U.S. Buying Taliban Allegiance
By Wyatt Earp | October 29, 2009
Oh yeah, I see this turning out well.
There is a well-known saying in Afghanistan: “You can rent an Afghan, but you can’t buy him.”
Some experts on the region believe a U.S. program to pay Taliban fighters to quit the organization is buying temporary loyalty.
President Obama on Wednesday signed a $680 billion defense appropriations bill, which will pay for military operations in the 2010 fiscal year. The bill includes a Taliban reintegration provision under the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, which is now receiving $1.3 billion. CERP funding also is intended for humanitarian relief and reconstruction projects at commanders’ discretion.
The buyout idea, according to the Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is to separate local Taliban from their leaders, replicating a program used to neutralize the insurgency against Americans in Iraq. (H/T – CNN)
So, this idiot Levin is turning America into the cowering shopkeeper, forced to pay “protection money” to the local mob. That’s great for a while – until you can’t pay. Then, the mob collects . . . by breaking your thumbs.
Topics: War On Terror | 15 Comments »
October 29th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
And how much does one nuke cost?
October 29th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
We can afford to pay forever. But would we be interested? Americans seem to have a short attention span.
October 29th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
They’ll never stay bought. No honor among thieves or terrorists. Better the “not one cent for tribute” route. Put ‘em all in the ground. With a stake in their hearts and a slab of bacon on their faces.
October 29th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
We could use a nice warm afghan here in Denver…
(out my back door)
http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae277/RAPH6969/WEATHER/DSC_6153-A.jpg
Oh wait……we’re not talking about THAT kinda afghan are we?
October 29th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
We might as well buy their allegiance, the only other thing they have to sell is opium. And we don’t need any more of that in this country.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Every time I see Levin with his specs on, peering at a witness, acting sanctimonious, asking stupid questions, making editorial comments, I want to throw up.
Fortunately, the clicker allows me to change the channel or shut it down.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
OK it sounds lame, but it is not that bad of an idea. The Afghanis that are in the Taliban army are there because they were either told they had to join or their families would be killed or they just plain need the money and the Taliban pays their bills. Given the chance and the pay check these folks will leave the Taliban. This has been going on since we invaded in 2001. Now the foreign fighters such as the Arabs, Chechnyans and Iranians, they pretty much just need to be killed to stop them from fighting.
So we give them a chance to stop fighting and take the bribe or we kill them. Their choice.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Ingineer66:
How ’bout we just kill ‘em? Screw the bribe. Use it to buy more ammo.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
the idiot Levin is my senator. Michigan will elect over and over the most idiot politicians. No one challenges him, he will die in office, along with Dingell and Conyers.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:37 am
Well to be fair, a big part of the Taliban’s rapid collapse from governmental power was the fact that we sent CIA agents in to throw money at warlords until they signed up with us. Of course, you have to question how many non-ideological Taliban fighters would be left after years of being shot at and bombed.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Just more proof that there is a sucker born every minute and they seem to be multiplying in DC
October 30th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Dano – I’m sure we have enough to cover it.
Miriam – Yes, they do. They will in 2012 when Obama gets reelected.
Joated – Pigs in a casket?
RAPH – I don’t think so. Neither does Al Gore.
John D – We’re practically swimming in it here in Philly.
Ralph – We need to shut him down at the voting booth.
Ingineer66 – Or kill them, save the money, and help the economy at the same time?
Becky – Not a lot left in that state to appreciate. Well except the Wolverines and the Red Wings.
TCK – Hopefully, much fewer than there are now.
MeToo – The Beltway is chock full o’ stupidity.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Think the main problem is that we’ve forgotten a basic doctrine.
This is America, you don’t fsck with us or we will make you pay. Put one of our citizens in the hospital, we’ll put 10 of your’s in the morgue.
Yes it is basic, animalistic… but it does work on the primal level… you screw with us you’re dead. No negotiations, no talk, just a 50 cal slug where it’d do the most good.
Think the best example is from the Israel’s response to a plane hijack attempt (way back when)… they stormed the plane, killed all the hijackers and at least one of the hostages (can’t remember the number, but I know it was at least one). No quarter, no talks, just lead… and it worked.
I’d like to see us as the crazy kid on the playground… say what you want, but don’t screw with him… you might piss him off.
Could win the next election on that alone… Dano for president
October 30th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
OK you guys convinced me. Just kill them all. Think Dresden. That works for me. Luckily CNN did not cover WWII or we would all be speaking German right now. At least you guys on the East Coast would, us Left Coast people would probably be speaking Japanese or Russian.
October 30th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Seems to me I read somewhere that in the 80′s some Soviet embassy personnel were kidnapped in the Paleostinian territories. In response, some PA family members were killed by unknown assailants, Soviet citizens released unharmed, no other Soviets kidnapped.
Coincidence?