Afghanistan: Running the war

October 16, 2011 12:46 PM

As the war in Afghanistan hits 10 years, guerrilla tactics are still exacting a high human toll. Gen. John Allen, the man in charge of the war, tells Scott Pelley that some U.S. troops will need to be there longer than most Americans thought.

Read Story: Running the War

60 Minutes OverTimePelley: A decade of reporting from Afghanistan

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by FLStormOrphan October 19, 2011 10:11 PM EDT: War is AID TO DEPENDENT CORPORATIONS; Reply to this comment


by cbthlfl October 19, 2011 10:18 AM EDT: A very informative 60 Minute segment that would have been improved if it had ended 15 seconds earlier. Scott Pelly's question, playing the cost of the war against the layoff of teachers at home, is an appropriate policy or value judgment question when addressed to someone acting in a capacity where those choices can be considered as alternatives. General Allen and Ambassador Crocker have been asked to do a specific job for our country and we are fortunate to have men of this caliber available for the President to call to service. One has to assume that Mr. Pelley, by electing to bring a political question to a combat zone, was looking for a Rolling Stone/Gen McChrystal moment with the intent of marginalizing these two men and the personnel they lead.
Bring the question back to Washington and use it where it is appropriate. All of us need to hear the answer or more likely the evasive non-answers we seem willing to accept from our elected leaders.; Reply to this comment


by Pathfinder03 October 18, 2011 9:29 PM EDT: I was impressed that both Ambassador Crocker and General Allen are actually committed to finishing the job that we started, after the entire world community abandoned the Afghans from 1989 after the Soviets pulled out leaving them to hopelessness and despair until 2001, when the act of ignoring them came back to bite us all. It has not been a 10 year effort since 2001 in Afghanistan, but rather only a solid, better resourced effort since 2008/2009. We are not entitled to say we have made a solid 10 year effort at this point, - simply because we have not.

I am deeply disappointed by many of the other narcissistic self absorbed posters in our "me, me me societies" who have made there post with every excuse in the world why we fall off the wagon yet a second time and abandon the Afghans yet a second time to a ruthless band of draconian mafioso rabid wolves. If any one doubt about what they represent, and why we are in Afghanistan in the first place, a 9 miniate video clip by Shareem Obaid-Chinoy's Frontline program should speak volumes for both anyone conscience and rudimentary common sense. 49% of Afghans are women who want hope for the future and 55% of the population are children under 14. This means that they have a chance but only if we have the fortitude and character to persevere and stand up for them until they can stand up for themselves.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/04/24/multimedia/1194839767942/children-of-the-taliban.html

Before we talk about pulling out, it is one thing for you or I to risk our lives, but why not listen to the words of some of the troops who are so passionately committed to seeing their mission through? I sat down and wrote a tribute, a thank you, and as an inspiration as to why we are there and in the words of some of our troops. It includes remarkable examples from this great generation such as Capt Nichola Goddard, but also includes Corporal Andrew Eykelenboom because what he said and the way he viewed our responsibilities that was so incredibly important to us all. It is very important that we pay tribute to not only them but the legions of other people out there like them that believe so passionately it what they are doing even at the risk to their own lives and futures. Some call them "Warfighters", and this is fine. I call them "the people in the field" because it is only when they go down and we find out more about them as husbands, wives, daughters, sons, brothers and sisters, that we understand how truly deep and profound that their loss is, and what a huge hole they leave. It is sort of tragic that it has to reach this point before we truly understand the loss and their incredible contribution to help in making the world a better place.

As noted the explanatory pages also helps to give depth and context (link below).

http://cainalongbranch.com/Tribute

It is important to many of us that these people know and clearly understand just how deeply appreciated their risks and sacrifices are.; Reply to this comment


by tomcalwriter October 18, 2011 1:12 PM EDT: Scott Pelley is a great reporter but a poor journalist. What a softie, no follow-up, just softball questions to Gen. Allen. Is the military running the govt? Don't the people have some say in whether we fight wars any longer -- of course not -- the govt is supposed to exist and act by the consent of the people it governs. Few people want this war and yet we're being told it is going to continue indefinitely. What a crock!; Reply to this comment


by jik47 October 18, 2011 12:06 AM EDT: Yeah put Viet Nam pictures up showing how fast they took over after we withdrew. The Taliban is counting down the days just like the militants in Iraq. Watch how fast they act up when we leave and then we had the audacity to tell them we were leaving. How stupid!
Then in this video it shows kids teaching kids because the adults left on the threat from the Taliban. If we can reach and get the kids support we can win in this god forsaken country no else has won in. But we have to support our military and it is treasonous to talk bad in anyway about these guys as they what they do works in that country and they are glad to do it. No more Viet Nams!; Reply to this comment


by ERICOLTK October 17, 2011 7:34 PM EDT: FIRST OMG!! WHEN THE GENERAL WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAR IS COSTING 300 MILLION DOLLARS A DAY AND THAT 250,000 TEACHERS WERE LAID OFF AND ASK IF IT WAS WORTH IT HIS RESPONSE WAS....YES??????????????? YOU HAVE TO WONDER WHERE IS HIS LOYALTY IS????????????????????? CAN HE BE IMPEACHED????; Reply to this comment


by ausscyn October 17, 2011 5:17 PM EDT: If anything was proof of why we need to leave Afghanistan, it was this piece. I only regretted that old footage of Viet Nam wasn't part of the piece, showing that the same kinds of excuses were used then, and the result? A GIANT WASTE OF MONEY & LIVES.

Please support Ron Paul's campaign. He is the ONLY presidential candidate, republican or democrat, who will end the wars!
ronpaul2012.com dailypaul.com; Reply to this comment


by chuckellery October 17, 2011 5:16 PM EDT: Scott; Why didn't you ask your two guest about our (United States) involvement with protecting the TAPI pipeline?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan-Afghanistan%E2%80%93Pakistan%E2%80%93India_pipeline; Reply to this comment


by Kaedyg October 17, 2011 11:37 AM EDT: I empathize with all points. Cost, sacrifice, and the prevention of another 9/11, but let's be perfectly clear. This war is not about Afghanistan, it's about Pakistan.; Reply to this comment


by kells1001 October 17, 2011 1:01 AM EDT: Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. This country also has little or no real weapons and they no longer have a leader in Osama Bin Laden. Anyway the US plan does little to present a more secure environment for the people of Afghanistan or present the American people anything of value. Quite frankly only the military industrial complex must be benefiting. We should just start building larger forts making them small American cities and importing our own teachers permanently in countries we are forced to invade. If this is a question of having a presence we would be ready and able to intervene. It seems we could make a large propaganda effort and payoff just about anyone for the kind of money being spent in Afghanistan. Certainly Pakistan is an even bigger problem as they do posess nuclear capabilities and real weaponry while being in Afghanistan seems to be doing little for public relations. These costs do not even reflect the long term costs to the wounded and distraught from the consequences of war in such places.; Reply to this comment