FPHandbook Issue5

Issue V | August 2010
Redefining the National Interest
ForeignPolicyHandbook.com
War Shifts: Pakistan

General Difficulties
p. 5
Leaving the Graveyard

p. 20
Pakistan Leaked!
p. 12
YOUNG AMERICANS for LIBERTY

The Young Americans for Liberty’s
Foreign Policy
Handbook
August 2010
Contents
Editor in Chief
3 Undeniably Hypocritical Roy Antoun
By Gabriel Aquino
5 “General Difficulties”
By Ryan Bell
Contributors
9 Afghanistan: Forever a Pawn
By Brian Beyer
Gabriel Aquino
12 Pakistan Leaked
By Marissa Yturralde-Giannotta Ryan Bell
14 Chalmers Johnson’s Nemesis Brian Beyer

By Jeremy Davis Marissa Yturralde-Giannotta
17 Foreign Aid Horror Files Jeremy Davis
By Brendon DeMeo
Brendon DeMeo
18 Terrorists or Insurgents?
By Jihan Huq Jihan Huq
20 Leaving the Graveyard Elliot Engstrom

By Elliot Engstrom
Daniel Suraci
22 Uganda Bombings
By Daniel Suraci
YAL MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is to train, educate, and mobilize youth activists committed to
"winning on principle." Our goal is to cast the leaders of tomorrow and reclaim the policies, candidates, and direction
of our government.
YAL STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

We are the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). As Americans we recognize the God-given natural rights of life, liberty,
and property set forth by our Founding Fathers. Our country was created to protect the freedoms of the individual
and directed by we the people.
We recognize that freedom deserves responsibility and therefore we hold ourselves to a high moral character and con-
duct. Integrity emphasizes our stance towards action. Principle defines our outlook towards government. Peace and
prosperity drives our ambitions towards our countrymen.
We inherit a corrupt, coercive world that has lost respect for voluntary action. Our government has failed and
dragged our country into moral decay. The political class dominates the agenda with a violent, callous, controlling
grip. And, for this we do not stand.
Young Americans for Liberty | http://www.yaliberty.org | June 2010 1 roy.antoun@yaliberty.org | P.O. Box 2751 Arlington, VA 22202
Letter From the Editor
Dear Reader,
As neoconservatives continue their world-
dominating agenda, taxpayers in the United States
are paying for undeclared, expensive wars.
In the past decade, the U.S. has engaged in two
undeclared wars and now the battle spreads into
Pakistan. American military funding has doubled
since 2000 and, today, the country is happily running
a deficit.
Governments will always find excuses for war
because war is the health of the state. Wars generate
revenue for the government through taxation and the
money is spent frivolously on government programs,
waste, and the military-industrial-complex.
While many conservatives and neoconservatives preach small govern-
ment, they never hesitate to say that they are willing to give up a portion of
their income in order for government to keep them safe. But has government
been keeping them safe? Why are we so willing to give government power
over our own lives if it can hardly control its own spending habits?
Now that American soldiers are engaging “terrorists” in Pakistan, it’s hard
to say that perpetual war is keeping us safe if the world is left in constant tur-
moil. With Europe finding homegrown terrorists in its backyard and the U.S.
relying on citizens (not Homeland Security) to find threats like the Christmas
bomber and the Times Square bomber, I have to ponder: Ifthese wars abroad
were stopping the terrorists, why do they keep popping up?
Roy M. Antoun
New York State Chairman,
Young Americans for Liberty
“Of the Youth, by the Youth, for the Youth” Want to write for the
Foreign Policy Handbook?
The objective of the Foreign Policy Handbook is to rationally discuss the faults in American Contact roy.antoun@yaliberty.org
foreign policy and offer practical, liberty-minded solutions. Over the past century, our elected
http://www.foreignpolicyhandbook.com
leaders have collectively corrupted U.S. foreign relations into a hotbed of backfiring interven-
tionism. It is the job of the youth to mobilize and inform, because it is we who will be paying
Find us on the web:
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Young Americans for Liberty | http://www.yaliberty.org | Aug 2010 2 roy.antoun@yaliberty.org | P.O. Box 2751 Arlington, VA 22202
Commentary | Young Americans for Liberty | The Foreign Policy Handbook | Issue V | August 2010
Photo courtesy of USNews.com

Undeniably Hypocritical
ures like these were introduced after the Sept. 11 attacks in the
Gabriel Aquino United States, and were replicated worldwide.
Considering that the die has been cast, let's observe this as
One of the longest and most expensive terrorist investiga- an informative experiment in the hamster cage that is interna-
tions in British history came to an end in July, when three tional relations, shall we?
men: Ibrahim Savant, Arafat Waheed Khan, and Waheed Western imperialist rhetoric supposes that, in order to
Zaman were found guilty of a 2006 plot to attack seven trans- deter Islamic "terrorists" from continuing to attack within
Atlantic airliners bound for the United States and Canada with western nations, military forces must be deployed to Arab
liquid explosives. This trial follows up the convictions of nations (conquest of Persia, coming soon!), but not nec-
three other men in a similar trial last year, bringing to at- essarily the nations of origin for the aforementioned
tention an urgency of action, by British authorities. Their terrorists. The occupying force will give the terrorists
conviction has sparked some international outrage re- something to chew on within their home country as they
garding the clarity of evidence, testimony, and ver- defend their homes, their families, and their way of
dict. life... wait, no... The occupying force will fight indefi-
Scotland Yard divulged specifics regarding the nitely against the nativist scourge insurgency...The
investigation, noting that it was their most elabo- occupying Western force will defend their country,
rate effort ever mounted, costing nearly $40 mil- from another country, protecting the freedoms that
lion. During the time period when the investigation have been left alone by the increasingly large police
took place, over 29 surveillance teams were de- state in their country will fight to prevent the incep-
ployed to observe the plotters. tion of "terrorist" cells who are active on the other
Furthermore, the report of this plot has side of the world. Makes perfect sense, right?
greatly impacted the international commu- What good would it do to keep the military at
nity's stance on airline security. Since then, home, to defend security? Why not just beef up
airline authorities have laced tight restrictions local police forces?
upon the size and type of liquids and creams What better way to protect civil liberties that
that passengers can take onto flights. Meas- the "terrorists" hate than to keep them under lock
Welcome to the Police State

Riot police in England: the most apparent danger to liberty is state control. When wars overseas give bloated governments excuses to control society, the police
state becomes your backyard. Photo source: www.digitaljournal.com
and key with new security measures? many of the "terrorists" found in Europe are "home-grown". It
Aquino, continued
The "terrorists" won't relent, so let's seems to be that the "home-grown" cells have felt the plight of
continue to send young men and women into harm’s way to their brothers and sisters a world away, or are rejecting the
deter their presence at home… fusion of tightening security and heightened suspicion of the
...but the "terrorists" are still plotting attacks in the west? Islamic community in European countries.
How can that be? Western military forces are killing "hostiles" One cannot reject the obvious, these cells that have been
daily. convicted of plots in European nations did not meet with
Why is it still happening? Aren't there plenty of targets European military forces on the battlefield. In fact, they en-
to shoot at in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan? tirely bypassed the "preemptive war" meant for them, along
Western occupation has existed in the Middle East since the with a load of empty interventionist rhetoric.
1800s, starting with the British Empire. Since then, anti- If only stubborn overlords and appointed bureaucrats
Western sentiments, tied to fringe elements of Islam, began elected officials would make some sense of it all, and heed
and have grown. So where is the validity of progress, causa- common sense, along with the outcry of the citizenry. The so-
tion, or even correlation, in the interventionist argument? lution is simply this: There are people thousands of miles
Occupying Middle Eastern nations for decades has only led away, infuriated with Western Imperialism. Give them nothing
to escalated action on both sides. Is there any incentive for to be upset about, and in the period of time that the Western
these "terrorists" to quit? Surely not, for psychologically, the nations should consider a period of humble diplomacy, the
Middle Eastern constituencies ripest for terrorist action are military would not be deployed abroad, but at home for secu-
have had a first-hand account of Western imperialism. Very rity. Deal?
rarely is fundamentalism the sole factor. In this case however,
“General Difficulties”
via secure video teleconference. During a brief meeting
Ryan Bell with Obama on June 23, two days before the article
was released to newsstands, McChrystal tendered
In an article written by freelance
his resignation, which the president accepted.
journalist Michael Hastings, "The Run-
Shortly thereafter, Obama nominated Gen-
away General", appearing in issue no.
eral David Petraeus to replace McChrystal in his
1108/1109 of Rolling Stone magazine
role as top commander in Afghanistan. Obama's
(July 8–22 2010), McChrystal and his staff
statement on the topic began as follows:
mocked civilian government officials, in-
cluding Joe Biden, National Security Advi-
"Today I accepted Gen. Stanley McChrystal's resigna-
sor James L. Jones, US Ambassador to Af-
tion as commander of the International Security Assis-
ghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry, and Special
tance Force in Afghanistan. I did so with consider-
Representative for Afghanistan and Paki-
able regret, but also with certainty that it is the
stan Richard Holbrooke. McChrystal was
right thing for our mission in Afghani-
not quoted as being directly criti-
stan, for our military and for our
cal of the president or the
country."
president's policies, but
several comments from his
Later that day
aides in the article re-
McChrystal released the
flected their perception of
following statement:
McChrystal's disappoint- General Stanley A. McChrystal received heavy flak from Washington after being inter-
ment with Obama on the viewed for a controversial article published by Rolling Stone Magazine.
―This morning the presi-
first two occasions of their meeting. McChrystal's staff was
dent accepted my resignation as Commander of U.S. and
contacted prior to release of the article and did not deny the
NATO Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. I strongly support
validity of the article, though senior members of his staff
the president's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply
dispute this, and have accused Hastings of exaggerating the
committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations,
seniority of aides quoted and breaking the "off the record"
and the Afghan people. It was out of respect for this com-
trust of private conversations.
mitment—and a desire to see the mission succeed—that I
The statements attributed to McChrystal and members
tendered my resignation. It has been my privilege and
of his staff drew the attention of the White House when
honor to lead our nation's finest.”
McChrystal called Biden to apologize. McChrystal issued a
written statement, saying:
Shortly after his removal from command in Af-
―I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a ghanistan, McChrystal announced that he would retire from
mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have the Army. The day after the announcement, the White
happened. Throughout my career, I have lived by the prin- House announced that he would retain his four-star
ciples of personal honor and professional integrity. What rank in retirement, although law generally requires a gen-
is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard. I
eral officer to hold their rank for three years in order to re-
have enormous respect and admiration for President
Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian tain it in retirement. His retirement ceremony was held on
leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain commit- July 23, 2010 at Fort McNair in Washington D.C. During
ted to ensuring its successful outcome.” this ceremony, McChrystal was awarded the Distin-
guished by Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and
Biden's call to tell him of the apology prompted the Defense Distinguished Service Medal by Gates.
Obama to request a copy of the profile and then to summon
McChrystal to attend in person the president's monthly se- You can find the original Rolling Stone article here:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/119236
curity team meeting at the White House in lieu of attending
Photo courtesy of Kevin Lamarque, Reuters

Washington vs. McChrystal
Bell, continued tors have suggested that this was a near treasonous (and equally
unprofessional) act committed by this four-star general and that
Stanley McChrystal, Obama's top commander in Af- such discontent would have been better relayed in private to the
ghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking President and those in other relevant positions.
his eye off the real enemy: The wimps in the White We must not forget however that this is some-
House. thing that
By all means, question McChrystal’s judgment in would be
making derisive comments about his boss, the Com- deemed un-
mander in Chief. In fact, McChrystal was right to chal- necessary,
lenge the president. and can be
General McChrystal’s main mistake was to apologize seen, a
for the remarks he made in Rolling Stone. As you will choice with
observe, this isn’t the first occasion that General potential for
McChrystal has used interview commentary or the the tarnishing
press, in one fashion or another, to force the of his reputa-
hand of a Commander-In-Chief to do what is tion and that of
best for the troops that serve under him. the war itself Richard Holbrooke, special representative to
Every time General McChrystal has when publicized in this Afghanistan and Pakistan, was highly dis-
taken such an action, he has done so fashion. We must ask if liked by Gen. McChrystal.
knowing that both his command and General McChrystal
his career were at risk. Yet, like a would have ever considered such an option as valid unless his
true leader; General McChrystal views were not being ignored or otherwise completely disre-
took that risk after thoughtful in- garding in those very same private sessions.
trospection on what course was Just as the famed MacArthur ultimately lost his battle
most proper for the good of the with President Truman and his war policy of appeasement;
nations and his troops. So, al- which averted a confrontation with China, but also set the
though I wish he’d stand firm and stage for the prolonged carnage of Vietnam, General
not waiver in the slightest on his McChrystal will lose his battle with President Obama.
commentary, I forgive him for a The recalling of General McChrystal was not just for a
minor tremble during such a major fireside chat with President Obama; nor is it for a typical
event in his life. Some commenta- chewing session by the Commander-in-Chief. General
command of their troops, who often went
www.Interest Of The State.com far above any expectations in perform-
among the ance of their duties. General McChrystal,
Redefining the National Interest populace. After like Patton and MacArthur, is a warrior
all, the wars in the and a visionary leader who wants to win;
Middle East create not capitulated, and certainly does not
enough derogatory headlines wish to leave the job unfinished.
all on their own.
This is not the Until now,
key issue, yet it further “We have reached a point in he has been
illustrates the reality history where if we are to relatively
that we should not unknown.
engage in wars engage in warfare it must be However,
we are not will- we will hear
ing to fight to the
of necessity to win.” and learn
end, with the fullest more about
extent of resources him as time
our nation has to offer, to passes. In my view, General McChrystal
limit the number of Ameri- has not only taken on the President and
can deaths as much as is the wimps in Washington such as Senator
plausible, and to do John Kerry; but he’s also sent a message
what must be done to his fellow generals that a war strategy
to accomplish our of shedding American blood and treasure
mission as quickly with the goal of hand-tied warfare and
and as effectively as appeasement can no longer be tolerated.
possible...and We have reached a point in history
then leave. where if we are to engage in warfare it
Unfortu- must be of necessity to win. Our new ene-
nately these mies are of the ideological nature of the
wars have Japanese in World War 2. If we wish to
been a mire of wage war against them we must be able
deception, na- to outlast them, being firm in our belief
tion building, that we hold moral superiority in our ef-
resource ex- forts or we will have sealed our own fate.
ploitation, con- As in Korea and Vietnam where
troversial weap- guerilla fighters often disguised them-
ons and drug selves to fit in among the locals to both
McChrystal was recalled to be fired from deals, unconstitutional provisions, politi- kill and gain sympathy from a gullible
his position. General McChrystal has cal scapegoats and a particu-
taken from the President the political press and shake weak, panicked politi-
larly grandiose highlight of the wide-
voice in the execution of warfare and spread problems within our civilian gov-
dared, whether it was intentional or not, ernment, our intelligence agencies, and
for the President to confront him in de- particularly within our own military es-
bate by expressing his opinion in this pub- tablishment.
licized manner. This was not something One can hardly blame the Democrat-
Obama, or any President, could simply
controlled Whitehouse for taking a hard-
ignore.
ened stance against this outburst, espe-
Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, but
cially when its voters, as well as our own
also understandably, the President will
President have run the field unabashed
not give him that debate; nor should he
with laying all of the ills of these wars at
out of respect for the long standing prin-
the feet of our previous administration.
ciple of civilian rule over the mili-
They have been hard pressed to accept
tary. Albeit I believe that, given some nec-
the responsibility for our current failures
essary prerequisites, we should let the
on the front as being derivative of the
military do its job to the best of its ability
current administrative troupe.
with as little political
General McChrystal knows all of this.
and bureaucratic red-tape as possible.
He is acutely aware of Generals such as
What this really comes down to is that
George C. Patton and Douglas MacAr-
it would not be appropriate for the Presi-
thur. As American warriors of distinction
dent to redress these criticisms on the
he holds a deep admiration and respect
American stage in some off-color grand-
for their standards of excellence and for
stand which would eventually do nothing Gen. McChrystal was a big advocate for
their accomplishments in battles fought
but add more media headlines and likely nation-building. He wanted his troops to
all over the world. He understands how
create further consequences for our assimilate with the population by living with
these two men in particular were re- the population. Photo: John Moore / AP
troops abroad in the form of mishandled
spected, loved and at all times in full
policy in an effort to suppress suspicions
cians and Presidents, we need to show greater General McChrystal may have lost the faith of
strength, determination and courage to face down the President and other politicians in Washington
those who would end democracy and our way of that he can perform his duties well, but I guaran-
life and punish them with impunity no matter tee you that the most important group of people
how the rest of the world views us (this does not looking to General McChrystal for direction and
mean killing hundreds of civilians with CIA- strength have not. That group is the junior offi-
piloted military predator drones). cers and enlisted members of United States com-
But isn’t it past time to question the propriety bat forces.
of an Afghan strategy that both parties endorse? They may not admit it, but I suspect the vast
As was the case in Korea, the United States majority are ecstatic to see a senior officer finally
military did most of the fighting and took most of speak out for Washington to do the right thing
the losses as our allies wrung their hands on the and either fight or leave. I simply hope that Gen-
sidelines. If we are to bear the bulk and the bur- eral McChrystal’s personal and professional sacri-
den of fighting just wars alone or with minimal fice does not fall on deaf ears throughout the up-
support from our allies or the United Nations, per ranks of the United States military and that
then our opinion is the only one that matters. the Chairman and other members of the Joint
When they are willing to put action to their rheto- Chiefs heed the warning as a rancher would heed
ric then and only then, would I suggest they’ve the sound of coiled snakes’ rattle.
earned the right to speak and give advice. Until
then, we either need to fight to win or not fight at
all and protect the valuable lives and health of our
young sons and daughters.
Predator Drones
Creating new
terrorists
everyday.
Afghanistan: Forever a Pawn

Brian Beyer wishes to secure a presence in Afghanistan in order
to encircle Pakistan in an attempt to exert regional
July 2011 marks the beginning of the with- dominance. Pakistan, on the other hand, desires to
drawal of American troops from Afghanistan. How- play a pivotal role in Afghanistan in order to prevent
ever, as President Obama has said, ―We didn't say Indian encirclement.
we'd be switching off the lights and closing the door This same kind of game was played before from
behind us." As the war in Afghanistan will undoubt- the late 1990’s to as recent as 2002. India provided
edly rage on through the remainder of Obama’s funding and arms to the Northern Alliance, a
term, the American public will grow increasingly ―military-political umbrella organization‖ opposed
skeptical of, if not downright against, the operation. to Taliban rule. Pakistan’s powerful intelligence
War weariness in Europe has caused governments agency, the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), gave
to collapse (the Netherlands) and prompted NATO the Taliban money, arms, and training so as to pre-
to declare an end date (albeit nonbinding) of 2014. vent the Indian backed Northern Alliance from
Eventually, just as Europe is planning to do, Amer- gaining a foothold. The Taliban were promptly
ica will have to cease major combat operations. ousted by US and other foreign forces during the
This leaves Afghanistan in an interesting situa- initial invasion of Afghanistan. India was victori-
tion that the country has not known for years: it will ous and Pakistan was secretly
have to govern and police itself with minimal, if no, bitter with defeat.
international assistance. Pakistan, a regional power-
house, has high hopes of forging an unbreakable al-
liance with Afghanistan. However, India could
prove to be a remarkably difficult hurdle to clear.
Sadly, Afghanistan is a pawn in the
great Paki-
stan-India
rivalry.
India
ghanistan during
the 1980’s by the
infamous muja-
hedeen Maulavi
Jalaluddin
Haqqani. During
the bloody occu-
pation, which is
presciently par-
allel to the cur-
rent war in Af-
ghanistan,
Haqqani re-
ceived financial
and material as-
sistance from
Pakistan’s ISI
and America’s
CIA in order to
prevent Soviet
incursion into
South Asia.
Afghanistan’s new police force, funded by your tax dollars. Haqqani and his
fighters were
Today, Pakistan generally to find the right group to mediate often considered some of the most
continues to rely on hard power, with. Recently, Pakistan has made it ruthless and effective ―destroyers of
although covertly, while India is well known that they would be in- the occupiers.‖ However, whom
winning over the Afghan people terested in facilitating talks between Charlie Wilson once considered
through foreign aid and economic the Haqqani network and the Af- ―goodness personified,‖ Jalaluddin
ghan government. Haqqani, his son Sirajuddin, and
development. As a result, Pakistan
The Haqqani network was their group of
is now, more than ever, desperate
started during the Soviet loyal fighters
for a say in Afghan politics. Occu- are
Despite official denial, it is well pation of
known that the ISI retains close Af-
links with Taliban linked groups.
This bond is very strategic and
clever nonetheless. The ISI’s
thought process is this: Pakistan
must continue to provide aid of all
sorts to these groups in order to pre-
vent the US, Afghanistan, and its
allies from defeating them. Once it
is recognized that they are a force
that cannot be defeated, Pakistan
can broker power deals between
them and the Afghan government.
This gives Pakistan an incredible say
in Afghan policy, and would make
Indian encirclement impossible.
It appears that Pakistan is be-
coming somewhat frantic in trying
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldier. Many ISAF troops (NATO’s security force) are stationed in Afghanistan in a prolonged, no-win war.
now considered one of the gravest attack by American ground forces talks with people like the
threats to American and NATO out of respect for Pakistani sover- Haqqanis. Such actions by Karzai
forces in Afghanistan. The eignty. Also, since the network is demonstrate that reconciliation is
Haqqani network has claimed re- deemed an ―asset‖ by Pakistani in- possible but distant.
sponsibility for a slew of attacks in telligence, there has been little in- Opposition to reconciliation
Afghanistan, most notably an as- tention to tackle this radical efforts can be heard loud and clear
sassination attempt on President Islamist group by the Pakistani in the United States. Senator Carl
Hamid Karzai in 2008. army. Levin, chairman of the Senate
Why would an insurgent group Luckily for Pakistan, it appears Armed Services committee de-
that is so hostile to both the United that the plan is slowly working, al- manded that the Haqqani network
States and the Afghan government, though with some bumps on the be put on them terrorist blacklist.
and is based in Pakistan be able to way. Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of CIA director Leon Panetta said
have a say in the future of Afghani- Julaladdin, reportedly met with that, ―I think
stan? The reason is becoming quite President Karzai to discuss recon- It’s very difficult to proceed
clear: both Afghanistan and the US ciliation efforts. However, Karzai with a reconciliation [between Af-
realize that the Haqqani network vehemently denied the allegations, ghanistan and the Haqqani net-
cannot be defeated, and the only which shows that he is not quite work] that’s going to be meaning-
other option is a political solution. ready to go public with the policy ful.‖ Despite American criticism, it
This is due largely to the fact that shift. It is also widely believed that appears that as Pakistani influence
they’re headquartered in the law- Karzai forced Amrullah Saleh, di- on Afghan politics is waxing, and
less North Waziristan region of rector of Afghan intelligence, and American influence is waning.
Pakistan. Due to their strategic lo- Hanif Atmar, interior minister, to
cation, they are immune from an resign over their opposition to
Pakistan Leaked
Marissa Yturralde-Giannotta United States and
Pakistan relations have
Secretary of State, not been the best in re-
Hilary Clinton recently cent years, which was
told the Pakistan govern- the point of Mrs. Clin-
ment that the United tons return to the coun-
States would send an ad- try. However, Pakistan
ditional $500 million in has continued to resist
aid to the country. The aid in helping the United
includes American tax- States strike Taliban
payer money on initiatives sanctuaries.
to help improve public It seems for the
health, water distribution, Pakistani government their
and agriculture. Among these goal is an increased and pro-
initiatives are projects including longed war in Afghanistan for
building a 60-bed hospital in Ka- several reasons.
rachi and helping farmers export For one, Pakistan wants to
mangos. establish itself as a regional key
In an attempt by Mrs. Clinton to player and to do so they need to have
bridge the tension gap between the two some sort of influence with the Tali-
countries, Pakistan has now been able ban, a legitimate and recognizable
to secure $500 million additional ex- force in the same region. To gain
tra cash to its economy, at the same this position it needs a group like
time progressing its national inter- the Taliban to extend its power.
ests. Not only do they need the Tali-
What is even more ban but they also need the
alarming is the recent news United States hand in its
about Pakistan’s aid to the economic interests.
Taliban. The classified The Pakistani gov-
military documents re- ernment knows that if it
leased by WikiLeaks de- continues to show a
tails that the country’s In- ―strong face‖ towards
ter-Service Intelligence terrorism it can continue
(ISI) has been securing the to funnel tons of Ameri-
Taliban along the Afghan- can aid into their country
Pakistan border. Senior while at the same time
Taliban officials told aiding the Taliban. So
Newsweek that, ―they what side is Pakistan
[Pakistan] feed us with ultimately on? Well
one hand and arrest and that’s easy: Pakistan is
kill us with another.‖ on Pakistan’s side just
propping up regimes
and continuing their
power for our own in-
terests. Instead of di-
rectly affecting the peo-
ple of that country, aid
flows through corrupt
governments and indi-
viduals who use that
aid in their benefit.
In this case, Paki-

stan is taking some
of that aid in aiding
Julian Assange at a news conference. A former hacker, Julian runs the WikiLeaks website, which hosts leaked gov-
the enemy for their
ernment documents which were otherwise hidden from the public. He has received heavy flak from Washington. own interests.
Source: urbanchristiannews.com
as America is on America’s side. proliferation regime. Mrs. Clin- Pakistan is doubling

Pakistan’s battle against ter- ton did not seem to raise the is- timing our country.
rorism has been lackluster. Sui- sue during her meeting with the They, like the United
cide bombers have killed many Pakistani government. States, have their own
innocent civilians in the coun- But, not only does this raise reasons for their well-
try and public sentiment is questions in our role in Opera- being. Prolonging the
turning against the American tion Enduring Freedom and the war, aligning with other
war to the North. Many Paki- legitimacy of aid to Pakistan, regional powers (the
stani’s now blame the United but it also raises economic Taliban) and increasing
States for its own terrorism in- questions. Our country is still their own influence are
side its borders. Thus, the Paki- facing an alarming unemploy- their goals just as any
stani government now faces a ment rate with a recession still
direct challenge from its citi- continuing. For Mrs. Clinton,
zenry to not align itself to $500 million does not seem
closely with the United States like a large sum; however this is
for fear of intensified terrorism. still money that could’ve been
used by the American taxpayer
for saving and investment that
Pakistan has also planned ultimately turns into produc-
to buy nuclear reactors tion (a real stimulus). other nation. The
from China, a move that The United States needs to United States should
has alarmed the United reevaluate its position not only recognize this and stop
States. in Afghanistan and Pakistan giving Pakistan among
but also in its position in hand- with other nations tax-
The deal goes beyond in- ing out economic aid. In most payer money.
ternational norms of the non- situations, US aid only helps in
Chalmers Johnson’s Nemesis

Jeremy Davis falls in North America. A
few people on board have
begun to pick up a slight
The humble and respectable republic that was hiss in the background,
once America is long gone. In its place is an empire bent to observe a faint haze of
on forging the world into its military playground. mist in the air or on their
In his book Nemesis: The Last Days of the American glasses, to note that the
Republic, Chalmers Johnson spells out the chilling reali- river current seems to be
ties of the what’s become America’s empire. running slightly faster.
―The United States today is like a cruise ship on the But no one yet seems to
Niagara River upstream of the most spectacular water have realized that it is
almost too late to
head for shore.‖
Johnson’s
somber warning
is perhaps one of An Estonian soldier in Baghdad. Ameri-
the most damag- can foreign policy often drags other
ing critiques of a countries into unnecessary wars.
misguided foreign
policy ever put to print. The neo-conservatives
who gleefully steer America’s interventionist for-
eign policy are directing a once sturdy republic
turned authoritarian empire to the edge of col-
lapse.
Since the conclusion of World War II and
the rise of America as sole ―super power‖, the for-
eign policy of the United States has been fueled
American militarism has reached the shores of virtually every continent on earth. All at by a culture of persistent militarism. This has in
taxpayer expense. turn corrupted our constitutional system of gov-
ernment, the American republic, spans is quite startling. Ac-
and democracy in general. This has cording to the Department of De-
also brought us numerous scandals fense’s Base Structural Report as
of torture, illegal spying on U.S. citi- cited by Johnson, the United States
zens, fudging facts in order to justify currently operates and maintains
needless undeclared wars, and an approximately 737 military bases in
acceptance of America as the over 130 countries. He also reveals
world’s policeman. that the Pentagon estimates that all
In terms as to who reigns su- overseas U.S. military structures
preme in government war making, collectively hold the worth of nearly
one of Uncle Sam’s favorite pas- $127 billion. Aside from the massive
times; Congress has been consistent economic distortion they prop
in abdicating its constitutional au- up domestically, a perhaps
thority to declare war. It has instead equally negative impact fer-
chosen to empower an increasingly mented by these bases is re-
unitary president with the ability to flected in the resentment
initiate war via his own determina- they create in their host na-
tion. Congress’ lack of willingness to tions.
provide the necessary check on the The hatred and opposi-
executive has enabled the president tion generated by the pres-
to initiate countless invasions such ence of U.S. forces in these
as the ones in Iraq and Af- countries and the local cor-
ghanistan. This ruption that tends to accompany around the world actually serve us
―breakdown of con- them get nourished because greater harm and have a hand in
stitutional govern- many large segments of the creating the very thing they claim to
ment‖ as Johnson citizen population typically be protecting us from.
frames it has review American troops as an Johnson notes that America
sulted in an inter- unjustified occupational does not need colonies in the tradi-
national U.S. he- force standing in their back- tional and historical sense to be un-
gemony that spans yard. The picture painted by derstood as an empire. ―Once upon
to the corners of the these bases of America a time, you could trace the spread of
entire earth. imperialism by counting up colo-
The extent to nies. America’s version of the colony
which America’s is the military base; and by follow-
global network of ing the changing politics of global
military bases basing, one can learn much about
our ever more all-encompassing im-
perial ―footprint‖ and the militarism
that grows with it.‖
An entire chapter is also devoted
in comparing the American empire
to those of Britain and Rome and
presents a choice in determining
which path the United States will
follow. Johnson puts it this way:
America can either go the way of the
British empire and essentially aban-
don its imperial aspirations in
search of a more democratic system
of government (although Johnson
himself admits this transition wasn’t
carried out in the most effective
manner) or the way of Rome and
lose all attachments to a republic in
favor of an authoritarian dictator-
ship.
In his final chapter titled The
Crisis of the American Republic, Johnson

outlines America’s devotion to Keynesian-
ism and its destruction economically as
well as the governments’ ever present
quest for secrecy and less accountability
to the American public. This chapter also
brings Johnson’s final warning.
―In Nemesis, I have tried to present
historical, political, economic, and phi-
losophical evidence of where our current
behavior is likely to lead. Specifically, I
believe that to maintain our empire
abroad requires resources and commit-
ments that will inevitably undercut our
domestic democracy and in the end pro-
duce a military dictatorship or its civilian
equivalent.‖
He also warns of the damage done to
the founders’ vision of America. ―The How long has it been in Afghanistan?
founders of our nation understood this
well and tried to create a form of government – a republic
– that would prevent this from occurring. But the combi-
nation of huge standing armies, almost continual wars,
military Keynesianism, and ruinous military expenses
have destroyed our republican structure in favor of an im-
perial presidency.‖
From cover to cover, never once does Chalmers John-
son let up in his assault on exposing the faults of rampant
militarism, the regime toppling CIA as the president’s pri-
vate army, the military industrial complex, or erosion of
constitutional government.
Foreign Aid Horror Files Brendon DeMeo
This is the first entry in what I would like to call the “foreign aid horror files.” Each issue I will pick two or three
countries which receive aid from the U.S. government, aka: the American taxpayer, and detail some of the fiascos
involved. We will hear grim tales of theft, extortion, shocking immorality, murder, corruption, greed and much
more, all fueled by the hard-earned cash of the American worker.
Subject: China Subject: Pakistan

Style of Government: Good ol’ fashioned, soul- Style of Government: A ―federal republic,‖ but in the eyes
rending Communism of the scrutinizing observer, it is some kind of mafia made up
President: A brutal, godless dictator named Hu Jin- of Islamists and dictators
tao President: Asif Ali Zadari - They also have a prime minister
named Yousaf Raza Gillani
According to the Foreign Policy magazine web-
site, China has received nearly $1 billion dollars in The nation of Pakistan is ravaged by war in the mountains
grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, as of on its shared border with Pakistan, and the people of Pakistan
July of this year. This is a fund that China has do- continue to suffer under draconian laws which lead to such
nated $16 million to over the past eight years. It is a things as the stoning of rape victims. Pakistan is perpetually
hostile towards its neighbor, and our ally, India, and it’s con-
fund that the American taxpayer has donated $5.5
tinuing to make deals with China which scare the wits out of
billion to over the past eight years. China has re- every Sean Hannity-worshipping neocon. Yet, President
ceived 60 times what they have donated to the fund. Obama signed a bill in October of last year which will send a
Yes, this is the same China that owns hundreds of whopping $7.5 billion to Pakistan over the next 5 years, ac-
billions of U.S. debt. It is the same China that has a cording to an article on the Newsweek website entitled ―A
massive army and seems to make almost everything Timeline of U.S. Aid to Pakistan.‖ Since 9/11, the U.S. govern-
you own. Yet, the American government pours $5.5 ment has given even more than that.
billion of your money into a fund that China can In August of 2009 the Foreign Policy magazine website
draw about a billion from. I am sure that the money pointed out that the bulk of U.S. aid sent to Pakistan ends up
helps some people in China, but is it right to force, going to the corruption-ravaged Pakistani army and intelli-
gence services. In an article penned by Azeem Ibrahim, titled
say, a struggling American single mother to pay for
―How America is Funding Corruption in Pakistan,‖ Ibrahim
the AIDS medication of some disease-ridden Chinese goes on to mention that both the army and intelligence ser-
hookers? Isn’t the ―utopia‖ that is communist China vices are scarcely controlled by the civilian government, and
supposed to take care of its people with the money that the money often winds up in the hands of individuals. If
they have exacted from their own citizens? you thought the idea of being forced to pay for the medical
But that is only the beginning. According to an care of Chinese citizens was bad enough, the idea of sending
Associated Press article published on the CNBC web- your money to kleptocrats in Pakistan, a nation still plagued
site, entitled ―Foreign Nations Offer Gulf Spill Aid to by the idea of ―honor killings,‖ must be even more troubling.
US - for a Price,‖ The U.S. spends roughly $30 mil- We have enough parasites masquerading as useful workers
lion per year altogether on foreign aid to China. employed by our own government to pay for.
Now, you may be burdened for AIDS victims no matter
Think of that next time you drive on a shoddily paved
where they are. So helping people in China with AIDS is not a
road, or consider the state of some inner city schools, bad idea at all to you. Or, you may like the idea of funding the
or consider the astronomically high U.S. debt. Con- needy in Pakistan. Don’t misunderstand me, I too wish to alle-
sider that the next time you read a story of some viate the suffering, and I strongly believe in voluntarily help-
family being brutally murdered by Chinese govern- ing the poor and needy. But, the key operative in all of this is
ment officials for practicing their religion, or think of the word ―force.‖ You are forced against your will to pay for
all the babies forcibly aborted due to the Chinese AIDS victims in China. You are forced against your will to
government’s rather barbaric ―breeding policies.‖ fund a corrupt group of military leaders who are hardly ac-
countable to the people they supposedly serve. You have no
choice in the matter. You may find spending your money on
such causes ludicrous or immoral, yet you cannot ―opt out‖ if
you pay taxes to the federal government.
Terrorists or Insurgents?
Soviet and British invasions. Insurgents don't have re-
Jihan Huq quire uniforms and have guerrilla tactics.
On many occasions, we have heard of what the Taliban

is. Since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the
American media has constantly shown it's audience of Who are the Taliban?
who and what the Taliban are. Often many times, there
are misconceptions and misinformation. In the begin- Although there are many misconceptions about the Tali-
ning of the invasion, many called the Taliban terrorists ban, it is believed that they originated after the Soviet
who protected their sacred leader Osama bin Laden. withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 1989. The literal
However, are the Taliban terrorists or insurgents? Who meaning of taliban is ―students‖, or ―religious students‖.
are they really? What funds them? Are they striving for a Many of the Taliban were former Afghan fighters of the
global jihad? Mujahadeen during the 1980s. A majority of the Taliban
members are Pashtun [which a large, significant popula-
tion of Afghans are]. It is widely believed that the foun-
What is a terrorist? der of the Taliban is Mullah Mohammed Hasan Reh-
mani, a peg legged former fighter against the Soviets
First off, in order to fully understand and consider a during the early days of Russia's occupation of Afghani-
group [or an individual] a terrorist is to decipher the stan. The current leader is Mullah Mohammed Omar.
definition of a terrorist. According to dictionary.com, a
terrorist is someone [or a group] who advocates the use According to Taliban and militant Central Asian Islamic
of terrorism. The definition of a terrorism is the use of groups expert Ahmed Rashid, the Taliban did provide
violence and threats to intimidate for political purposes. some sort of stability after a devastating 20 years of war
Also, the Taliban are not Al Qaeda [ a terrorist group]. in Afghanistan. Before the Taliban were an official group,
the country was in devastating condition. It was mostly
So in essence, by deciphering the definition of terrorist divided by many local warlords. The whole country was
and terrorism, we immediately can cross it out when it basically disintegrated. For example, the country's capi-
comes to the Taliban. The Taliban are not a global terror- tal Kabul was controlled mostly by the Tajik government
ist institution. Rather, they existed in Afghanistan pre of Burhanuddin Rabbani before 1994 [the emergence of
9/11 and for several years as well. They not only existed, the Taliban].
but governed Afghanistan. Terrorists are usually rogue
groups or individuals, each having a local problem to Before 1994,the country was in such a terrible shape that
deal with. Terrorists also do not have armies and often even international aide workers feared working in Af-
do not have a flag to represent [especially in case of Mus- ghanistan, especially rough regions like Kandahar. Cor-
lim terrorists]. A couple examples are Somalia's Al Sha- ruption also prevailed among local warlords. Many of
bab and the most obvious of all, Al Qaeda. them sold everything to Pakistani traders, including
items of local civilians. Most of those items were also sto-
len. At often times, the local warlords would seize peo-
What is an insurgent? ples homes and give them off to their political support-
ers. Sometimes, they would also kidnap children and use
The definition of insurgent is different, however. Accord- them for their sick pleasures. A number of these activi-
ing to dictionary.com, an insurgent is ―a person who ties were committed by the once glorified Mujahadeen.
rises in forcible opposition to lawful authority, esp. a per-
son who engages in armed resistance to a government or This was the prevalent situation in Afghanistan, before
to the execution of its laws; rebel.‖ In today's case, the the 1994 emergence of the Taliban. According to the
Taliban can qualify as a rebel/insurgent group, especially Taliban, since they vehemently opposed these local
after the fact that they are no longer officially in power. atrocities, they set an agenda of their own—restoring
The Taliban's political and military fight against the Af- peace, disarming the population and restore the Islamic
ghan Karzai government is also what qualifies them as integrity in Afghanistan.
an insurgent group. The Taliban also carry some ele-
ments of nationalism, just as they have during the earlier
Thus, since the Taliban were in political power, they pro- Taliban and the Mujahadeen have a strong history of re-
vided some sort of stability for the country. jecting secularism. Their faith in God is also another con-
tributing factor to resisting the occupying forces. Tribal-
Taliban Funds ism and maybe xenaphbia can play that as well. Since
many Afghans are located with a certain tribe, tribalism
Most experts agree that a majority of Taliban contri- is very crucial to afghan life. Fear or distrust of anyone
butions come from the selling of opium. In fact, a who isn't Afghan can be a psychological thing, since the
large portion of Afghanistan's economy is also based British, the Soviets and Americans are all the non Af-
on opium/heroin goods. Often times, they will sell ghan/Muslim occupiers.
opium to purchase weapons and sometimes even buy
it's support [a very tactical move, might I add].
Conclusion
Historically speaking, the Taliban have a good record
of pro opium policy. Previously, they have provided While reading this article, one may conclude that this is
Muslim farmers to grow opium for their personal pro Taliban regime, which is not. The Taliban are local
economy. However, after they first captured Kanda- resistance forces dedicated to defeat the Americans and
har, they decided to legalize all drugs for economic Westerners due to their rejection of imperialism, occupa-
gain. They even began to collect the Zakat [charity] on tion and secularism. If we are to win in Afghanistan, we
the dealers of opium to give to the poor. Many locals must decipher who we are fighting. Initially, it was Al
were actually grateful because the Taliban allowed Qaeda. However, now it is the Taliban. It is my opinion
them to grow their own opium in peace. Of course, the that we should not fight the local resistance [since they
policy was done for mostly economic and political rea- represent a significant amount of the Afghan popula-
sons. tion]. Since Al Qaeda is no longer in Afghanistan, we
should use our intelligence to dismantle them and with-
draw troops from Afghanistan. It is nonsensical to pick a
Global Jihad? What Strives Them to do What new battle [the Taliban], when we came in for another
they do? [al Qaeda]. Though they are the largest resistance force,
there are still minor ones [Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin and
Historically speaking, the Taliban have only engaged in Haqqani Network]. The Taliban are obviously the best
conflicts in Afghanistan and in the border region of Paki- funded and influential.
stan [although the Pakistani Taliban are different from
Afghan Taliban in certain ways]. History has revealed that Afghanistan is the graveyard of
Taliban resistance began after the U.S invasion of Af- empires. Whether it be the Mujahadeen or the Taliban,
ghanistan and practically dismantling the Taliban gov- Afghanistan is no place to nation build, or pick the wrong
ernment. Here is where the problem lies. fight with. We should always take heed of what the Foun-
ders have said about nation building and imperialism.
Ever since the fall of Kabul, the Taliban have been a Too bad Washington is reluctant to listen.
massive resistance force against the pro Western govern-
ment [or Karzai to be exact]. This is what they are using
to gain more popular ground. During 2003-2004, more
Taliban resistance increased. Funny thing, because a lot
of neocon ―experts‖ previously claimed that the fall of
Kabul would cease all insurgent activity [Max Boot, for
one].
What drove the very same people against Communism

and the Soviets is what is driving the same issues right
now—imperialism/nation building. Back when the
Soviets were their enemies, the Afghan Mujahadeen
despised them not merely for nationalism, but
rather for their hatred of Communism and
godlessness. This is why the Taliban is
our Mujahadeen fighters. They see the
American troops as occupiers. The Af-
ghans [including Taliban] believe that the
Americans are there for oil and to forcibly
―democratize‖ or liberalize them. The
Leaving the Graveyard

to be able to maintain whatever struc-
Elliot Engstrom ture these forces leave in their wake.
However, while this strategy is not
completely outlandish and does show
Now that coalition forces have just some merit on the part of military
recently suffered their deadliest strategists in that they are leaning
month yet in the conflict in Afghani- more towards localized models that
stan, it now it has become more cru- entail comprehension of diverse local
cial than ever to rethink the strategy of factors, the question still must be
the United States and its allies in the asked – is this strategy actually possi-
region. Currently, the cornerstone of ble to carry out and have the sought
this strategy rests upon two key fac- after effects in the region? Can the
tors – winning over the local peoples United States and its allies actually
of the region, and training local forces win over the peoples of Afghanistan
to carry the burden when, and if, coa- and western Pakistan, and can these
lition forces leave the region. same powers possibly train forces that
At least on the exterior, these goals will remain peacekeepers in the years
in Afghanistan do make some sense. to come? Despite the fact that I ad-
The only possible way to succeed via a mire the intentions of the military’s
continued military occupation of Af- current strategy in this region, I do not
ghanistan is to attain and bank on the think that their plan is in fact possible.
support of the local peoples. Also, if It seems to me that rather we are
western powers are ever to withdraw fighting an unwinnable war to win
from the region, local forces will have over a people that we do not and can-
not understand, and that by funding CIA and other such agencies, which turning against the United States. A
the Afghani security forces of today, were attempting to hamper the So- few prominent examples of this are
we are inevitably funding our enemy viet forces by funding the Afghani Al Qaeda, who received $6 billion
of tomorrow, just as our nation has resistance. from the United States from 1989 to
mistakenly done so many times in Now, there is no room here for a 1992, the Afghani Taliban, who was
the past in this very region. history of American involvement in receiving US foreign aid up to the
I cannot foretell the future. Nor Afghanistan. However, what must very minute American forces en-
can anyone else. However, I can be noted is that during the 1980’s tered their country (and continues
comment on what is likely to occur. and 1990’s, a pattern developed in to receive US foreign aid through
And, in constructing such a model, the Middle East – the United States Pakistani backchannels) and Sad-
two of the most important subjects would fund a group in the hope of dam Hussein, who received chemi-
to understand are history and combating some common enemy, cal weapons from the US during the
praxeology, or human behavior. and then in later years the group Iraq-Iran War of the 1980’s, weap-
An attempt by the United States funded with American taxpayer ons he later used to kill American
to make Afghanistan a stable, west- money would inevitably end up soldiers.
ern-friendly state is by no means a
new happening. The date of the be-
ginnings of our intervention in the
region could be debated, but a de-
cent starting point is the late 1970’s
when President Carter put forth the
Carter Doctrine, which stated that
the United States would defend its
interests in the Middle East.
This doctrine just barely pre-
ceded the Soviet invasion of Af-
ghanistan, and it was this invasion
that saw the beginnings of American
forces, at this point being mostly
Soviet troops roaming around Afghanistan

during the height of the Cold War. The Sovi-
ets were forced to withdraw after fighting
heavy resistance from the Mujahedeen.
This, though briefly put, is the way that a westerner possibly can much greater then are the problems
history, or the ―what.‖ So now must look at the Middle East. when intervening in a region like
come an examination of the ―why,‖ On top of this extremely problem- the Middle East?
or the element of praxeology. For atic misunderstanding of the Middle All this now brings us back to
obviously, our attempts to forge East by Western peoples then comes the point on considering the future.
friendships in the region in the past another layer of problems, these be- As I mentioned previously, I cannot
have failed. Our friends have being the base problems of interven- say what the future holds. However,
come our enemies, in fact our worst tion in any context, amplified by the I can make an educated guess. And,
enemies. extreme foreignness and instability based on analyses of both history
There are several possible expla- of the Middle East as a whole. The and human behavior, it is safe to say
nations for why this occurs. How- consequences of intervention in any that by both indirectly and directly
ever, mine is quite simple – we do scenario are so unpredictable, so funding the training of a new mili-
not understand these people, we do many, and so far-reaching that no tary force in Afghanistan, we very
not understand this region, we do one can possibly intervene and suc- likely are creating our enemy of to-
not understand Islamic culture, and, cessfully fulfill their objectives with- morrow. For when these people
to be quite blunt, we never will. It is out in the process creating a dozen that we are now training realize that
not a wrongdoing by the West to new problems. This is seen with the the United States is not leaving, that
look at the Middle East through federal government intervening in they are not in fact a free state, that
Western eyes. Rather, it is the only states in their own country – how they have become a part of the
American empire, and that if they want to live culturally
Uganda Bombings
independent of western influence they will have to forci-
bly remove Western elements within their borders, it
seems extremely probable that they will do exactly that.
To say that we are creating a force that will do what we
expect it to do in the future is a wish at best. The reality
is that we do not and cannot understand what is truly a Daniel Suraci
foreign mindset, and our best course of action would be
to distance ourselves from what is and will be for many On July 11, 2010, twin bombings occurred in
years of region of perpetual conflict. Kampala, Uganda, killing 76 people. The bombers
are believed to be linked to al Qaeda, through a So-
malian group Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab is a 'militant
group' which controls most of southern and central
Somalia. Somalia itself is split into multiple fac-
tions, despite the typical Western view that there is
in fact a solidified government in Somalia that has a
president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.
In response to the attacks, the African Union has
taken action and compiled a response team to at-
tack the threat, under the orders of one Somali fac-
tion under Sharif Ahmed. This should come as no
surprise after a cursory review of Somalian history,
which shows that the country has been a plaything
of Western forces for the past century.
Should America be supporting the African Un-
ion's initiative to combat al-Shabaab? The answer
is a resounding no. Somalia has been in a state of
nearly perpetual war and puppet governments since
1920, beginning with invasions from the British,
control by the Italians as a protectorate, World War
II, and British and Italian control until 1960. By
1969, a successful coup overthrew the President,
leading to a dictatorship in 1976, and the Ogaden
war between Somalia and Ethiopia.
Somalia was, of course, was part of the Cold war.
Originally an ally of the Soviet Union, the Soviets
betrayed them during the Ogaden war, and so So-
malia allied with the United States. Holding a key
geographical position, Somalia was flooded with US
dollars, but when the Cold War came to an end, the
country's political factions became divided. Con-
stant militant uprisings throughout the 1980s even-
tually turned to civil war.
The Somali Civil War was influenced by a failed
'peacekeeping' mission by the United Nations, lead-
ing to a United States intervention. Clinton's failure
to achieve 'peace' through war in Somalia lead to a
second United Nations peacekeeping mission, lead-
ing to the creation of a ―Transitional Federal Gov-
ernment‖ (TFG), which Sheikh Sharif Ahmed now
runs, known as the single most corrupt government
in the world.
This mess was compounded on by both the Bush
administration. Al-Shabaab had invaders. Again, even with it domestic religious and clan con-
very little support until Bush happening before their eyes, flicts. The only question worth
back violent warlords against the American leaders failed to see asking is what will the ramifica-
group. As a direct result, al- blowback occur. tions be for further United States
Shabaab gained favor in the eyes This cursory review of history involvement?
of Somalians. So the Bush reac- shows the question is not First, the United States can-
tion? Fund the Ethiopians, the whether or the not the United not 'promote the democratic
Somalians' most hated enemy, to States should interfere in Soma- practice' as is its so-called mis-
kill them. The result? More sup- lia now after the Uganda bomb- sioned in nation building by in-
port for al-Shabaab by the Soma- ings, but whether America stalling a government through
lians. When this invasion failed, should continue its support of a funding. It sends the message of
al-Shabaab was in a position of regime put into place by interna- ―Democracy is fine, as long as
such strong popularity as to be a tional interests. At least, unlike you democratically vote to agree
threat to the transitional govern- Yemen, the United States is not with us.‖ The Somalian people
ment, which were now being bringing its own troops into So- are obviously sick of foreign in-
given funding and massive malia. vaders telling them how to live,
amounts of weapons by the Bush The country of Somalia has so much so that a very tradition-
administration. Al-Shabaab's been facing unrest due in large ally moderate Muslim population
popularity relies entirely on their part to the interests of foreign gave way to al-Shabaab. When
appearance of fending off foreign governments, and secondly to an international force tells people
how to live, their natural reaction is to reject the for-

eign invaders. This has been the case throughout al-
most all of history, and will remain so.
The second issue is if this greater international
government does in fact represent even the desires of
the Somali people or is capable of fulfilling their mis-
sion. Since the bombings, the African Union has in-
creased its troop force in Somalia to 8,000, funded
thus far with over $176 million United States taxpayer
dollars. A reoccurring problem throughout the occu-
pation (which it is) of AU troops in Somalia is that the
Somalian people and troops do not trust them. The
Washington Times reports that Somali troops and AU
troops do not trust each other and have been unable to
coordinate or accomplish much.
Last, it should be obvious that further involvement
in Somalia accomplishes nothing but further helping al
Qaeda and al-Shabaab remain entrenched, and in fact
strengthen their stature in the area. That leaves Amer-
ica with two alternatives: kill them all or leave. The
first strategy has been shown to be impossible, from
Vietnam to Afghanistan to Iraq. Even where it has
been tried, more militant groups fending off the for-
eign invader have popped up. War crimes have been
committed. Massive amounts of dollars have been
hemorrhaged. And defeat still seems inevitable to eve-
ryone but pundits. The second strategy remains un-
tried in modern times. Perhaps, it is finally the time
for America to simply try leaving.
Foreign
Policy Handbook
“Anyone who has ever looked into
the glazed eyes of a soldier dying
on the battlefield will think hard
before starting a war.”
- Otto von Bismarck

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Issue V | August 2010

Redefining the National Interest

War Shifts: Pakistan

Leaving the Graveyard

YOUNG AMERICANS for LIBERTY

14 Chalmers Johnson’s Nemesis Brian Beyer

20 Leaving the Graveyard Elliot Engstrom

YAL MISSION STATEMENT

YAL STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

Photo courtesy of USNews.com

Welcome to the Police State

Photo courtesy of Kevin Lamarque, Reuters

Afghanistan: Forever a Pawn

In this case, Paki-

as America is on America’s side. proliferation regime. Mrs. Clin- Pakistan is doubling

Chalmers Johnson’s Nemesis

Crisis of the American Republic, Johnson

Foreign Aid Horror Files Brendon DeMeo

Subject: China Subject: Pakistan

On many occasions, we have heard of what the Taliban

What drove the very same people against Communism

Leaving the Graveyard

Soviet troops roaming around Afghanistan

how to live, their natural reaction is to reject the for-

- Otto von Bismarck

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