We Will Never Forget 9/11

We will never forget the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks.

May God bless them and their families. May God bless all the policemen and firemen who entered the burning towers and the Pentagon to save lives. May God bless and protect the soldiers who go into harm's way pursuing the terrorists responsible for this tragedy. May God bring all of the terrorists to justice.



May God protect innocent civilians in all nations from terrorism. Let love prevail over hate. Let tolerance prevail over intolerance. Let understanding prevail over ignorance. Amen.

Mr. President, Why Is the U.S. Still in Afghanistan?!?!

The Washington Post reports that:

The last of the 33,000 troops Obama dispatched to Afghanistan in 2009 will head home at the end of September. Senior administration officials said Tuesday that, though no specific future troop levels have been determined, a “steady reduction” will follow over the next two years.  

Obama’s timeline calls on Afghan security forces to take the lead in combat operations by the end of next year. All U.S. troops are scheduled to leave by the end of 2014, except for trainers who will assist Afghan forces and a small contingent of troops with a specific mission to combat al-Qaeda through counterterrorism operations.  

In his remarks, Obama emphasized that the United States will not seek permanent military bases in Afghanistan, a country that for centuries has fiercely opposed foreign interlopers... 

Those U.S. trainers and Special Operations troops that remain beyond 2014 will live on Afghan bases. Senior administration officials said the agreement is meant to send a signal to the Taliban that they cannot “wait out” the international presence, which is supporting a fragile Afghan government.   

“The goal I set to defeat al-Qaeda and deny it a chance to rebuild is now within reach,” Obama said.

Karzai has long requested reassurance from Obama that U.S. support would not wane after 2014. The agreement commits Obama to ask Congress for money to support Afghanistan through 2024, but it does not specify the amount of annual aid...  

The accord is designed to promote the training of Afghan forces, a reconciliation and reintegration process for Taliban fighters who leave the battlefield, and regional stability with a focus on improving relations with Pakistan. A second senior administration official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, called it “a crucial component to bring the war to an end responsibly.”  

..Americans have not outlined what the U.S. troop presence will look like beyond 2014, and NATO has yet to specify its long-term financial commitment to the Afghan security forces. That topic will be a focal point of the NATO summit in Chicago this month.

Al Qaeda has been defeated in Afghanistan. According to a 2009 ABC news report, less than 100 Al Qaeda fighters remain in Afghanistan. Far less probably remain now. Osama Bin Laden is dead, and he was found in another country, Pakistan. After approximately 10 years of war, why is the United States still in Afghanistan? 2014, really? 2024, really?

President Obama Discusses How the U.S. Tracked Down Bin Laden

Last night, President Barack Obama appeared on 60 Minutes.  The President discussed how U.S. intelligence and military forces finally tracked down Osama Bin Laden. It is a fascinating interview.  The interview raises interesting political questions about assassinations, sovereignty and international law.

During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, Obama said that if Pakistan was unwilling or unable to act he would take action. I am glad that the President kept that promise.

Should America Use Torture To Fight Terrorism?

As expected, former Bush Administration officials are taking credit for locating Osama Bin Laden. They claim that so-called enhanced interrogation methods helped the U.S. gather vital information used to track down the terrorist leader. Now, the debate over torture has been reignited.

As reported in the New York Times,

"Did brutal interrogations produce the crucial intelligence that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden?

"As intelligence officials disclosed the trail of evidence that led to the compound in Pakistan where Bin Laden was hiding, a chorus of Bush administration officials claimed vindication for their policy of “enhanced interrogation techniques” like waterboarding."

"Among them was John Yoo, a former Justice Department official who wrote secret legal memorandums justifying brutal interrogations. “President Obama can take credit, rightfully, for the success today,” Mr. Yoo wrote Monday in National Review, “but he owes it to the tough decisions taken by the Bush administration.”

"But a closer look at prisoner interrogations suggests that the harsh techniques played a small role at most in identifying Bin Laden’s trusted courier and exposing his hide-out. One detainee who apparently was subjected to some tough treatment provided a crucial description of the courier, according to current and former officials briefed on the interrogations. But two prisoners who underwent some of the harshest treatment — including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times — repeatedly misled their interrogators about the courier’s identity."

"The discussion of what led to Bin Laden’s demise has revived a national debate about torture that raged during the Bush years. The former president and many conservatives argued for years that force was necessary to persuade Qaeda operatives to talk. Human rights advocates, and Mr. Obama as he campaigned for office, said the tactics were torture, betraying American principles for little or nothing of value."

Should America use torture to fight terrorism? Please tell me what you think.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Osama Bin Laden Has Been Brought to Justice!

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Great speech, Mr. President. Great work, Mr. President. Can we bring the troops home now, Mr. President?