Afghan War

" Six AB WRKO full day today and tomorrow. Kind of a bomber before Blair is in the air. Christie Nye -- here filling in thank you very much to do on this Chris -- at the top better. Love to be here and what are on its gonna be to listen to to Kevin and I deal screw ya the times unhappy with -- around. Is that him via this guy's a screwball he called and special yeah actors do that fairly common that would not have a absolutely -- And it is and you know they are I SA."

" Studios Kevin Whelan. Who is a host on Sunday evenings and WRKO pundit review radio Kevin thanks are being here thanks for having me a couple of minutes see -- we're gonna have one of Kevin's favorite guests on Michael Leon who has an embedded rupees a citizen journalists he's. On his own dime. It's his own entrepreneurial thing. He's been in the Middle East for years covering the war is over there. And now we're gonna get a report from him in Afghanistan in just a minute but first how's about we you have going on Sunday evening."

" Oh we don't have a pretty special thing on Sunday evening I think we're. Collaborating with a friend's from the other side of the -- and putting our petty political differences aside. The fellas from blue mass group the State's leading liberal blog and I. Have been working without respect of social networks online trying to drum up attention and money. To pay tribute to Jared C Monte young man from -- mass was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. In who recently was awarded the medal of honor. There's been a scholarship fund establishing his memory in his honor for the past couple years. And the -- a blue mass group to their credit. Came up with the idea of why don't we stop bickering about. All of these political things come together on something that -- really all condensed version so you get the leftists on with you tomorrow night and together you're gonna support the military is is how it should work even better than that -- it's father Paul -- and -- of -- best friends who administer the scholarship -- one of -- West Point graduate. Are all going to be in the studio Sunday night at eight. To pay tribute to Jared and his memory and hopefully. People will listen and Colin and support his legacy through the scholarship fund are Ned Jarrett is is he getting some kind of -- he's getting the medal of honor which is the highest award that this country has to give it's the most -- award that the wanted to -- so that's an incredible tribute as you know we do with someone you should know segment and a week at 9 o'clock it's a weekly tribute to the troops. Guy by the name of Bruce McQueen comes on. He's spent 28 years in the armies of Vietnam veteran and he tells a different story every single week of combat heroics at the men and women in uniform -- on our behalf. And Jerry didn't go over to fight for liberals -- fight for conservatives is fighting for all Americans give us like for all Americans so we thought the least we can do is put all of the the partisanship aside. And try to support his cause a visa local kid and you know I think it's been it's been refreshing to work with the -- of blue mass group and put this --"

" At the reporting that Michael Leon does from Afghanistan. Michael -- welcome to WRKO Kevin is here I'm Todd Feinberg in -- my house is here as well hi Michael."

" They contacted the -- you know it's afternoon for me -- hope everything's going well on Massachusetts I'm just getting in. From the field actually the main base here can't bastion in Helmand Province."

" Now how many years you've been reporting from Afghanistan."

" Well off and on since 2006 -- first went to Iraq for a long period beginning in late 2004 in December. And I started shifting over more and more Afghanistan 2006. And turnout pretty much complete I'll be here until about Christmas."

" So you shift your focus as the the difficulties have they have become more prominent Afghanistan and left so less on Iraq. Is there are some things. Similar about the two countries are cautioned we view them because they're just names to us -- they totally different places in your mind."

" Yes definitely in fact you know just ever in the Philippines covering now war for just a short period. And there's more similarities between the combat in the fighting down in the Philippines and Afghanistan. Than there is between. Afghanistan and Iraq. Their group it there's it would take much time really to explain that that. Those who have. Served in the Philippines and and Afghanistan with no -- talk."

" How would you characterize -- Afghanistan forests continued us a sense of what Afghanistan's like."

" Well you know -- college kind of jokingly Jurassic Park -- is -- very. Backwards. You know. A thousand years behind Iraq. You can see that we get cabinet the first elections here since 2005. You -- recall we have the reelection. In Iraq and and in 2005. I mean that you know it is just there's almost. Relatively speaking almost no paved roads in the country."

" Even -- in the city is there aren't paved roads. Even in the cities I mean are -- buildings is there a city with buildings."

" Certainly I mean there's paper it's for instance in. And in Kabul and and also it in. Places like on the hard Jalalabad. You know insofar as -- the country have a hole goes they're they're actually a fairly rare thing. You know most of the people about 80% of people live out in the boon docks it's hard to say how many villagers there are that nobody actually knows. -- my guess is that there's between based on the numbers is that there's probably between 200 to 300000 villages and villages in this country and most of those are actually quite remote. Most of the people are illiterate. There's people just miles away from British basis for instance -- just spent the month. Just people within 45 miles that still think that the British are Russians. And they've been and has basis -- almost three years and they still think that the Russians I mean. So you know this is this is not like Iraq."

" And Michael it's Kevin here is great to talk to again thanks for coming on. I just should say right up top -- few people in the world I admire more than Michael -- for what he does on a daily basis -- isn't it's incredible. It should be noted that he is supported by its readers he's completely independent citizen journalists. Any depends on the support of his leader's words -- if say you might wanna make a donation to the place to go is Michael beyond YO and dash online dot com and can donate through the website I would urge everybody who who can afford to to do so Clinton -- something small if you don't have much to give you five dollars ten dollars -- whatever you can afford and it would be greatly appreciated by myself as a reader and -- of course by Michael's we can stay there and continued into Michael -- YON dash online dot com that's right. Now -- Michael's been on my show forty times or so from Iraq Afghanistan allows all over the place. Michael you've you've you've been telling. Sunday night listeners on WRKO since 2006. That you very uncomfortable with the direction of things in Afghanistan. Just now we're finally starting to see that talk more about in the press here in the United States and Afghanistan is not going well. That we need more troops. Is there a troop level that we could get to reasonably. Considering. What we've already expended in Iraq. Two to make a difference in Afghanistan -- seems to me. Like I don't know how much and what we can realistically expect to accomplish in Afghanistan how do you feel about it at this point."

" Well firstly it's true that we can downgrade our expectations in this country -- Secondly I've been saying for. Gosh quite awhile now maybe a couple of years this is not a century long project this is not like Iraq where. You know it's really what a viable country to begin -- it. We're starting from scratch here. And insofar troop levels you know it's clear that we do not have enough troops you know in 2006. By the way Kevin WR KOOs -- the only radio stations that would allow me to put on those opposing views about Afghanistan. And route twelve. This accident 2006. Saying that we were losing the war here of course. The I mean at that time was that the war was with Spanish really we were just thinking some well. -- it it at the current rate we will lose this war it's going very poorly and it's not going well at all it's not lost by any stretch. -- called 2006 up to about mid 2007. We were that we are starting to be very. Poorly in Iraq but we we. Certainly say that --"

" Is there is there anything bearing your opinion worth fighting for first and second. Yeah I've read speculation from military experts topic people politically driven but analysts. Suggesting that there's really nothing to be gained strategically and -- in Afghanistan. By putting more forces in any comment on both those things Michael."

" Well you know that's a question I asked myself. Approximately every hour every day. Is this really work. -- and it's certainly not gonna be worth it if we think that this its senior project -- twenty year project you really have to. Try to properly assessed how much we will have to invest to bring it up to the level that we might be able to -- developing country. And so in that regard I would say we're looking at at least got a century. And so I think we need to downgrade our expectations of what. Can be developed here. What we really need to do is look out for our our own national security interest. And ensure that we don't -- from people facing here and the future of course. Al-Qaeda. Itself -- immovable beast you know it moves around part of those attacks were planned in Florida on 9/11 you know. So is it's not. Afghanistan has not the only base in the world. For al-Qaeda they certainly moved around in the Philippines and in Africa and that many other places. Insofar as our strategic interest goes. You know ballot that would have been an easy sell right after 9/11 -- is becoming more and more difficult simply due to the cost. Involved in fighting this war."

" Just just one question I'm Michael and and I'm just honored to talk to you and you must have. You must be made of stone to do which -- doing but that thank you -- but has had this country listen to Charlie Wilson of the congressman from. From Texas many many years ago. When he felt that. We we had we had broken the back of the Russians back then and that we should stay the course and in invest in that country and schools and an infrastructure and I'll. What would we be the air and in this type of threat environment today."

" You know I don't know. I just would not answer that question. I know that there are some very good feelings towards Americans in this province among among many people anyway and certainly not all. Because. Investments that were put into this country some decades ago. I mean Americans certainly are not. And reviled and in the -- some the other nationalities are. You know I I do believe this country is worse helping. Certainly believe data don't. Believe that we should just leave it. -- We really do need to examine how much were investing year. You know insofar as the fighting goes which is you know incredibly expensive."

" But there is a you know I'm always cautious to say it's futile because then you see you start to sound like -- somebody critiquing the Iraq War they were politically motivated rather than looking at the realities on the ground. But I'm suspicious that. As you've alluded to what we do there as we push. The bad guys off into Pakistan where. They're trouble making his much more dangerous for the world and for our security. Or they can plan elsewhere in any number of countries that you've identified. Is if we pull back and let them come in and and say that the Taliban was still running the country if our concern is. -- embracing terror and allowing there to be terrorist training camps can't we. Deal with those from -- with drones and in other kind of and smart missiles and things like that."

" Well you know insofar as al-Qaeda in particular. Not that international organization goes. They are defeated in Afghanistan. They're they're gone and have him -- So we already cheap that's good to. That matters achieves. Whether or not they would come back who knows we've got the same issue and other places such as Indonesia. Where you know and in the Philippines where international. Sort of terrorist groups can also base and have faced. So this is not the only place it's not it's. You know again we we aren't have to go back seventh and planning for nine elevenths took place in Florida. So you know and other countries Germany. So it's it's not as if Afghanistan the only place they can rent."

" Okay so that this element of this concern about Afghanistan is really silly because by its very nature terrorism is small while. And doesn't blind to any particular country so obsessing over them being in Afghanistan or not they're still existing somewhere. And doing whatever they're don't."

" Absolutely. But again I. There there is hope for Afghanistan and we just have to look out for a very -- very long term perspective. You know and Iraqi -- at the bright ought to feel like it was very obvious have been. Reporting on WRKO I would say since early 2005. It. Progress was being made in Iraq and that success was was achievable and I think Kevin would remember. Many many interviews along those lines. But in Afghanistan it's a distant twinkling stars not that bright lights and -- in Iraq here you know. You know what we might cost except. -- I don't think we're gonna see it for decades to come while in and it seriously would we would need a good century of investment here and in in you know long term involvement -- to make a big difference."

" Michael Leon well thank you very much for your time we're gonna encourage people to go over to your website which is Michael YON dash online. -- com appreciate your time we look forward to having you back from Afghanistan."

" meritocracy that we can do it any thought that the thank you Michael are ready and will continue with Kevin Whelan increasing my house on six CD WRKO WR."