This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Obama wins the nobel peace prize!

Aeolus

So did Syria, so did Somalia. There is evidence of large terror training camps in both of those countries, almost as many as there were in Afghanistan. Yet we have done nothing at all about them.

Source? Haven't heard about this before.

Reply 121

lovingmc123

It's ridiculous. Nominations were made in FEBRUARY!!

Reply 122

CalB92

15

He's not done that much really!

Reply 123

Delta Usafa

1

Aeolus

Was it not America who initiated the invasion of Afghanistan? Was it not America who used the extremists for their ownn proxy war against the Soviets and then abandoned the Afghan people in the late 80's, leaving them at the mercy of a group of well armed warlords to face almost a decade of chaos mass murder an rape? When the Taliban eventually came to power they were welcomed in most places with open arms as heroes who would bring order.

Can you imagine what state the country must ahve been in to regard the Taliban as heroes?

Yes. To this I'd like to quote Charlie Wilson, the Congressman who orchestrated the proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan:

"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we ****ed up the end game."

I won't deny that we made a terrible mistake leaving the country like that.

When the Taliban came to power they were regarded as fighters of evil.
That depends on your definition of evil. To be honest, if i was a Gilzai Pashtun and an American airstrike killed my innocent father, i would think that the foreign invaders were the epitome of evil.

I'm talking about shortly after 9/11, when the US urged the Taliban to turn over Osama bin Laden. Since that would be fighting evil, they should have been glad to do it.

And regardless of how the Taliban were viewed at the beginning of their reign, public opinion about them didn't stay that way for very long.

Again, that depends what context you are reading the codes in. It's all welll and good us sitting here in the safety of the west laying down judgement. But if you were to read into the situation pre 1995 and then apply themm in that context, i think you would have a different view.

Again, that was a long time ago. Their popularity was not what it once was by the time they were overthrown.

Yes, and that half are made up of Takjik's, Hazaras, and Uzbeks. Not Pashtun who constitute 48% of the population. This is because foreign forces are waging war agiainst their Pashtun rivals while they get richer and more powerful.

You'd think there'd be a higher percentage of people opposed to it in Southern Afghanistan then, wouldn't you think?

And do you really think ordinary Takjiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are really benefiting financially from whatever's happening to the Pashtuns?

Of course he had an agenda. There were plans to invade Afghanistan in place before 9/11. As far back as 1999 the US had threatened military action against the Taliban for their refusal to cooperate with the multinational pipeline.

Bush came into office in 2001.

So did Syria, so did Somalia. There is evidence of large terror training camps in both of those countries, almost as many as there were in Afghanistan. Yet we have done nothing at all about them.

Al Qaeda was not centered in those countries, so an invasion wouldn't have made sense.

FatFridge

It's also very hard to be skinny and have any level of intelligence when your American and as we all know, Obama is pretty skinny and very intelligent so that's an achievement in itself.

Hilarious.

Please revise your understanding of the whole "your/you're" thing before you start calling a whole country stupid.

Reply 124

Diaz89

3

Delta Usafa

I'm talking about shortly after 9/11, when the US urged the Taliban to turn over Osama bin Laden. Since that would be fighting evil, they should have been glad to do it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/oct/14/afghanistan.terrorism5

Err.... they wanted to give him up but the US as usual was motivated by economic interests in the Caspian Sea and not any terrorist. Even Musharaf admitted the ISI and the CIA lost track of Bin Laden around 1995.

Reply 125

Aeolus

2

Delta Usafa

Yes. To this I'd like to quote Charlie Wilson, the Congressman who orchestrated the proxy war against the Soviets in Afghanistan:

"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we ****ed up the end game."

I won't deny that we made a terrible mistake leaving the country like that.

You think the US might ahve learnt from it's mistakes eh? But no, the policy makers insist that foreign intervention is the way forward.

I'm talking about shortly after 9/11, when the US urged the Taliban to turn over Osama bin Laden. Since that would be fighting evil, they should have been glad to do it.

Again, that depends what context you look at it from. Al Qaedas main aim was to drive out the US and other western nations from Islamic lands. From an Afghan/Islamic perspective, the US could have been construed as evil, i mean they were supporting the two most hated regimes in the middle east, Israel and the Saudi Royal family. As well as basing troops on what was considered sacred holy land.

And regardless of how the Taliban were viewed at the beginning of their reign, public opinion about them didn't stay that way for very long.

You would be surprised. Although their strict shariah was hated. Most Afghans remembered what the country was like before the Taliban came, not surpisingly strict order through opression was preffered.

You'd think there'd be a higher percentage of people opposed to it in Southern Afghanistan then, wouldn't you think?

Not really. Pashtun territory is mainly in the west

Spoiler

And do you really think ordinary Takjiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are really benefiting financially from whatever's happening to the Pashtuns?

Of course they are. The Tajiks especially have the reigns of power in Government and the military. Pashtun lands are in a constant state of conflict. No matter how little the financial benefits are, they are still better off than their rivals.

Bush came into office in 2001.

Exactly.

Al Qaeda was not centered in those countries, so an invasion wouldn't have made sense.

Invasion didn't make sense full stop!

Reply 126

fox_the_fix

13

Wait..
When do people apply/put forward nominees for the prize?

Reply 127

Aeolus

2

Sakujo

Source? Haven't heard about this before.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Syrian+terrorist+training+camps

Reply 128

Terrorfication

8

BrassPioneer

He has taken a divided nation, at war and known for its irrationality, and turned it into a nation which aspires to greater things. He has talked about closing Guantanamo and is doing so, and is known to want to repeal the StarWars programme. Considering how powerful the USA is, these are major steps for the world. He deserves it as he is trying to undo Bush's awful legacy.

Shutup all you ******* conformists need to have a think about it. Obama fails at nearly everything. The nobel peace prize is flawed. sometimes you need a war in order to sustain long term peace. peace means nothing if it only lasts for a year. george bush should have won the nobel peace plan for bringing long term peace to iraq and afghanistan

Reply 129

Lolicon

12

I wasn't expecting there to be this many anti-obama in this thread.

It is surprising that he won the Nobel Peace Prize but why does it matter that he won? If some other person won it, would YOU have cared? Probably not so you shouldn't in this case either.

Reply 130

Tefhel

12

I like Obama, although I'm not sure he's actually done anything yet... Although I don't know who the nominees were, maybe they did something even less worthy.

It's awesome that it'll upset all the republicans! haha And he probably will deserve it eventually, it just seems a bit premature.

Reply 131

amii_G

1

Tefhel

I like Obama, although I'm not sure he's actually done anything yet... Although I don't know who the nominees were, maybe they did something even less worthy.

It's awesome that it'll upset all the republicans! haha And he probably will deserve it eventually, it just seems a bit premature.

My thoughts exactly. Although I too like Obama, it is far too premature.

Reply 132

Supporting21

For those who disagree with the Nobel Committee's decision to award Obama the Peace Prize, who do you think should have received the prize this year instead?

Reply 133

ish90an

10

I like Obama as US President and agree with much of what he says and is trying to do, but this prize is premature at best. It is the equivalent of giving me the Nobel Prize for Physics coz I have come up with a hypothesis to prove string theory. The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe's done a lot more to help a ravaged country and was far more deserving at this point. I wonder if this is a carrot to Obama supporters in the US after Chicago lost the Olympics.

Reply 134

planetearth

18

If you really think about it...
He hasn't done anything bad.
Yet he hasn't delivered anything of real value yet. Is Obama just an image?
Time is telling us and will tell us.

Reply 135

The-Serial-Kisser

He sends 40,000 extra troops into Afghanistan but somehow wins the Noble Peace Prize.

Reply 136

dancingshoes10

10

Congrats Obama, not all of us win an award just for doing our job!

Reply 137

Delta Usafa

1

Aeolus

You think the US might ahve learnt from it's mistakes eh? But no, the policy makers insist that foreign intervention is the way forward.

But intervention was the way forward during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. They "****ed up the end game" with their Afghan policy after the Soviets pulled out.

Again, that depends what context you look at it from. Al Qaedas main aim was to drive out the US and other western nations from Islamic lands. From an Afghan/Islamic perspective, the US could have been construed as evil, i mean they were supporting the two most hated regimes in the middle east, Israel and the Saudi Royal family. As well as basing troops on what was considered sacred holy land.

That would be assuming that ordinary Afghans actually considered the US to be evil, and Al Qaeda to be good. If my memory serves me correctly however, most Afghans at the time did not support Al Queda at all, or the Taliban.

You would be surprised. Although their strict shariah was hated. Most Afghans remembered what the country was like before the Taliban came, not surpisingly strict order through opression was preffered.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/PollVault/story?id=1363276

Preferred doesn't necessarily mean enjoyed.

Not really. Pashtun territory is mainly in the west

Spoiler

Maybe Western Pakistan, but not Afghanistan. According to that map, the largest and most solid Pashtun territory is in the Southeast.

Of course they are. The Tajiks especially have the reigns of power in Government and the military. Pashtun lands are in a constant state of conflict. No matter how little the financial benefits are, they are still better off than their rivals.

Being better off than their rivals doesn't necessarily mean they're all benefiting from it directly.

Exactly.

How does an apparent agenda during the Clinton administration indicate anything about Bush's agenda?

Invasion didn't make sense full stop!

You're missing the point...

Reply 138

Sakujo

14

Aeolus

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Syrian+terrorist+training+camps

I thought you were talking about a specific report or incident. The search mainly showed Israeli sources claiming there to be terrorist camps.

Reply 139

shs9001

Supporting21

For those who disagree with the Nobel Committee's decision to award Obama the Peace Prize, who do you think should have received the prize this year instead?

I have no idea, but choosing the most popular(fotm) person in the world isn't exactly a good idea either. This prize, if given to someone more worthy, would actually maybe open up people's perspectives and help people see that there are "heroes" in society other than the stereotypical ones like Obama. He became first black president and is respected for it, that is a prize in itself. This whole thing in itself is just feels so racist and I'm black. It reminds me of when people treated this dyslexic guy at my school like he had some insane disability which requires a feeding tube when he was actually a B student, better than most in my school(crap school), in English yet had difficulty with spelling occasionally and reading printed text.

Obama wins the nobel peace prize!

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you