on high.  And a whole lot of us down here.


1 comment:

Margie's Musings said...

I agree with you here, Mari. We need to pull out early....and suddenly...without warning. Let them fight it out themselves. We have spent billions lining their pockets and they are ungrateful.

Of course, I always have to ask myself how grateful we would be if some other country were occupying and destroying our country and the woman and children with their drone planes.

Anyhow, your point is well taken.