13, September 2021 The war that
should never have happened
Pulitzer
Prize-winning reporter Spencer Ackerman reveals details of how the
Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld rebuffed the unconditional surrender of the Taliban before
the 20-year war began. The Taliban offered Osama Bin Laden before a shot was
fired.
As the self-appointed
guardians of the people of Afghanistan, the Bush administration, responded with
monumental arrogance that said such a deal was unacceptable — not to the
Afghans, but unacceptable to the United States.
The timidity of
Congress and the US media were swept up with seething anger and seeking revenge
for the 9-11 attacks and refused to challenge the Bush administration’s hubris.
The slogan “you are either with us or with the terrorists” effectively silenced
opposition to the war. Military recruitment centers enticed young Americans
opportunities for adventure, career enhancing opportunities and to satiate
their feeling of excitement, and - revenge.
The CIA was very
active in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion funneling huge stockpiles of
weapons to Bin Laden’s Mujahadeen fighting the Soviets. After eight bloody years the
Soviets left defeated and the Taliban turned their guns on US forces. After
their offer of surrender was rebuffed by the US, they crossed over the border
to consult with their Godfather, Pakistan’s ISI.
Meanwhile,
the people of Afghanistan were being slaughtered in large numbers by US bombing
and errant drone attacks. Night raids by US special forces infuriated Afghans
who quickly pledged their allegiance to the Taliban.
Inexplicably,
America regards Pakistan as a firmly committed ally. It props up Pakistan with
$billions in economic and military aid each year. US costs of the war are now
projected to be over $7 trillion with skyrocketing veterans’ health care costs.
Many of the returning veterans have become so traumatized by wars that on an
average 18 commit suicide every day.
To
compound the sheer madness of war, the Bush administration created off shore
black sites to engage in barbaric acts
of torture. One victim was so badly beaten and water boarded he readily agreed
what his torturers wanted to hear, Saddam Hussein was harboring WMD’s and was
allied with Al Qaeda. This gave rise to the “shock and awe” invasion and
destruction of Iraq and the birth of ISIS.