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It is possible the largely-symbolic and ineffective Afghan army has found a way to do something Washington has tried and failed to do for twelve years: finally pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan. The growing trend of so-called “green on blue” killings, Afghan soldiers turning their weapons on their U.S. advisors, is driving a nervous wedge between coalition forces and the native troops whose successful training will precipitate their exit. We are, of course, at war against ignorance, against tribalism. In the history of the planet, no army has fought and won in Afghanistan, and America’s mission has been murky, at best, since the decimation of the Taliban in 2001. I have no idea why we’re there or what we’re hoping to accomplish. The all-but admittedly corrupt Afghan president, who stole the election in 2009, is a dope fiend and a liar who exploits his people much the same way the resurgent Taliban oppresses them. There is nothing to win, there. And, despite Senator John McCain’s war-mongering and Governor Mitt Romney’s political opportunism, I am quite certain more troops staying longer will also gain us absolutely nothing. And, now, the very forces our strategy relies upon to allow us to finally leave are, incredulously, lousing up the plan by shooting US troops. I suppose they hate us and want us to leave. We’re anxious to leave but first these guys have to be trained and certified. As we train them, as they become proficient, they start killing our guys. America has never been equipped to fight a tribal war. A war on ignorance is simply not winnable. A war against an ideal, against deeply-embedded traditions and mindsets, is a waste of blood and treasure. If we are unwilling to go in and nuke them off the face of the planet, anything short of that is a fool’s errand unworthy of the brave men and women who serve. We should not be nation-building in Afghanistan. Our goal should not be a stable democracy in places where such a concept is totally alien. This week marks 12 years and 2,000 U.S. armed forces lost in this mission with no perceptible goal and no perceptible end. May God bless, protect and keep every American, every coalition partner, working to protect and improve lives in that theater.

The Cost of War

ABC NEWS
Seven days before the 12th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the war reached a deadly and tragic milestone this weekend as the 2,000th American soldier died in combat. While U.S. and NATO forces are years away from a full withdrawal, tens of thousands of American soldiers have come home this year as the United States began transferring responsibility to Afghan security forces.
     Here is a look at the price, in both lives and dollars, that Americans and Afghans have paid over 12 years of war.
     4,012 Days
The United States has been at war in Afghanistan for 4,012 days, six days short of 12 years. Troops arrived on Oct. 7, 2001, less than a month after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
     2,000 Americans Killed
In the 12 years that American troops have been fighting in Afghanistan, 2,000 have been killed. The 2,000th death was reported in eastern Afghanistan Saturday and was suspected to be an insider attack by Afghan forces. READ FULL ARTICLE

Unemployment
Drops To 7.8%

USA TODAY
The unemployment rate in September fell from 8.1% to 7.8%, the lowest since January 2009, as Americans benefited from a surge in part-time work, the Labor Department said Friday. Employers added 114,000 jobs, about what economists expected, with health care and transportation and warehousing leading job gains. Businesses added 104,000 jobs while federal, state and local governments added 10,000.
The jobless rate fell sharply because it's calculated from a different survey than the official employment number. That household survey showed a robust 873,000 increase in employment and a 456,000 decline in unemployment. How-ever, many of those job gains were in part-time and self-employed positions.
The report is the government's next-to-last reading on employment before the presidential election and could influence undecided voters. The government will release October figures on Nov. 2, four days before the election. READ FULL ARTICLE