**JP** War plans in disarray - bring troops home now!!! (Afghanistan news!)

Afghanistan — War Plans in Disarray — Bring the Troops Home Now		Printer-Friendly E-Mail This
Sep 5, 2010  By Patrick Ayers
Ten months after President Obama announced he would add 31,000 more United States troops to the war in Afghanistan, his surge is showing signs of failing. The mightiest military force in the world, with more than 128,000 troops and the most advanced weaponry on the planet, is losing to a ragtag force of an estimated 28,000 Taliban fighters.  Almost nine years old, the Afghan conflict is the longest shooting war in the history of the U.S. This massive effort, costing hundreds of billions of dollars, has in no way improved the lives of Afghan people. Instead of bringing prosperity, the country remains the fifth poorest in the world. Instead of bringing democracy, Afghanistan is the second most corrupt.  Nor has the war brought peace to the wider region. Obama has escalated cross-border attacks on Taliban forces based in Pakistan, inflaming opposition there and destabilizing the country.  Obama was elected in 2008 with high hopes that he would end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, he escalated military involvement in Afghanistan. Deaths have surged as a result. June and July 2010 were the two deadliest months for the U.S. since the war began in 2001. "U.S. casualties this year are likely to double to between 600 and 700, more than during the entire administration of President George W. Bush" (NY Times, 8/10/10).  Afghan civilian deaths are surging, too. The United Nations recently reported civilian deaths are up 31% since the surge began, in spite of scaled-back U.S. airstrikes.....(click for more http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article13.php?id=1427 )