The United States bombarded, invaded, and began the occupation of Afghanistan 17 years ago. The war has cost Americans the lives of more than 2,200 fighters and support personnel as well as more than $840 billion. U.S. government “experts” claim that the Taliban, whom the U.S. military has been trying to destroy since 2001, control only 44 percent of the country — leaving the other 56 percent in the hands of the Afghan government Washington supports. The Pentagon claims that Afghan government security forces outnumber the Taliban 10 to 1, but Afghan officials admit to U.S. reporters that fully a third of their guys are “ghosts” who’ve abandoned their positions, and that many others are poorly trained and unqualified. The intelligence on the Taliban numbers and capabilities smells foul — exaggerating strengths when planners need to argue for resources and rationalize their failures, and exaggerating weaknesses when they want to look like the investment isn’t a total waste. Last year, for example, the claimed 13,600 insurgents killed and the 2,000 arrested would represent half of the official estimate of Taliban force strength of 25,000-35,000. Entirely cooked numbers. The “experts” are also lying about other indicators of progress, including maternal mortality, life expectancy, etc.
As we approach the 17th anniversary of 9/11 and the first airstrikes in Afghanistan next month, the American public and U.S. Congress still demand no accountability, no results.