Oops! There go those horses!

Ah, now I see, when "George W. Bush was right all along to challenge the world to choose up sides in the war on terror" he took this as justification for leaving the "war on terrorism" in Afghanistan in order to overthrow a tyrant (not an INTERNATIONAL terrorist) in Iraq. He fully expected, as a result of his "challenge," to the "world" that the rest of the "world" would be willing to step to the plate and handle the terrorists in Afghanistan and, indirectly, in Pakistan while he left the battlefield in order to overthrow Saddam. Guess he misjudged his "world support" on that one. GGpap

In your apologia for George W. Bush's ultimatum to the world that it must choose either to be with us or against us in the so-called War on Terror, did the Augusta Chronicle editorial staff (ACES) stop to consider that 8 years of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan may have contributed mightily to the destabilization of Pakistan? Many Pashtun tribesmen live on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border & form the base of the Taliban. U.S. missile strikes inside Pakistan (with or without the permission of the Pakistan gov't) have raised the ire of Pakistani Pashtuns & have definitely helped destabilize Pakistan. The growing Taliban movement in Pakistan is not limited to Pashtuns. It is impossible to overestimate the widespread anti-American feeling running wild in Pakistan. While Pakistan has 165 million people, its giant neighbor India is 5 times more populous with more than a billion people. This makes the Pakistan gov't weary & on guard even with the support of United States. The dispute with India over Kashmir is a likely flashpoint. ACES repeatedly uses inflammatory rhetoric like "Islamic tyranny and misogyny" in its efforts to dehumanize Muslims & turn this into a religious war

The so called terrorists that killed the so called dead people in NYC are the problem of the so called United States. The States have a lot of money and don't need help from their so called allies and can protect their so called citizens by using defense measures from so called genius citizens that get their information from CNN, PBS, and the NYTimes. The so called citizens like GGpap and Cain, as a result of their fine source of information, would have done a much better job of protecting America than Bush ever did. Well, now we get to test their theory(again)(remember Clinton). Our so called current president has exactly their same opinion about national defense.

Cain, while I agree with some of your post, I disagree with your calling it a religious war. The radicals call it a religious war, and use terrorism to spread their venom. We are fighting the tactics. Period. Iraq was a personal blunder by Bush/Chaney, who obviously had their own agenda, but the extremists and anyone who supports their cause must be eliminated. ELIMINATED. By the way, Muslims who support Sharia law are exactly what you claim the ACES call them, and it is against everything you claim to hold dear to give them any kind of support. It seems to me that you don't have any real beliefs, except that anything a Republican says is wrong (most times it's true).

PT, Bush just followed his own agenda, and if he had concentrated on Afghanistan instead of going off on his tangent in Iraq, we would be in a much better position. I agree with GGPap that Saddam was a tyrant, not a terrorist. By the way, do you REALLY believe that your "sources" are untainted by political bias?

Well dang Copperhead, how could Bush's friends get rich if he didn't attack Iraq. If they'd been smart and had more letters in the name of their country, Bush would have left them alone and just prosecuted the terrorists responsible for 9-11 in the world court, using the American constitution as a guide line for the Geneva Convention protected radicals.

Copperhead, my "sources" make it clear the military has a thousand times the information that I do. Understand?

The Taliban & Al Qaeda are NOT synonymous. While Pashtuns on both side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border form the base of the Taliban, it is not limited to that ethnic group & its influence is spreading in Pakistan. There are Pashtun tribesmen who are not Taliban but rise up to fight when a foreign power occupies their lands. That is my point about 8 years of U.S. war & occupation in Afghanistan. United States had & still has the right to pursue those responsible for the 9/11 attacks & other terror attacks on U.S. embassies & warships. United States had the right to overthrow the Taliban gov't of Afghanistan in passing on its way to root out Al Qaeda because the Taliban harbored Al Qaeda. U.S. support for the corrupt gov't of Hamid Karzai is the biggest reason that the Taliban is enjoying a resurgence inside Afghanistan. Conflating the Taliban with Al Qaeda & labeling both "Islamic extremists" does turn the U.S. war for hegemony into a religious conflagration. Americans think they are justified in dominating Afghanistan & south Asia because of the threat of terrorism but the denizens of that region see only U.S. aggression. Terrorism does not pose an existential threat to the U.S.

Cain, you sure seem to know a lot more about radical Islamists than you do about America. I wonder if you're as wrong about them as you are about us. If so, you're still batting 1.000

The Pashtuns are ethnically Iranian and the second largest group in Pakistan besides being the predominant make-up of Taliban. They receive support from Iran. So what else is new? But such a large group in Pakistan has many moderate followers and the Pashtuns are anything but unitied in radical, extremist goals. Terrorists are an extential threat to the U.S. and they can be fought in Afghan and Pakistan. The news today says the Pakistani Army killed 20 Taliban in a battle so maybe they have started to try to rid their country of the terrorist extremists. Again, this is all coming down to Iran. You know the expression of bombing a country back to the stone age? I say let's bomb them back into the modern era as they were under the Shah.

Riverman1, Iran worked WITH United States in opposition to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Your ignorance is only exceeded by your bellicosity.

I love to reduce Cain to grammar school name calling. Read this in the spring Mideast Quarterly based on information from Sec. Gates TWO years ago. "Iran's strategy toward Afghanistan seems geared toward hastening the withdrawal of U.S. forces, preventing the Taliban from regaining power, and trying to keep Afghanistan under Tehran's sway. As a result of this policy, some Iranian groups appear to have reached out to the Taliban. U.S. AND NATO FORCES HAVE REPEATEDLY INTERCEPTED SHIPMENTS OF IRANIAN WEAPONS TO THE TALIBAN."

Radical Islam has no borders and no home country. It's a religion that has excellent financing and support from many sources. Trying to assign them a country is election year rhetoric gone crazy.

The world chose, and they decided to let the cowboy, go it alone.Pakistan, used him for billions, and still let the taliban do what they wanted. Pakistan is not going to go to war, with thier own people, just because george bush, gave them billions of dollars.

The leaders of France and Germany lost their jobs because they let America go it alone. When America runs it's affairs to gain the "love" of the non-participating countries, it demeans itself. That's not the America I grew up in. 1941, your deductive reasoning lack reason.

Are we (America) complaining about a country (Pakistan) not being able to control its border? Maybe we ought to rellok our own border. BTW I sincerely hope we are going to get some reporting about potentially the worst threat to this country in a hundred years from our southern neighbors, and I am wondering why we aren't taking steps to prevent it? For those who don't remember our history, the 1918 flu killed more people than were killed in the first wordld war. And strangely enough, it was started in a spanish speaking country. I wonder what the death toll will have to be, before we enact a travel and trade embargo with Mexico?

rag editors, if bush was right that all natons must get involved with "they're out to get us mentality", then why is the us the only country doing anything? when will we stop trying to be "our brothers keeper to the world?"it's just like what jfk told cronkite in 63 referring to vietnam, "it's their war let them fight it".

Here is one quote among thousands available on the web: The only thing certain about Kennedy's role in Vietnam before he died was that he had escalated America's military, political, and maybe psychological commitment to Vietnam.
Mess, you are such a liar.

dissman I agree we must close the close the Mexican border, we need our troops here at home at this time........"Hoping to head off a global pandemic of swine flu that has surfaced in North America, the European Union's health commissioner on Monday urged Europeans to avoid traveling to the United States or Mexico if doing so is not essential.'' (Sounds like we are a third world Country?)

i didn't write historyjustthe facts i just repeat what i've been told and read.i read that vietnam.war.com article, it seems like he was getting lied to on all sides.11,3oo officers is a long way from 58,000 deaths caused after lbj lied about the gulf of tonkin.watch the video and he tells you we will just assist, not fight for you.remember they were there before he took office.

ness, your false indication was that Kennedy didn't support the idea of helping the South Vietnamese. That was obviously not the case.

It has taken me awhile to understand PatriciaThomas, but finally, I believe I have her/him deciphered. PT is a transgender. As a she, she is emulating her champion, Annie Colter (misspelling intended) and, as a he, he is emulating his champion Rust Limballs (again, misspelling intended). In either case, PT is in a "commentator's heaven" every time he/she generates an opinion on the AC opinion site. Her/his secret, "commentator envy," has been enabled by the AC and heaven (a term, not my belief) help those that would dare to take her/him on in a diatribe debate. Annie or Rust does not respond to a common sense debate either; only right wing diatribe is acceptable. Facts and history (no matter how recent or how far removed) elude them whenever they refute whatever their horse blinder vision chooses to ignore. However, all said and done, I will give her/him some credit; they (her/him) are most certainly persistent! Keep it up PT, whichever one you are today, I always read your FIRST post on every issue you respond to.

I justed wasted 2 minutes on THAT post. Thanks.

Justus4, who wrote that post for you? I totally agree! Gasp!

Your ignorance is only exceeded by your bellicosity.
Posted by JohnRandolphHardisonCain on Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:19 AM....You talking to yourself there, Cain?

Dissman, this is a crazy day. I have agreed with Justus4 and now agree totally with you. Time to close OUR border to the south and get rid of those here. Pakistan and Afghanistan either can't or wont. OUR goverman CAN but WON't.

rag editors, if bush was right that all natons must get involved with "they're out to get us mentality", then why is the us the only country doing anything? when will we stop trying to be "our brothers keeper to the world?"it's just like what jfk told cronkite in 63 referring to vietnam, "it's their war let them fight it".
Posted by elliottness on Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:27 AM....Yonce, your ignorance is showing again. The reason our "allies" pulled out of Iraq was a lack of gonads after beng attacked by al Queda. They don't help any more than they do in Afghanistan is for the same reason. As for JFK, if hw said that that to the chief Vietnam liar Kronkite, why did he send us there in the first place? We had special forces there long before LBJ sent in the regulars and caused the North to come South

GGpap, I wonder if PT has the same accuracy rating as Rush Limabaugh at 99% by an independent rating firm? If emulating Rush, he must be close. BTW, Coulter is a very wealthy lady because she is blunt and doesn't mince words on politics. Being PC ain't her schtick and it drives you libs nuts. I totally agree with her in that if Dims had brains, they would be Repubs.

I hereby declare to be as accurate as Rush and as attractive as Ann. Of course, I also declare this is my unbiased opinion. Thank you GGpap for dissing me(1:52), I take that as a high compliment coming from you. I guess the appropriate response (on your level) would be, "I know you are but what am I." Is that politically correct enough for you?