What if they threw a war and no one came?

Submitted by gjohnsit on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 11:07pm

It's taken hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and trillions of dollars, but it appears that most people think that war isn't very fun anymore.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has reached out to at least 21 of its allies for troops and logistical support to prevent a resurgence of Daesh in Syria, but nearly half have declined so far, The Wall Street Journal said Tuesday.
...
While there has been a lack of enthusiasm so far, officials told the newspaper they are convinced that enough allies will come to support the US
“It’s a little bit early to say where this is going to settle out,” a senior US defence official told the Journal.

Imagine that. Our allies don't want to support yet another of our wars.
Do you know who else isn't interested in our wars? People in the military and their families.

Veterans and military families overwhelmingly support plans to fully withdraw troops from Afghanistan and similarly favor a complete U.S. military pullout from Syria, according to a new poll from a conservative activist group released Wednesday.
Concerned Veterans for America, which has close ties to the conservative Koch brothers’ network and the Trump administration, said the results indicate that President Donald Trump should follow through with his public comments to bring those troops home...
Less than 40 percent of those surveyed said that keeping troops in Afghanistan is still necessary for the safety of the United States. Sixty percent said they support removing all U.S. personnel from Afghanistan.

So soldiers are tired of being sent into an endless meat grinder in Afghanistan.
Do you know who is even less supportive of our war there? The Afghan people.

A new United Nations report said that Afghan and U.S. forces killed more civilians in Afghanistan than the Taliban and other insurgents did in the first quarter of 2019.

It's hard to find support for our wars anywhere outside of large campaign donors.
The news media has almost stopped reporting on it entirely.
Maybe that's why the special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction says "now almost every indicia, metric for success or failure is now classified or nonexistent."

War? What war? Where did you hear about a war? Not from any official sources.
It's the opposite of Vietnam's Follies. Now they won't tell you anything, and no one is asking questions anyway.
Not even when war crimes happen.

Tags:

War

Syria

afghanistan

Vote

Comments

Submitted by Pricknick on Wed, 04/24/2019 - 11:54pm

How many presidential candidates are talking about ending war?

They all hedge and bluster.
That one is good. This one is bad. Fuck it. I want a candidate that states: "We will end our participation in war until and if it comes to our mainland."
I'm allowed to dream.
Till then, we'll kill off non-whites anywhere we please seems to be the motto.

—

Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

Submitted by FutureNow on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 6:37am

Tulsi’s your candidate! n/t

@Pricknick

Submitted by Azazello on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 1:04pm

Or Mike Gravel.

@FutureNow
See here: Gravel2020

—

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Submitted by Roy Blakeley on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 12:22pm

A thoughtful evaluation of Democratic candidates

@Pricknick Codepink has done a thoughtful evaluation of the various Democratic candidates records on peace and war. I think it is worth a read.

https://www.opednews.com/articles/CODEPINK-Ranks-the-2020-Pr-by-Medea-Be...

Submitted by snoopydawg on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 12:17am

War Crimes!

Trump relaxed the rules of engagement in our war of terror so it's not surprising that the number of civilian deaths has gone up.

'Unprecedented': UN Finds US-Backed Forces Killed More Afghan Civilians Than Taliban and ISIS Did So Far in 2019

In an "unprecedented" revelation that highlights the consequences of the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, the United Nations announced Wednesday that U.S.-backed forces killed more Afghan civilians than the Taliban and other armed anti-government groups did in the first three months of this year.

A new quarterly report (pdf) from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) shows that "pro-government forces," including both Afghan and international troops, killed 305 civilians from January to the end of March.

That compared with 227 civilians killed by "anti-government elements" such as the Taliban and ISIS. There were 49 unattributable deaths, which includes those caught in crossfire.

It's official now: In Afghanistan, massive airstrikes, drone operations and brutal night raids are killing more civilians in these days than any insurgent group does. This is not a surprise for those who are researching for years. https://t.co/hJlLAmXztf

— Emran Feroz (@Emran_Feroz) April 24, 2019

"A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement Wednesday.

While encouraging all parties to "do more to safeguard civilians," Yamamoto specifically urged anti-government elements—which injured more civilians in early 2019 than pro-government forces did—to stop targeting civilians, particularly with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The UNAMA report details the "increased harm to civilians from aerial and search operations" this year.

Pro-government forces carried out 43 aerial operations in the first quarter of 2019 that resulted in 228 civilian casualties (145 deaths, 83 injured), with international military forces responsible for 39 of these operations resulting in 219 civilian casualties (140 deaths, 79 injured). Women and children comprised half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations...

Pro-government forces caused 102 civilian casualties (72 deaths and 30 injured) across 32 search operations, which is an 85 percent increase in civilian casualties as compared to the first quarter of 2018. The majority—80 percent—of the search operations resulting in civilian casualties were attributed to either the National Directorate of Security Special Forces or the Khost Protection Force, both of which are supported by international military forces. UNAMA reiterates its concern that these forces appear to act with impunity, outside of the governmental chain of command.

Last year just under 5,000 bombs were dropped by the USA and this year it has dropped just under 8,000. Gee..no wonder the number of civilians killed has gone up.

Bolton and Pompeo threatened a Spanish judge if she proceeded to bring war crimes charges against us. The ICC refused to do so.

This is what people who want Trump impeached should be talking about not the silly Russian nonsense, but I wonder how many of them are even aware that we're still in Afghanistan or in many countries in Africa? Iraq? Syria? Or what is happening in Libya? How about that genocidal action in Yemen? The media of course isn't talking about it either.

—

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Submitted by lotlizard on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 1:35am

Obama covered for torturers not only in the US, but also abroad

@snoopydawg
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/wikileaks-cable-obama-quash...

In its first months in office, the Obama administration sought to protect Bush administration officials facing criminal investigation overseas for their involvement in establishing policies the that governed interrogations of detained terrorist suspects. A “confidential” April 17, 2009, cable sent from the US embassy in Madrid to the State Department—one of the 251,287 cables obtained by WikiLeaks—details how the Obama administration, working with Republicans, leaned on Spain to derail this potential prosecution.

The previous month, a Spanish human rights group called the Association for the Dignity of Spanish Prisoners had requested that Spain’s National Court indict six former Bush officials for, as the cable describes it, “creating a legal framework that allegedly permitted torture.” The six were former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; David Addington, former chief of staff and legal adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney; William Haynes, the Pentagon’s former general counsel; Douglas Feith, former undersecretary of defense for policy; Jay Bybee, former head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel; and John Yoo, a former official in the Office of Legal Counsel. The human rights group contended that Spain had a duty to open an investigation under the nation’s “universal jurisdiction” law, which permits its legal system to prosecute overseas human rights crimes involving Spanish citizens and residents. Five Guantanamo detainees, the group maintained, fit that criteria.

Trump relaxed the rules of engagement in our war of terror so it's not surprising that the number of civilian deaths has gone up. 'Unprecedented': UN Finds US-Backed Forces Killed More Afghan Civilians Than Taliban and ISIS Did So Far in 2019 In an "unprecedented" revelation that highlights the consequences of the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, the United Nations announced Wednesday that U.S.-backed forces killed more Afghan civilians than the Taliban and other armed anti-government groups did in the first three months of this year. A new quarterly report (pdf) from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) shows that "pro-government forces," including both Afghan and international troops, killed 305 civilians from January to the end of March. That compared with 227 civilians killed by "anti-government elements" such as the Taliban and ISIS. There were 49 unattributable deaths, which includes those caught in crossfire. It's official now: In Afghanistan, massive airstrikes, drone operations and brutal night raids are killing more civilians in these days than any insurgent group does. This is not a surprise for those who are researching for years. https://t.co/hJlLAmXztf — Emran Feroz (@Emran_Feroz) April 24, 2019 "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement Wednesday. While encouraging all parties to "do more to safeguard civilians," Yamamoto specifically urged anti-government elements—which injured more civilians in early 2019 than pro-government forces did—to stop targeting civilians, particularly with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The UNAMA report details the "increased harm to civilians from aerial and search operations" this year. Pro-government forces carried out 43 aerial operations in the first quarter of 2019 that resulted in 228 civilian casualties (145 deaths, 83 injured), with international military forces responsible for 39 of these operations resulting in 219 civilian casualties (140 deaths, 79 injured). Women and children comprised half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations... Pro-government forces caused 102 civilian casualties (72 deaths and 30 injured) across 32 search operations, which is an 85 percent increase in civilian casualties as compared to the first quarter of 2018. The majority—80 percent—of the search operations resulting in civilian casualties were attributed to either the National Directorate of Security Special Forces or the Khost Protection Force, both of which are supported by international military forces. UNAMA reiterates its concern that these forces appear to act with impunity, outside of the governmental chain of command. Last year just under 5,000 bombs were dropped by the USA and this year it has dropped just under 8,000. Gee..no wonder the number of civilians killed has gone up. Bolton and Pompeo threatened a Spanish judge if she proceeded to bring war crimes charges against us. The ICC refused to do so. This is what people who want Trump impeached should be talking about not the silly Russian nonsense, but I wonder how many of them are even aware that we're still in Afghanistan or in many countries in Africa? Iraq? Syria? Or what is happening in Libya? How about that genocidal action in Yemen? The media of course isn't talking about it either.

Submitted by snoopydawg on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 1:54am

I had forgotten about that

@lotlizard

Thanks for posting it. From campaigning against torture and war crimes, closing Gitmo and saying that he was against stupid wars I thought he'd be more of an anti war president. Guess I saw what I wanted to. During Obama's tenure prisoners at Gitmo who were on hunger strikes were anally force fed. This of course was torture.

I almost fell out of my chair this morning when I read that he was the most progressive president since FDR. How people can't see who he really was and what he did is so baffling.

BTW. Speaking of Gitmo I read on common dreams that Trump talked about sending kids there. That anyone even considered doing this is just so mind boggling.

—

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Submitted by mimi on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 1:58am

I wonder why you seem to think ...

@snoopydawg

but I wonder how many of them are even aware that we're still in Afghanistan or in many countries in Africa?

... that so many people are NOT aware of it?
Just asking.

Trump relaxed the rules of engagement in our war of terror so it's not surprising that the number of civilian deaths has gone up. 'Unprecedented': UN Finds US-Backed Forces Killed More Afghan Civilians Than Taliban and ISIS Did So Far in 2019 In an "unprecedented" revelation that highlights the consequences of the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, the United Nations announced Wednesday that U.S.-backed forces killed more Afghan civilians than the Taliban and other armed anti-government groups did in the first three months of this year. A new quarterly report (pdf) from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) shows that "pro-government forces," including both Afghan and international troops, killed 305 civilians from January to the end of March. That compared with 227 civilians killed by "anti-government elements" such as the Taliban and ISIS. There were 49 unattributable deaths, which includes those caught in crossfire. It's official now: In Afghanistan, massive airstrikes, drone operations and brutal night raids are killing more civilians in these days than any insurgent group does. This is not a surprise for those who are researching for years. https://t.co/hJlLAmXztf — Emran Feroz (@Emran_Feroz) April 24, 2019 "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement Wednesday. While encouraging all parties to "do more to safeguard civilians," Yamamoto specifically urged anti-government elements—which injured more civilians in early 2019 than pro-government forces did—to stop targeting civilians, particularly with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The UNAMA report details the "increased harm to civilians from aerial and search operations" this year. Pro-government forces carried out 43 aerial operations in the first quarter of 2019 that resulted in 228 civilian casualties (145 deaths, 83 injured), with international military forces responsible for 39 of these operations resulting in 219 civilian casualties (140 deaths, 79 injured). Women and children comprised half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations... Pro-government forces caused 102 civilian casualties (72 deaths and 30 injured) across 32 search operations, which is an 85 percent increase in civilian casualties as compared to the first quarter of 2018. The majority—80 percent—of the search operations resulting in civilian casualties were attributed to either the National Directorate of Security Special Forces or the Khost Protection Force, both of which are supported by international military forces. UNAMA reiterates its concern that these forces appear to act with impunity, outside of the governmental chain of command. Last year just under 5,000 bombs were dropped by the USA and this year it has dropped just under 8,000. Gee..no wonder the number of civilians killed has gone up. Bolton and Pompeo threatened a Spanish judge if she proceeded to bring war crimes charges against us. The ICC refused to do so. This is what people who want Trump impeached should be talking about not the silly Russian nonsense, but I wonder how many of them are even aware that we're still in Afghanistan or in many countries in Africa? Iraq? Syria? Or what is happening in Libya? How about that genocidal action in Yemen? The media of course isn't talking about it either.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by HenryAWallace on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 6:08am

Maybe

@mimi

watching a few Jaywalking with Jay Leno videos will help.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Jaywalking+Jay+Leno

Submitted by Snode on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 6:23am

I can't think

@mimi of the last time I heard or read anything on Afghanistan (outside of here) in our news media. It just isn't reported on by the mainstream media.

Submitted by ggersh on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 8:18am

We lost in Syria

@snoopydawg the empire is in its endgame, slowly but
surely the one good thing in tRump winning the
prezidentcy is that the rest of the world now
realizes how nutz we are

Everything our govt tells us is one big FUCKIN lie.

https://www.salon.com/2019/04/21/reporter-sharmine-narwani-on-the-secret...

Having witnessed the Syrian war from start to finish, she now casts it in a usefully broad context. “The Syrian conflict constitutes the main battlefield in a kind of World War III,” she said during our lengthy exchange. “The world wars were, in essence, great-power wars, after which the global order reshuffled a bit and new global institutions were established.” This, in outline, is what Narwani sees out in front of us, now that the Western powers’ latest “regime change” operation has failed.

Trump relaxed the rules of engagement in our war of terror so it's not surprising that the number of civilian deaths has gone up. 'Unprecedented': UN Finds US-Backed Forces Killed More Afghan Civilians Than Taliban and ISIS Did So Far in 2019 In an "unprecedented" revelation that highlights the consequences of the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, the United Nations announced Wednesday that U.S.-backed forces killed more Afghan civilians than the Taliban and other armed anti-government groups did in the first three months of this year. A new quarterly report (pdf) from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) shows that "pro-government forces," including both Afghan and international troops, killed 305 civilians from January to the end of March. That compared with 227 civilians killed by "anti-government elements" such as the Taliban and ISIS. There were 49 unattributable deaths, which includes those caught in crossfire. It's official now: In Afghanistan, massive airstrikes, drone operations and brutal night raids are killing more civilians in these days than any insurgent group does. This is not a surprise for those who are researching for years. https://t.co/hJlLAmXztf — Emran Feroz (@Emran_Feroz) April 24, 2019 "A shocking number of civilians continue to be killed and maimed each day," Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement Wednesday. While encouraging all parties to "do more to safeguard civilians," Yamamoto specifically urged anti-government elements—which injured more civilians in early 2019 than pro-government forces did—to stop targeting civilians, particularly with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The UNAMA report details the "increased harm to civilians from aerial and search operations" this year. Pro-government forces carried out 43 aerial operations in the first quarter of 2019 that resulted in 228 civilian casualties (145 deaths, 83 injured), with international military forces responsible for 39 of these operations resulting in 219 civilian casualties (140 deaths, 79 injured). Women and children comprised half of the civilian casualties from all aerial operations... Pro-government forces caused 102 civilian casualties (72 deaths and 30 injured) across 32 search operations, which is an 85 percent increase in civilian casualties as compared to the first quarter of 2018. The majority—80 percent—of the search operations resulting in civilian casualties were attributed to either the National Directorate of Security Special Forces or the Khost Protection Force, both of which are supported by international military forces. UNAMA reiterates its concern that these forces appear to act with impunity, outside of the governmental chain of command. Last year just under 5,000 bombs were dropped by the USA and this year it has dropped just under 8,000. Gee..no wonder the number of civilians killed has gone up. Bolton and Pompeo threatened a Spanish judge if she proceeded to bring war crimes charges against us. The ICC refused to do so. This is what people who want Trump impeached should be talking about not the silly Russian nonsense, but I wonder how many of them are even aware that we're still in Afghanistan or in many countries in Africa? Iraq? Syria? Or what is happening in Libya? How about that genocidal action in Yemen? The media of course isn't talking about it either.

—

I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

Submitted by snoopydawg on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 12:24am

Protecting war criminals

Navy SEALs Were Warned Against Reporting Their Chief for War Crimes

Stabbing a defenseless teenage captive to death. Picking off a school-age girl and an old man from a sniper’s roost. Indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine-gun fire.

Navy SEAL commandos from Team 7’s Alpha Platoon said they had seen their highly decorated platoon chief commit shocking acts in Iraq. And they had spoken up, repeatedly. But their frustration grew as months passed and they saw no sign of official action.

Tired of being brushed off, seven members of the platoon called a private meeting with their troop commander in March 2018 at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego. According to a confidential Navy criminal investigation report obtained by The New York Times, they gave him the bloody details and asked for a formal investigation.

But instead of launching an investigation that day, the troop commander and his senior enlisted aide — both longtime comrades of the accused platoon leader, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher — warned the seven platoon members that speaking out could cost them and others their careers, according to the report.

The clear message, one of the seven told investigators, was “Stop talking about it.”

The platoon members eventually forced the referral of their concerns to authorities outside the SEALs, and Chief Gallagher now faces a court-martial, with his trial set to begin May 28.

But the account of the March 2018 meeting and myriad other details in the 439-page report paint a disturbing picture of a subculture within the SEALs that prized aggression, even when it crossed the line, and that protected wrongdoers.
....
A website soliciting donations for his defense says it has raised $375,000, and a prominent veterans’ apparel maker is selling “Free Eddie” T-shirts.

Spurred by the Gallagher family, 40 Republican members of Congress signed a letter in March calling for the Navy to free the chief pending trial, and soon after, President Trump said on Twitter that he would be moved to “less restrictive confinement.” Chief Gallagher was released from the brig and is now restricted to the Navy Medical Center in San Diego, according to a Navy spokeswoman.

If you can read the full article. It's on the NYT.

—

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Sat, 04/27/2019 - 7:58am

Freedom for war criminals, prison for whistleblowers

@snoopydawg

We've skidded past Banana Republic status and are within touching distance of full-on fascism. And we can never say that we weren't warned, because we were. Over and over and over again.

Navy SEALs Were Warned Against Reporting Their Chief for War Crimes Stabbing a defenseless teenage captive to death. Picking off a school-age girl and an old man from a sniper’s roost. Indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine-gun fire. Navy SEAL commandos from Team 7’s Alpha Platoon said they had seen their highly decorated platoon chief commit shocking acts in Iraq. And they had spoken up, repeatedly. But their frustration grew as months passed and they saw no sign of official action. Tired of being brushed off, seven members of the platoon called a private meeting with their troop commander in March 2018 at Naval Base Coronado near San Diego. According to a confidential Navy criminal investigation report obtained by The New York Times, they gave him the bloody details and asked for a formal investigation. But instead of launching an investigation that day, the troop commander and his senior enlisted aide — both longtime comrades of the accused platoon leader, Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher — warned the seven platoon members that speaking out could cost them and others their careers, according to the report. The clear message, one of the seven told investigators, was “Stop talking about it.” The platoon members eventually forced the referral of their concerns to authorities outside the SEALs, and Chief Gallagher now faces a court-martial, with his trial set to begin May 28. But the account of the March 2018 meeting and myriad other details in the 439-page report paint a disturbing picture of a subculture within the SEALs that prized aggression, even when it crossed the line, and that protected wrongdoers. .... A website soliciting donations for his defense says it has raised $375,000, and a prominent veterans’ apparel maker is selling “Free Eddie” T-shirts. Spurred by the Gallagher family, 40 Republican members of Congress signed a letter in March calling for the Navy to free the chief pending trial, and soon after, President Trump said on Twitter that he would be moved to “less restrictive confinement.” Chief Gallagher was released from the brig and is now restricted to the Navy Medical Center in San Diego, according to a Navy spokeswoman. If you can read the full article. It's on the NYT.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by HenryAWallace on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 6:11am

How is the Swiss economy?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Switzerland

Submitted by lotlizard on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 8:10am

Swiss get to vote directly in referenda on all sorts of things

@HenryAWallace
I can see how that would force the political class to stay more in sync with what the people want, compared to other countries like the U.S. where oligarchy is entrenched and the people have no binding mechanism at their disposal for forcing their so-called elected representatives to, you know, actually represent them on a given issue.

Submitted by Snode on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 6:27am

Well, here we are

A nation where the police see every citizen as a potential threat, and a nation that sees every other country as a potential threat. At least we're consistent.

Submitted by Roy Blakeley on Thu, 04/25/2019 - 12:32pm

Mark Twain

@Snode Mark Twain was, in his later years, a strong anti-imperialist, and he pointed out that the methods that are used to perpetrate imperialism abroad are likely to come home. Given the militarization of police, he seems to have been very prescient.