Comments on: The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/ [Please go to 'Settings' to change your Tagline] Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:00:32 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: US military funding terrorists with taxpayer money - PersonalityCafe http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-367 US military funding terrorists with taxpayer money - PersonalityCafe Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:20:46 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-367 [...] surprising? I really don't, especially since the US has been paying the Taliban for a while now. The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! - Joshua Kucera - New World ... U.S. set to pay Taliban members to switch sides - CNN.com War is war, and the best results usually [...] [...] surprising? I really don't, especially since the US has been paying the Taliban for a while now. The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! – Joshua Kucera – New World … U.S. set to pay Taliban members to switch sides – CNN.com War is war, and the best results usually [...]

]]> By: Michael Peck http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-353 Michael Peck Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:51:23 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-353 Lyndon Johnson tried to buy off North Vietnam, but Ho Chi Minh wouldn't go for it. I doubt the Taliban will, either. Money may buy temporary calm, particularly with a diffuse group like the Taliban. But when you add in jihadists, foreign fighters, and general hostility toward foreign troops, we can't buy our way out of this one. Of course, we know that the next story will inevitably show the Taliban buying weapons with our money. Lyndon Johnson tried to buy off North Vietnam, but Ho Chi Minh wouldn’t go for it. I doubt the Taliban will, either. Money may buy temporary calm, particularly with a diffuse group like the Taliban. But when you add in jihadists, foreign fighters, and general hostility toward foreign troops, we can’t buy our way out of this one.

Of course, we know that the next story will inevitably show the Taliban buying weapons with our money.

]]> By: davidlosangeles http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-352 davidlosangeles Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:54:50 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-352 Hello Justin, It is important to remember that the Sunni Insurgents wanted to be bought off. They knew that al-Qaeda of Iraq was the most immediate threat, followed by the Shia based militias, the armed forces of the Baghdad government the next. The US forces were a distant fourth. Being "bought off" by the US forces gave them money, arms, and breathing space to defeat al-Qaeda and prepare for the others once the US forces left. They had everything to gain and nothing to lose. The situation in Afghanistan is not so clear for the Pustun speaking insurgents, some of whom might be "Taliban" and some of whom might not be, at least today. Hello Justin,

It is important to remember that the Sunni Insurgents wanted to be bought off. They knew that al-Qaeda of Iraq was the most immediate threat, followed by the Shia based militias, the armed forces of the Baghdad government the next. The US forces were a distant fourth. Being “bought off” by the US forces gave them money, arms, and breathing space to defeat al-Qaeda and prepare for the others once the US forces left. They had everything to gain and nothing to lose. The situation in Afghanistan is not so clear for the Pustun speaking insurgents, some of whom might be “Taliban” and some of whom might not be, at least today.

]]> By: davidlosangeles http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-351 davidlosangeles Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:50:14 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-351 Mr. Kucera, Who is or is not "the enemy" I think is a very fluid category. Some who are our enemy one day are our friend the next, or both simultaneously later, or neither on another day. T/S contributor P.J. Tobia made the lack of clarity very clear in a wonderful posting about who wants to whose "friend" on Facebook. http://trueslant.com/pjtobia/2009/10/22/insurgent-who-aided-bin-ladens-escape-wants-to-be-friends-on-facebook/ Friend or enemy may depend on the market value of either commodity on given day. Mr. Kucera,

Who is or is not “the enemy” I think is a very fluid category. Some who are our enemy one day are our friend the next, or both simultaneously later, or neither on another day. T/S contributor P.J. Tobia made the lack of clarity very clear in a wonderful posting about who wants to whose “friend” on Facebook.

http://trueslant.com/pjtobia/2009/10/22/insurgent-who-aided-bin-ladens-escape-wants-to-be-friends-on-facebook/

Friend or enemy may depend on the market value of either commodity on given day.

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-350 Justin Gardner Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:33:34 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-350 I've always maintained that the best way to end these wars is to buy our way out of them. We did it in Iraq and we should be able to do it in Afghanistan. Ultimately, though, Afghanistan will NEVER recover unless we let them grow opium poppies. That's all they've got going for them. It's a sad state of affairs, but that's the reality. I’ve always maintained that the best way to end these wars is to buy our way out of them. We did it in Iraq and we should be able to do it in Afghanistan.

Ultimately, though, Afghanistan will NEVER recover unless we let them grow opium poppies. That’s all they’ve got going for them. It’s a sad state of affairs, but that’s the reality.

]]> By: Joshua Kucera http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-349 Joshua Kucera Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:14:12 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-349 Yes, you're right. And, in the most charitable explanation, you could imagine that the U.S. is paying off the more amenable elements of the Taliban, hoping that it will help them against the "deadenders." That, I guess, is the strategy with the Sons of Iraq and the Pakistan military aid, as well. Still, notice the way the brigade commander in that story phrases it: "the enemy." Yes, you’re right. And, in the most charitable explanation, you could imagine that the U.S. is paying off the more amenable elements of the Taliban, hoping that it will help them against the “deadenders.” That, I guess, is the strategy with the Sons of Iraq and the Pakistan military aid, as well. Still, notice the way the brigade commander in that story phrases it: “the enemy.”

]]> By: davidlosangeles http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-348 davidlosangeles Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:50:53 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-348 Mr. Kucera, I think it would be more accurate to say that the US subcontractors are paying one or more factions of the Taliban, or even better, armed gangs of Pushtun speaking men. I think it is a mistake to imagine that there is a single organization with a single comand and control center called "The Taliban" as there might once have been. Mr. Kucera,

I think it would be more accurate to say that the US subcontractors are paying one or more factions of the Taliban, or even better, armed gangs of Pushtun speaking men. I think it is a mistake to imagine that there is a single organization with a single comand and control center called “The Taliban” as there might once have been.

]]> By: andylevinson http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-346 andylevinson Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:24:05 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-346 $220 million? That's peanuts.....how many billions are we paying Goldman sachs not to bankrupt the usa? We even have to have Goldman Sachs operatives in the administration.... But getting back on track, how much could we pay these guys to let us win the war....and let us go away? $220 million? That’s peanuts…..how many billions are we paying Goldman sachs not to bankrupt the usa? We even have to have Goldman Sachs operatives in the administration….

But getting back on track, how much could we pay these guys to let us win the war….and let us go away?

]]> By: Tweets that mention Joshua Kucera - New World Order – The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! - True/Slant -- Topsy.com http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/2009/11/16/the-u-s-pays-the-taliban-to-not-attack-we-should-be-shocked-shocked/comment-page-1/#comment-345 Tweets that mention Joshua Kucera - New World Order – The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! - True/Slant -- Topsy.com Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:58:56 +0000 http://trueslant.com/joshuakucera/?p=985#comment-345 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brian Lewis and Joshua Kucera, Tweets Tube. Tweets Tube said: The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! http://bit.ly/3h08Fa [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brian Lewis and Joshua Kucera, Tweets Tube. Tweets Tube said: The U.S. pays the Taliban to not attack? We should be shocked! Shocked! http://bit.ly/3h08Fa [...]

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