Written by Richard Kane   

No one noticed but death-wise (not expenditure-wise) there, of late, had been a lull in the war. This was shattered by the first Afghan suicide bombing of US troops since January 29. Then follow-up attacks. Somehow people following the war news haven't noticed the difference in the huge number of locals that had died in other wars such as Iraq including the tit-for-tat revenge killings between Shiites and Sunnis.

The world economic news is grim as well as investors fear the dollar is attached economically to the Euro. I'm going to end this essay with the suggestion that instead of disaster the world might in the last moment get together and solve a bunch of problems at the same time. But try to ignore this comment as I itemize the bad news potential that many are trying to avoid thinking about.

In the battle for Marjar near the Pakistan border, one house full of civilians was hit. Only one such incident would have been considered a miracle during every battle from the World Wars through Iraq. If I didn't misread the Internet, in Marjar no Afghan soldiers were killed and the number of Taliban deaths was equal to what in the past would have been considered skirmishes, not battles.

No leader of any country has criticized civilian deaths more than Afghan President Karzai, General McChrystal specializes in avoiding civilian deaths since acting different from al Qaeda,s brutal tactics made a big difference in Iraq. And Mullah Omar responded with the strict Afghan code of ethics, which while sometimes violated, his banning of holding hostages for ransom drastically cut down on kidnapings, and deaths during kidnaping attempts.

Dennis Kucinich thinks Congress setting a firm date to cut off war funds will solve everything. When the Russians left Afghanistan, there was a huge bloodbath as warlords fought for control. Many Afghan males never had a job other than soldier, security guard or some other law enforcement position. Those that switch to the government side often share their weapons and/or pay taxes to the Taliban. the various fighters are not likely to suddenly go hungry or hunt for a low paying job, if the war ends. If the war stopped, possibly the American people would put up with Obama paying to keep women in Kabul out of forced burqas for a while, but not to continue to pay the salaries for all the local fighting men.

If Kucinich's stop the war bill had a preamble, even if women are forced back into burqas, or the fighting continues, the US must withdraw now, with the help of possible economic turmoil it might succeed in getting passed. As it stands now some Congressional Representatives signing onto a spending freeze will in the last moment get cold feet, thinking about women in burqas etc. Leading to people calling them peace hypocrites. If trouble in Afghanistan continues to mount, the next Republican President might call for fighting tough like Nixon's carpet bombing of North Vietnam.

The really bad news is that the Taliban considers Hamid Karzai's call for a giant peace conference to be a trick, noting that ever time Karzai makes a peace gesture almost simultaneously the US drone war in Pakistan gets much more intense. Two Afghan leaders both who called for peace talks were killed by the Taliban, Abdul Rahm in April and Rahman Gul along with his two brothers on May 16, indicating that the Taliban was very upset at calls for peace talks, that coincide with increases in drone attacks or US ground surges,
www.rferl.org/content/ProPeace_Cleric_Assassinated_In_Afghanistan/2044002.html..
www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/17/afghanistan.cleric/index.html
www.phillyimc.org/en/sad-irony-afghan-elder-near-kandahar-shot-dead

There is no doubt that Afghan President Kazai wants peace. Back in 1994 before he was president he was leader of the group that wanted Afghan King Zahir Shah to return and almost got killed trying to mediate the fighting between warlords when the Soviets left,
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0406/man-killed-secret-cia-prison-allegedly-saved-afghan-presidents-life
It is possible but not likely that Karzai could call for the US to end the drone attacks, at least during the peace conference, without the US replacing him. But the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other fighting groups are confident that in the long run the US will bankrupt itself with an exorbitantly expensive non-draft army, and even more expensive private contractor fighters.

The economic bad news fits into this in a very dangerous way. I saw on the Internet that Australia of all places is going to help guarantee Greek debt. If so, I expect Obama to look into it as well. Instead the US can give the world an economic shot in the arm by announcing that the war and the boycott of Cuba is over. I don't know what Israel would do but the US could ask Iran in exchange for the US not pressuring it on nukes to guarantee the salaries of all fighters in Afghanistan for the next three years and perhaps as well guarantee the safety of Sunnis in Iraq. Iran has already urged that Sunnis be part of the Iraqi government. Cuba, Venezuela and Iran then will be part of preventing world economic collapse.

In short it is possible for incredible bad news in the future such as a barter only world with people in cities, to far from farm land to barter, resorting to cannibalism, while at the same time it is also possible instead for the entire world to get its act together.

When Dennis Kucinich calls for a war funds cut off date without noting that it might result in women in Kabul in forced burqas again and fighting among rebels over who is in charge is just preparing for lukewarm supporters of his bill to be called hypocrites when some at the last moment before funds get cut start worrying about possible chaos there. However whether we can find a roadmap or not, ahead of time, there is also a real chance of a bright future for us all.

In the past I praised Karzai's peace conference plans, then for May 2, hoping that the US would stop getting in the way, so I guess I am obligated to bring the bad news that Washington appearing to support it, while simultaneously increasing drone war, just makes the Taliban consider it a trick,
www.internationalpeaceandconflict.org/profiles/blogs/peacemaker-afghan-president?xg_source=activity
More links to the above article at,
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/48533

RichardKanePA.blogspot.com I'm retired in Philly PA
Richard Kane