Dan Lyons

US PULLED OUT OF NURISTAN—
TALIBAN NOW IN COMPLETE CONTROL/
LONGWARJOURNAL15NOV

This shows what will happen
In ‘less-populated’ areas,
Which McC plans to abandon,
Retreating to cities.

For this retreat, he needs 80k more GIs !

QUAEDA BLAMES BLACKWATER (&US)
FOR GRISLY PAK. ATTACKS/
Cnn15nov
Pakistanis already believe such stories.
Blackwater acquired a black reputation in Iraq/
We kept them on, so risked such accusations.

DIFFERENT STRATEGIES:
MCCRYSTAL’S PROPOSAL WON’T WORK FOR EITHER/
--to defeat Qaeda? We’d have to invade Pakistan !
--to stabilize Afgh? That would take
a lot more than 40,000 GIs !
EXPERT ON CBSNEW15NOV

AFGHAN CORRUPTION DWARFS TALIBAN THREAT/
Says anonymous official.
CBSNEWS/15NOV
But will Karzai really clean out his regime?
Can he, by firing corrupt officials who helped him get elected?

PAK.INTEL AGENCY WAS WORTH THE $ CIA PAID THEM/
UnitedPress15nov

But what will be reaction of Pakistanis,
Already opposed to Americans,
When they hear that their govt has been on US payroll for yrs?

US STRATEGY IS LIKE FAILED SOVIET STRATEGY/
Retreat to big cities, secure roads between them./
Try for help from neighbor countries.
UNITED PRESS15NOV

TOWN TAKEN 2 YEARS AGO IS WARSPOT AGAIN/
NATO Invaders can clear regions, but not hold them./
LONDON TIMES15NOV

ESCALATION TO BE STAGGERINGLY EXPENSIVE/
--$1,000,000 FOR EACH ADDED GI/
--$400 FOR EACH GALLON OF GAS/
--INCREASED AFGHAN COSTS WOULD WIPE OUT
ANY SAVINGS FROM IRAQ PULLOUT/
--$56 THOUSAND MILLIONS TO TRAIN AFGH ARMY
OVER 5 YEARS !/
--Most Dem legislators won’t vote for more $
for more troops/
--Obama must rely on GOP votes to escalate !

NYTIMES/15NOV

AFGHAN CULTURE IS FROM 700 YRS AGO/
Practically every Afghan male is ready to die fighting foreign invaders./
--Soviet pulled out because they calculated it would take
up to 1,000,000 troops to pacify Afgh.
--McCrystal did NOT predict that the 80k more GIs
would lead to victory—only that
not escalating would lead to quick defeat.

Rogers in NYTIMES/15NOV

WAS IRAQ WAR WORTH IT?/
--People agree that Iraq is now better off than at the height of civil war
between Shia and Sunni (over destruction of Shia shrine)/

--Question should be—are Iraqis better off than under Saddam’s dictatorship?/
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed/wounded
in our war, or 2 MILLION forced abroad/

--Saddam protected women—
new Shia regime will crush women once we leave./

--Saddam protected Christians—
who now are being crushed and fleeing.

--New civil wars are likely when we leave.
Shia outnumber Sunnis 3 to 1, have army
Trained & equipped by US. They’ll slaughter Sunnis.

--Was this war worth it to America?
Winners were Shia and IRAN. We lost THOUSANDS OF GIs killed or wounded,
many with shellshock or brain injuries
that will wreck their lives back home.

--We spent hundreds of billions of (borrowed)dollars
when our deficit was already nearly intolerable.

--Bushies neglected Afghan war
by concentrating on Iraq war.

--No, this war was NOT worth its costs.

AFGHAN ARMY A MERE DREAM/
You can’t have a national army if you don’t have a nation.
You’ll just have a collection of anarchic militias,
As you had before Taliban imposed some order for a while,
(until US destroyed that order).

BRITS MOVING MORE AND MORE TO PULLOUT/
Now 71% want out this year.
GUARDIAN 15 NOV
Trouble is, Tory alternative is always Hawk (like GOP)
Only Liberal Dems might call for exit

BRIT TROOPS WILL COME HOME
AFTER MESSIAH COMES OR RETURNS/
Brown says ‘when Afghan troops can prevail’.
LONDON TELEGRAPH14NOV

SURGE WILL REQUIRE HUGE SUPPLY SURGE,
Threatened by Taliban attacks
(they just burned 5 fuel trucks)
and by Russ delays.

Northern supply route is threatened,
Not just Pakistan route.

Expert Cordesman says war will have to
Last 3 or 4 more years.
NYTIMES/14NOV

That contradicts Obama’s pledge
That war will not last 10-12 years
(8 years already) !

STUPID TO TRY ‘9/11’ MASTERMIND IN NY/
--Everyone worldwide will know it’s a
show trial—no NY jury could be impartial./

--His being subject to ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THREE
WATERBOARDINGS will be front-page news again
Around the world. This was as monstrous as primitive Muslim
Punishments./

--Defendants want to die; they were blocked from hungerstrikes
at Guantanamo. They will be permanent heroes
for 1500 millions of Muslims worldwide./

--They would have done better to have murdered him
at Guantanamo.

PAK’S CIVIL GOVT IN TROUBLE/
They were spared corruption trials
By amnesty, which is due to expire./
Army may use threat of prosecution
To tilt power away from govt to army./

This quarrel will weaken anti-Taliban fight.
MCCLATCHY14NOV

US might welcome army takeover.

RICH ARE BUYING AGAIN
Huffingtonpost14nov

But that won’t help economy—there aren’t enough rich,
And they won’t buy enough.

Walmart is lowering prices,
Worried that ordinary Americans aren’t buying enough.
That’s deflation.

Ayn Rand was right that most production now worldwide
Is by machines owned by rich/
So they’ll get the money/

But machines don’t consume,
And middle-class can’t afford to consume,
So no sign of end of deflation.

Ordinary persons wanting secure career
Should train to cater to rich,
As was point made by
RISE OF THE MERITOCRACY,
Long ago.

US TROOP SURGE WILL HAMPER
ANTI-TALIBAN FIGHT/
Says former Afghan warlord.
LONDON TELEGRAPH13NOV

CANADIANS SUFFER MOST CASUALTIES/
In proportion of troops in Afgh/
LONDON GUARDIAN13NOV

No wonder they’re committed
To a pullout deadline.

OBAMITES WOULD COVER ESCALATION
BY CHATTER ABOUT EXIT STRATEGY /

That will upset those Afghans & Pakistanis who want
Enduring US presence./

“Politicians may talk of limited commitment,
but military commanders know
you can’t predict length of a war.”
LATIMES13NOV

GERMAN GESTURE IN AFGH/
They’re sending 100 more troops,
SEATTLEPI13NOV
While US is asked to send 40k more,
plus 68k already there./

German constitution forbids non-defensive war.
A German soldier spends only 4 months in Afgh,
While GIs are sent back for repeated tours.

TALIBAN PROPAGANDA FAR OUTSPINS NATO’S/
They use internet, TV, DVD, and other tools
To convince Afghans that NATO is their enemy,
And that Taliban will never leave.
LONDON TIMES/12NOV

ABORTION-FUNDING WILL BE DENIED TO EVERYONE UP TO $88K/

That won’t be an apocalyptic disaster—if ordinary people
Find out about and use the MORNING-AFTER PILL,
Now available to adults without prescription.

This pill prevents pregnancy
up to 7 days after impregnation.

And there is an RU pill that protects longer,
Needs prescription.

The people in trouble: ordinary people discovering a
Bad Foetal defect after 7 weeks.

They’ll have to pay for an abortion.
This will gived added-money to
commercial abortion providers.

Blame is on Catholic bishops who pressured
‘BlueDog’Democrats to add rigid
anti-abortion amendment to HealthCarebill.

Catholics get about as many abortions as others,
so bishops work their wiles thru politicians.

WORLD OVERPRODUCTION (REL. TO DEMAND-BACKED-BY-MONEY)
WILL RUIN ALL INDUSTRIAL NATIONS
(‘China needs export market, can’t destroy US economy
FINANCIAL TIMES/12NOV)
EACH NATION WILL TRY TO SHRINK IMPORTS, ENLARGE EXPORTS/
IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION,
Leading to world Depression, perhaps wars to protect export markets.

OVERPRODUCTION RESULTS FROM MEGATECH.

MEGATECH DOES MUCH GOOD,
BUT EVEN MORE HARM.

For explanation, see
Lamar.colostate.edu/~dlyons
(chapter two)

PAKISTANIS FURIOUS AT US ARTICLE
HINTING US TAKOVER OF PAK. NUKES/
Seymour Hersh in NEWYORKER says he was told we have secret plans
To grab nuke triggers
if jihadists or army rogues seem likely to grab nukes.
NEWS.YAHOO.COM12NOV

FEWER JIHADIST ATTACKS
COMING FROM AFGHANISTAN/
More European casualties/ spiking Eur.voters’ wanting pullout
NEWS.YAHOO.COM12NOV

WAR-HERO WANTS US NOT TO SEND MORE TROOPS,
BUT TO STATION SMALL GROUPS OF GIs WITH
LOCAL VILLAGES.
He admits this would raise US casualties.
It contradicts McC’s strategy, to bolster central govt.
NYTIMES12NOV

This guy doesn’t understand that US voters
Don’t care so much how many troops are over there,
But HOW MANY CASUALTIES PER WEEK.

Ordinary Americans don’t realize that 30k GIs
Are still in Korea, 60 YRS AFTER WAR ENDED.
The reason for this ignoring: no US casualties there.

His strategy would strengthen US majority
Opposing war.

KARZAI SPEAKS AGAINST NATO EFFORTS/
(They’re pressuring him to reform his regime)
“They didn’t come here till after 9/11—
we were in trouble before that. They’re not here
to benefit Afghans, only in the ‘war vs. terror’.” /

Embarrasssingly, that’s what NATO leaders
Are telling their objecting voters.
LONDON TIMES12NOV

Karzai’s word will spread thru Afgh, quoted by Taliban.
This will disrupt McC’s dream of getting Afghans
on our side.

OBAMA WILL TRY TO SQUARE THE CIRCLE—
--convince Afghans that we won’t pull out,
--and convince everyone that we do not have
an ‘open-ended’ commitment.
NYTIMES12NOV

WHY DID IRAQ SUNNIS TURN VS. QAEDA INSURGENTS?
That’s what made the Surge ‘work’ in Iraq./
Sunnis came to realize that Qaeda attacks on Shia
Were intended to provoke slaughter of SUNNIS !
(Shia outnumber them 3 to 1, and have all the US weapons
and trained army).

No parallel opportunity in Afgh.

NATO WOULD TRAIN AFGHANS—
BUT THEY DON’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGES !

And the Taliban DO speak the languages;
They can infiltrate our supposedly allied forces.

OBAMA REJECTS ALL PRESENT TROOP OPTIONS !
Influenced by knowledgeable ambassador to Afgh,
Who has strong doubts about increasing
number of GIs.
AssocPress/12nov

GEORGE BALL POST-FACTO
DENOUNCED US VIET STRATEGY/
Viet govt. was crumbling,VietCong succeeding, and So.Viet forces Being defeated—so advisers to LBJ said we should increase bombing— Instead of pulling out.

McCrystal now sounds like Westmoreland then.
One critic then referred to W’s strategy—
if it could be called A strategy at all-as ‘Thump ‘em.”
PALERMO IN HUFFINGTONPOST12NOV

McC’s strategy now is to retreat to cities
(won’t that embolden jihadists all over the world?)
--a retreat needing 80,000 more GIs--
and cut the bombing—but the bombing still
kills civilians (in Afgh & Pakistan)
and recruits survivors into Taliban.

HOW MANY READ LYONS ? /
35,000 ‘HITS’ IN 7 YEARS
(9000 POSTS ON DANLYONS.BLOGSPOT.COM
5000 HITS A YEAR, OVER TEN HITS A DAY.

And some more on Boston.com/

I see this as like teaching—
A teacher doesn’t expect to change history,
Just to share his ideas with a few.

AMERICANS FAIL TO ELIMINATE
JIHADISTS IN PHILLIPINES/
Muslims there still remember the awful slaughter
Inflicted by Americans around 1900.
LONDON TELEGRAPH11NOV

Again, what good would it do to dominate Afghanistan?
We’d be no safer from
tens of thousands Of hostile Muslims all over the world,
of every race and color.

YEMEN—THE BIG JIHADIST THREAT/
2 different rebel groups chant DEATH TO AMERICA ! /
A cleric congratulates Ft.Hood murderer
on worldwide internet,
And calls for similar actions.

Yemen is allegedly an American ally—
But an Arab says, “With America as a friend,
Who needs enemies?”
LONDON TELEGRAPH11NOV
Will we invade Yemen? Pakistan? Somalia? Indonesia?
If not, how will our Afghan fiasco make us safer?

SEND MORE TO DIE,
OR INSULT THOSE ALREADY KILLED/
Hawk slogan parodied in GUARDIAN/11NOV

We all know the folly of
sending good MONEY after bad—
But we’re suckers for the SACRIFICE TRAP
involving lives.

US, BRITAIN ABUSE VETERANS' DAY/
(not just by 'Veterans'sales!)
On the day for honoring victims of the war-disease
THEY HONOR THE DISEASE !
(FROM A VETERAN)

Last surviving WWI vet
shuns Brit REMEMBRANCE DAY
because it glorifies war

NEWS YAHOO 11NOV

SHELL-SHOCK, BRAIN INJURIES,
SUICIDE, DIVORCE, VIOLENCE
ARE RAMPANT among GIs returning from Iraq, Afgh/
Mental-health facilities are inadequate.
LATIMES/11NOV

3 REPORTS SAY QUICK EXPANSION OF
AFGHAN FORCES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE/

Yet this is vital part of escalation plans/

NYTIMES6NOV

US-FRIENDLY AFGHAN POLL RUN BY GOP,
FINANCED BY US GOVT/

Afghans on street talk differently—/
Some believe in US conspiracy with Taliban,/
Many believe Talliban can’t be beaten/
Many oppose more GIs in Afgh.

NYTIMES11NOV

SRI LANKAN PUTDOWN OF TERRORISTS
TOOK 25 YEARS/
& THIS WAS A FOREIGN CONTINGENT
INSIDE THEIR COUNTRY/
We have NO SUCH STAKE in Afgh/
We’d be NO SAFER if we succeeded in Afgh/
And we could succeed only by wiping out everyone,
Jihadists and civilians, in AFPAK border region.//

We’d be lumped together with rogue states like
Burma and UGANDAand ISRAEL./
Behner in HUFFINGTONPOST/11NOV

6 PREVENTABLE VETERAN DEATHS A DAY/
because they didn’t have health insurance/
Far higher rate than combat deaths,
Says Harvard study, quoted in
HUFFINGTONPOST11NOV

FINALLY, STATISTICS ON GIs WOUNDED !/
70,000 BRAIN INJURIES SINCE 07/
20,000 THIS YEAR/

1800 SPINAL INJURIES in Afgh this year so far
600 in Iraq.
Some crippling for life/
HUFFINGTONPOST/11NOV

OBAMA STILL LOOKING FOR
BRIDGE OUT OF AFGH/
Gates, Mullen, Clinton still for escalation.

Stephanopolis at HUFFINGTONPOST11NOV

A SENSIBLE PLAN: clear and HOLD one region in Afgh/
We surely have enough troops there already/
Develop governance and economy there/
See if McCrystal’s plan works/
Says Zakariah on CNN/10NOV

Trouble is, Generals would pick the easiest area;
That would show nothing about plan working
In tougher areas.

Zakariah points out that McC’s plan
Would require commitment of virtually
ENTIRE AVAILABLE US FORCES
FOR TEN MORE YEARS.
(an 18-yr war !)

QAEDA USING SMALLER, MOBILE HAVENS/
On AFPAK border.
ASSOC PRESS/10NOV

They don’t need big, bombable havens

GEN.JONES SAYS WAR IS HOPELESS/
Just as it’s rumored that Obama will send
Nearly 40k more troops to Afgh.

ANTI-JIHAD NEEDS LONG HAUL/
Says editorial in CSMONITOR/10NOV/
That’s right—but it does NOT imply that
We should commit to Afghan war
For long haul. Unlikely success there would
Not weaken jihadists around the world.

We need long-haul commitment to
Homeland defense.

HOME-MADE BOMB ATTACKS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY OVER THE YEARS IN IRAQ & AFGH/
Washingtonpost/10nov

AFGHAN SUCCESS WILL TAKE YEARS/
Says Brit general/
LONDON TELEGRAPH/10NOV
Will Brit, US voters stand for 20-yrs of
Casualties, treasury-drain?

TELEGRAPH HAWKS SWITCH BACK & FORTH BETWEEN 3 QUESTIONS/
--IS AFGHAN CAMPAIGN HOPELESS?
--IS IT POINTLESS? Would we be any safer if we had unlikely success in Afgh?
--IS CASUALTY RATE TOO HIGH?
(LONDON TELEGRAPH/10NOV)
Brit voters have focused on 2d question—and answered YES—This war is pointless.

(After all, the London attack was planned in Britain !)

Telegraph reproaches them for
focusing on Brit casualties—
But high casualties only focus attention on 2d question.

HOME-MADE BOMB ATTACKS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY OVER THE YEARS IN IRAQ & AFGH/
Washingtonpost/10nov

“THE NEXT 9/11 WILL ORIGINATE IN AFPAK”/
blithely asserts hawk on CNN,9nov

She offers no evidence for this claim—
The London attack originated in Britain—
The Bali attack in Indonesia.
And so on.

Sympathizers with jihad may be a tiny, tiny
Percentage of world Muslims—
But that may mean hundreds of thousands
Of jihadists, around the world.
Of every race and color.

We can’t assume that (highly unlikely) success
In Afgh will make us safer.

We need to focus on Homeland Defense.

HEZBOLLAH PART OF UNITY GOVT. IN LEBANON/
CBS9NOV
Israel launched a vicious attack on Lebanon,
Thinking it would undermine Hezbollah.

SENIOR BRIT HONCHOS (privately) SEE
‘NO ALTERNATIVE’ TO PULLOUT/
London telegraph9nov

“A pullout, not a retreat !”/
says Brit mil.honcho, about plans
to abandonless-populated areas of Helmland,/
leaving Brit allies to mercy of Taliban.
LONDON TIMES9NOV

If NATO is going to protect only cities
And crucial roads, why will they need
Tens of thousands of extra troops?