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The Anatomy Of Trump’s “Renegade Army” That Will Replace U.S. Troops In Afghanistan Printer friendly page Print This
By Dallas Darling
Submitted by Author
Wednesday, Feb 13, 2019

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump has been one of the most outspoken foes of the 17-year-old Afghanistan War, which is now the longest in American history. Along with a steady stream of tweets noting how “Afghanistan is a total disaster,” he’s warned: “We don’t know what we are doing” and “They are robbing us blind.” This includes calling leaders of the war “stupid” for costing Americans so much and “wasting so many lives.”(1) President Trump’s only goal has been to pull all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. It’s been a bedrock principle from day one. And the sooner the better. But he’s also eager to pay mercenaries to do the fighting, something like a “renegade” army on horseback.

Living With Unfinished Wars
Like most presidents, Donald Trump is living with the unfinished business of his predecessors-five if you start with Jimmy Carter. During both the George Bush, Jr. and Barack Obama administrations, media coverage focused on troop numbers to measure the progress.(2) Despite numbers fluctuating from 100,00 to 8,400, Afghanistan seemed to only get worse. One White House coordinator called the war a “house of cards.” Another said that there were literally thousands of sub-tribes in Afghanistan and that each one had a grievance.(3) If the Taliban ceased to exist, there’d still be an insurgency. For many, victory hasn’t been defined. It’s been far fetched. And everyone knows it.

Changing Hearts And Minds
Everyone but General H.R. McMaster, Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser. Since he believed the U.S. lost Vietnam due to an antagonistic media and a Joint Chiefs of Staff who couldn’t speak their minds, he didn’t want to make the same mistake with Afghanistan. He was determined to get the president to change his mind. With former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Senator Lindsay Graham, they tried to sell the war as a way to prevent another Sept. 11. They tried to equate the war with Nazism and as a necessary piece in nuclear nonproliferation. It was also a way to keep Russia and China hemmed in. All three pushed Donald Trump for more troops.(4)

What The F**k Are We Doing
When General McMaster tried to sell a slimmed-down version of staying in Afghanistan, Donald trump was cruelly dismissive. He had one question: “What the f**k are we doing there.”(5) He was upset that the war had cost trillions, and that the CIA and military were paying off the Afghan warlords to go after the Taliban-some $50 billion a year. He was also mindful that he had promised his supporters that he was going to end the war in Afghanistan and start “rebuilding America. His political base, whose families were overrepresented in the military forces, were getting anxious. He asked General McMaster, “How many more lost limbs? How much longer are we going to be there?”(6)

Bannon And Blackwater
Steve Bannon, meanwhile, who served as Donald Trump’s White House Chief Strategist, repeatedly warned the president of the Deep State and its desire to establish a permanent military presence in Afghanistan. In Steve Bannon’s eyes, the old order would do what it always did-stay the course despite the loss of American lives.(7) He secretly worked with Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial defense contractor Blackwater, in writing an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal. Together, they declared that Afghanistan was an expensive disaster for America, and proposed the creation of a “viceroy” to lead all military efforts.(8) Other more cheaper and private solutions were offered too.

A Mystical Devotion To Soldiers
Another thing that reinforced the president’s belief that all U.S. troops must be pulled out of Afghanistan was when he had lunch at the White House with three soldiers and an airman. All had served in Afghanistan. It was something he always wanted to do. He thinks the “troops on the ground” know what’s really going on and what the U.S. should do. It’s also something that angered General McMaster. After the luncheon, Donald Trump summed up their views: “It’s time to get out of Afghanistan.” Nor did he think the people there were worth fighting for. As for NATO, it was a major hindrance. “Don’t let anybody tell you how great they are” he said, adding that “It’s all bullshit.”(9)

Armed Warriors On Horses
General McMaster’s has since resigned from the Trump Administration, mainly over Afghanistan. Others like him have come and gone. But the president still hasn’t changed his mind. In fact, he wants to replace American troops with paid mercenaries, something Steve Bannon suggested. Donald Trump loves the idea of a renegade operation, of armed warriors on horses. Like what the U.S. did in the 1980’s when they funded and armed the Afghan mujahideen and other tribes in their fight against the Soviet Union. Repeating the same clichés as his Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, he too believes that, “The way we’re going to win is to run an insurgency against the insurgency of the Taliban.”(10)

Ending One War To Start Two More
Some warn that an “insurgency against the insurgency” type of warfare may cause another Sept. 11. This, since it will more than likely radicalize a whole new generation of Muslims warriors. Others are concerned that if the president withdraws troops and his strategy fails, it will expose a weak military-along with a weak nation. This includes abandoning Afghanistan-again, or making policy on a string of one-sentence clichés. And then there are those who are profiting from the war. In the meantime, the president’s new advisors may be manipulating him into other wars. In other words, he’s being advised to end one war only to start two more: Iran and Venezuela.

More Foolish Wars And Quagmires
Whatever happens, Afghanistan will continue to suffer. Despite Donald Trump’s ongoing negotiations with the Taliban and the promise to stop a foolish war, it will be impossible to keep al-Qaeda and ISIS out of Afghanistan-not to mention dozens of other militant groups. The talks in Russia among the Taliban and opposition figures, like Hamid Karzai, will continue to be a sticking point. This includes the 38 delegates from Kabul who’ve held prominent government positions, and the many commanders-turned-politicians and former Taliban fighters. Another major sticking point for Afghanistan will be Cold War warriors like Sen. Graham-and many others. So much for a permanent peace.

And then there’s the likelihood of Donald Trump’s renegade army riding on the horizon.

 

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John’s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.WN.com. You can read more of Dallas’ writings at www.beverlydarling.com and  www.WN.com/dallasdarling.

(1) Woodward, Bob. Fear: Trump In The White House. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 2018., p. 115.
(2) www.scholarworks.uark.edu.com. “Media Focus In Afghanistan News Coverage,” by Abdul Qahar Jawad, University of Arkansas. May, 2013.
(3) Woodward, Bob. Fear: Trump In The White House., p. 123.
(4) www.politico.com. “Pence, McMaster Team Up to Push More Troops in Afghanistan,” by Nahal Toosi and Eliana Johnson. August 18, 2018.
(5) Woodward, Bob. Fear: Trump In The White House., p. 125.
(6) Ibid., p. 122.
(7) www.mcall.com. “Beware of Deep State,” by Staff., June 5, 2018.
(8) Woodward, Bob. Fear: Trump In The White House., p. 124.
(9) Ibid, p. 127.
(10) Ibid., p. 128.



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