Afgan war!!!

[Mrz. Robinson]

Do you think we should pay the militants money to come join our side.

DO you believe it will work yes,no WHY?

Obama just signed a bill that would allow us to pay them to swich sides.

From The Sunday Times October 11, 2009

Barack Obama ready to pay Afghan fighters to ditch the Taliban
(Manan Vatsyayana)
General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, has handed Obama three options
Christina Lamb in Washington 40 Comments
Recommend? (16) 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.

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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.”


I say no way in hell. they will take the money and buy more guns and things to kill our soliders with. They will be able to work with our soliders and disclose some of the plans that they have.

bascally if the do this they will have people saying they will switch sides but in reality just go back on their word

[felifreshh]

NO WAY in hell!!

[Eye]

What about the instance a week or so ago where a couple of our troops were attacked by a guide of theirs?!!!

No way.

[BubMunkeyBles]

Flip side... Afghan soldiers should be paid a fair wage. It's not fair to use them for our cause and not compensate them. They have families too to support.

Seriously, not every Afghan soldier is bad, just like not every Iraqi soldier is bad, just like not every American soldier is good... KWIM?

I think they should be paid, maybe not fully by us, but well, it's our mission/war, not theirs. They didn't ask us to come over etc.

Just playing devils advocate.

[Truegrits81]

"No" to them being paid and an extra "no" to them doing it for free.

[Geotech]

lol I don't play games with those who seek to support the enemies of the afghan people or my country, no idea wtf the **** the US government is thinking on that one. It is a good idea in concept but their is alot of corruption and issues with the afghan military. As mentioned able however their military risks just as much as ours and we get paid decently.

[Eye]

Originally Posted by BubMunkeyBles Flip side... Afghan soldiers should be paid a fair wage. It's not fair to use them for our cause and not compensate them. They have families too to support. Seriously, not every Afghan soldier is bad, just like not every Iraqi soldier is bad, just like not every American soldier is good... KWIM? I think they should be paid, maybe not fully by us, but well, it's our mission/war, not theirs. They didn't ask us to come over etc. Just playing devils advocate.

I see what you're saying, that's fine if they join up, but to pay them to "switch sides"? Totally effed up.

[BubMunkeyBles]

Originally Posted by Eye I see what you're saying, that's fine if they join up, but to pay them to "switch sides"? Totally effed up.

I wasn't specifically speaking about switching sides. But in general I think the Afghan army should be paid, if they switch to join then yes, they should be paid too. People join our military to get paid and no one says crap about that, people who don't believe in the wars join in order to get paid too.

[Mrz. Robinson]

Originally Posted by Eye I see what you're saying, that's fine if they join up, but to pay them to "switch sides"? Totally effed up.

Why pay them at all. We are buidling them schools and things like that. We are giving them money and for what to kill our men and women who are fighting for something that they themselves wont fight for.

No,NO,NO,No this is just a waste of our money.

our people join to get paid i get that. But they don't even get paid that much for all they do.

[BubMunkeyBles]

Originally Posted by Mrz. Robinson Why pay them at all. We are buidling them schools and things like that. We are giving them money and for what to kill our men and women who are fighting for something that they themselves wont fight for. No,NO,NO,No this is just a waste of our money. our people join to get paid i get that. But they don't even get paid that much for all they do.

Uhm. My husband gets more than enough to put a roof over my head, eat, have a car, go on vacation...

You think because we build them schools and "things like that" that they don't deserve to make money so they can put a roof over their head and feed their kids. And really insurgents are killing people... not normal Afghan's.

I can't stand people who assume that all Afghans are bad. Lame.