Pelosi says Obama must sell War; Contractor Surge in Afghanistan;

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says that it is up to President Obama to sell his troop surge to Democrats in Congress. Then she called for a bowl and washed her hands.

Jeremy Scahill on MSNBC (h/t The Nation) pointing out that not only are another 30,000 troops being deployed to Afghanistan, but also 56,000 military contractors will join them.

Walter Pincus of the Washington Post reports that the US-hired contractors already in Afghanistan have been paying protection money to Taliban and tribes to allow their convoys to transit without trouble. I.e. we have met the enemy and he is being paid by us.

An Afghan-German attorney representing 165 victims of a German-ordered bombing of civilians in Qunduz province is suing for reparations. . Well if the Western courts start allowing that sort of claim, the war would be wrapped quickly as far too expensive.

In another one of those science fictional headlines, NATO is requesting more Russian helicopters for Afghanistan. Russia Today has video:

You have a sense that it is a little difficult for Russian leaders to forgive NATO for supporting Georgia in last year’s war, but that on the other hand they fear the spillover onto Russia of chaos, drugs and Taliban if NATO fails in Afghanistan,

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