The war that should never have happened 9/13/2021

 

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.