Proxy Wars

[hexagonalcarbon]

Regarding http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/world/asia/26warlogs.html?ref=wikileaks

I’d long suspected that we were in two proxy wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) rather than a conflict with a terrorist organization and Baathists. The way I see it

Comments

[ilexcassine]

I think your analysis is largely correct.

We did fund a lot of insurgents back in the day, however. We funded the Taliban in a big way. A lot of their current armaments are left over from our funding, I expect, rather than provided by North Korea or others. It doesn't take much to resist in Afghanistan.

North Korea doesn't really have the money to supply much other than technology (which it does- see the former ? Syrian nuclear program, possibly).

Pakistan is providing logistical assistance, more than anything. A place to run for the high level folk and intelligence. They are in a difficult spot.

Iran absolutely has the capital and incentives to help insurgents. However, I expect a lot of their efforts are being counter balanced by the Saudis (at least in Iraq, perhaps elsewhere) who also have a stake and near as I can tell have been using us as their proxy.

I really don't understand why folks have been hung up on Afghanistan for so long. Given its reputation as an Empire killer (its impossible to fight there, really) and lack of resources, it would really seem like a good idea to drop it like a hot potato or never pick it up in the first place. Why anyone bothers with it is a bit beyond me. Though it is definitely in a lot of nation's interests to keep us bogged down there, presuming that they are next on the list.

[hexagonalcarbon]

I would prefer people didn't say we funded the Taliban, since I don't think the Taliban organization even existed when we were funding various Mujahideen groups. It seems to have formed in 1994. The US Operation Cyclone ended in 1989.

Also I would disagree that it doesn't take much to fund an Afghan insurgency. It took the US "$600 million in aid per year, with a matching amount coming from the Persian Gulf states."

You might be right about North Korea. I don't know what they can do. I wouldn't think they would have hard currency to spare, but It seemed conceivable that they might donate large amounts of stuff like RPG rounds, ammunition, rifles, plastic explosive, and remote detonators.

I'm not sure why Afghanistan has served as an empire killer. I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that it's just coincidence. But if I had to forward a theory, I think I would pay attention to the historical trend that highly organized societies are hard to defeat but easy to assimilate. Less organized, tribal societies are easy to defeat but very difficult to assimilate.