How is that with the international community with over 30 governments working together, cannot stabalize a country that does not really pose any type of militaristic threat?
We need to put this war into a more "human" perspective, by winning the hearts and minds of the people. Easier said than done, yet there are easy simple steps. Firstly, we must handle aid more carefully so that corruption does not occur. We need to oversee every cent of the money that comes from foreign aid, because we have the right to do that since it is our tax money. Make sure that the money doesn't get wasted away by the middle man. Usually only 10-20% of the money goes into reconstruction, and the rest just disappears. I would go to Afghanistan myself to oversee corruption!

even the ISAF knows that Karzai's brother Walid is the biggest heroin dealer in Afghanistan. This culture of corruption hasn't changed much..

Hello Nic,
I am and Afghan American and it really sad to hear that things are getting worse in Afghanistan due to failed and corrupt policies of Bush Administration. I am in contact with some friends in Kabul and the stories that I hear breaks my heart. I hear that fathers and mothers are selling their infants for $50.00 in order to buy food for the rest of the family, I hear people with the right connections to foreign aid workers become very rich. I hear that the specialist that go to Kabul to help build and educate government workers are vey uneducated and useless they just go there to save money since they are paid very high salaries. I hear that they just opened and American University in Kabul to educate younger generations. But the catch is it cost more than going to a university here in USA. What are they thinking another business opportunity for Americans to go there and make money? I feel ashamed to call myself and US citizen.
Thanks Hameeda Colorado

Hello Nic,
I am and Afghan American and it really sad to hear that things are getting worse in Afghanistan due to failed and corrupt policies of Bush Administration. I am in contact with some friends in Kabul and the stories that I hear breaks my heart. I hear that fathers and mothers are selling their infants for $50.00 in order to buy food for the rest of the family, I hear people with the right connections to foreign aid workers become very rich. I hear that the specialist that go to Kabul to help build and educate government workers are vey uneducated and useless they just go there to save money since they are paid very high salaries. I hear that they just opened and American University in Kabul to educate younger generations. But the catch is it cost more than going to a university here in USA. What are they thinking another business opportunity for Americans to go there and make money? I feel ashamed to call myself and US citizen.
Thanks Hameeda Colorado

Stay safe, Nic. Thanks for risking so much to bring us news.

Hi Nic, My hat is off to you for the job you are doing.
Like most Americans I feel we should bring our men and women home. Has our government forgotten what this same senario did to the Russian economy not so long ago. Who is going to help us when our economy goes belly up. I,m sure that in seventyfive years from now someone may put the truth all together but for now I feel we are prisoners of our own making. We are trying to stop a war that has been going on since the time of Abraham. It will only end in one of two ways and niether are good. I salute my brothers and sisters for their great sacrafices. God Speed to all.

I think if HAMEEDA is ashamed to be a U.S. citizen. Then He should find himself a better country.

Thanks Nic for the rosy picture!
I am an Afghan-American and I always tried to understand why are US policies are short live. They did the same during the Russian were in Afghanistan, supported a bunch of tag and murderer who turned their guns at each other and killed so many innocent people. Now the US is doing the same they are basically walking away from the this mess they have created during the Russians invasion. Electing Kerzia as the Afghan President, who is incompetent and his brother in Kandahar is connected with drag mafia. I see that US is not interested to solve Afghanistan problem, in reality they are killing time to damp the responsibility on to Europeans if they really want to they could but they do not want to for some reason I wish I knew. They can warn the Pakistanis the way they did tell about Benazir Bhutto to let her go of house arrest, why not do the same telling Pakistanis to arrest the Taliban leadership. US knows that where the Taliban are getting their weapons so in conclusion if US continue with same policies they will fail like always. Thanks.

I blame 90% off Afghanistan problems on Pakistan, Pakistani government provides hiding places for Taliban and most of them live freely in Pakistani borders. Unfortunately US government provides millions of dollars to Pakistani Government to fight terrorists, it’s a juke I can’t believe that we trust that corrupt government. It clearly shows the lack or knowledge about how things work in those countries. I am really terrified of McCain wining this election, he does not even know the deference between Shia and Sonny, he has no clue about Al-Qaida and how they operate, and he thinks Al-Qaida and Iranian fighters are the same. We need someone with knowledgeable to adjust our foreign polices and consider different cultures and recognize that the American Democracy does work for the entire planet, heck it even does not really work for us her in the US .
PS thanks Nic for this report

I appreciate you risking your life and bringing us some news from home. Thanks for this report. Stay away from Taliban, stay save. Take care.

Pete
I should mansion that I am a woman so it’s not him it’s her. I am not ashamed of America it’s my country even though I migrated her maybe a little later than you did, I started working the first week that I got here never took any food stamps or welfare checks I worked full time and finished college and have been paying taxes like you and every other US citizen. And I have every right to be ashamed of Bush and his failed policies. I am ashamed of our current government and its corrupt polices and lack of knowledge regarding other cultures or it could be total ignorance.

Pete, just be honest and tell if you felt proud after watching those photos from Abu-Gareb Prison. I understand that we are fighting rootless terrorists, but this does not allow us to act like them. We are supposed to be the good guys and the most civil nation on earth. If torture is an effective way to collect information, than why Osama Binladin is still living.

Thank you Hameeda, for a good answer. I am proud of you and some they deserve to hear that, they think if you don not have blond hair or your name is different you can not be part of America. I salute you.

Ali thanks for nice comments I really appreciate it, I hope some day it will be all good news coming out of Kabul.

If someone comes into my house attempting to violate my privacy, steal, or anything evil, I will deal accordingly with the situation. I will shoot them if the won't go away. Hameeda, you are a smart woman, and you've done some very great things not a lot of foreigners take advantage of when they come here. But you and alot of other people here are lacking a great deal of reality about other countries, and even this country. Things are not as plain as you all are making it look, you do not have the intelligence that Israel or the US have on other countries, you are not fit to speak this way. Terrorists invaded our privacy, violated our policies. There are no rules, no moral sense of right and wrong for them. If you want to survive out there, you better step it up a bit. That's what the US needs to do. By the way, McCain is one of the most down to earth guys you'll ever see running for president, the only thing he lack is the mickey mouse crap talk everyone else does to get your attention.

Gresia,

First of all thanks for your kind comments. America is the greatest country it provides every opportunity for its citizens to make their lives better, all we have to do is work hard be honest, and get educated the most important path to success and freedom is knowledge and education. And I am grateful for the opportunity to build a successful life. Like they say (ALL AMERICAN DREAM),
Second believe it or not If US and Israelis distorted intelligence were effective and working, things would get better not worse.
Lies have consequences. All those who helped President George W. Bush launch a war of aggression have blood on their hands and must be held accountable. This includes corrupt intelligence officials.
Much is being said today about honoring the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers. Perhaps the best way to do that is to find out who did the misleading and hold them to account before they do it again.

I have great respect for McCain, he is a war hero and a very brave man, unfortunately Bush and his corrupt polices are the dark shadows over McCain’s camping, it scares everyone to even consider him as our next President.

Nic would you do a report on the latest bombing in Kabul, its seems that Anderson Cooper and the rest of the CNN crow are too busy with Madanna's latest love affair.
Stay safe pls

To: Hameeda. You say that you are embarrassed to be called an American citizen? All I heard from you was "I heard" this or that. You did not see or hear these things first hand did you? America has tried to help other countries without any thanks and still we try. When a country is in trouble and needs help who do they turn to? America. I happen to think that we try too hard to help others in their time of need and should just stay home and take care of our own. I wonder who the people in the world who need help would turn to then? I am sick to death about how we Americans are hated everywhere in the world and I must say to you that if you are embarrassed to be an American citizen then I suggest (strongly) that you go home and take care of your own people. We do not need you here because if you are against us then you are not for or with us. Question? Why do you stay when you are so free to leave?

I am a woman and an Air Force veteran. I come from a long line of military veterans and I am married to a US Army officer currently serving in Afghanistan. How about we put honor back into the military men and women that have and are selflessly serving our country in defense of our freedoms. My husband is very proud of the work he and his unit is doing and the achievements of the US and allies in Afghanistan [and Iraq]. We have come a long way to pack up and come home. In case you forgot that incident coming up 7 years ago. The Taliban left a very big calling card on our front doorstep. We are there to aid the men, women and children citizens in Afghanistan [and Iraq] so they might enjoy some of the freedoms we enjoy.
You are wondering, where are you going with this? It was on the backs of our military fighting force that we, including Hameeda, enjoy civil liberties like the 1st Amendment right to free speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press and freedom to peacefully assemble and to petition our government. Likewise, if US citizens don't speak up about injustices, we would have an out of control government. We are voters for a reason. It is our civil liberty, our responsibility, to elect the people who will best put us back on course. I'm not here to say who that person is, because that it my personal opinon.
Everyone in this forum has the right to voice his or her opinions. Here is mine. Our business will never be finished in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Iran and Pakistan. The history of the Middle East has been riddled with century long wars.

Nic, thank you for your honest reporting. No one bothered to mention that the Afghan people, for the most part, are happy to have us there. Prior to the Russian invasion in the late 60s/early 70s, Kabul was a lush oasis. With the Russian and subsequent Taliban reign came drought. When the US and allies came to Afghanistan to hunt down the Taliban and restore peace, we brought much needed rain to the region.
Also, Hameeda, thank you for being a responsible member of the American society and living the American Dream. You mentioned, getting a job, getting your education and paying your fair share in taxes. We need more model immigrants to follow in your footsteps to earning an honest residency.
I think another way of earning membership in our American way of life is to serve in our Armed Forces. If you are willing to die for this country, you should be allowed to live in this country. I guess I'm kind of biased this way.
I, too, am ashamed of "Bush and his failed policies."

CNN-News

I have sent e-mails to you and several candidates only to receive no response on the issue. I am talking about the banks in trouble in our country. Back when it was announced that a certain man was looking for foreign to buy our banks I devised a plan to solve several problem area's at the same time with one program.

My program (The McCurdy Factor) will bail out our banks, produce health insurance to every Legal American Citizen, boost the economy every month with billions, rebuild the general every month by billions, produce millions of jobs within 30 days of activation, and help in many other ways and it is a revolving self refunding program and only requires a one time government investment into the public sector. With one time investment the general will reap billions monthly on this program and the banks will be saved and people can buy their own health insurance policy and buy their own medicine. Is this not what the American people want in life? Because of politicians and law makers and the media ignoring the public outcry and suggestions on what to do you now have lost your first bank in California, how many more will it take before they do something to stop this financial madness? REMEMBER YOU CAN"T TAKE IT WITH YOU!!!!

CNN-News

I have sent e-mails to you and several candidates only to receive no response on the issue. I am talking about the banks in trouble in our country. Back when it was announced that a certain man was looking for foreign to buy our banks I devised a plan to solve several problem area's at the same time with one program.

My program (The McCurdy Factor) will bail out our banks, produce health insurance to every Legal American Citizen, boost the economy every month with billions, rebuild the general every month by billions, produce millions of jobs within 30 days of activation, and help in many other ways and it is a revolving self refunding program and only requires a one time government investment into the public sector. With one time investment the general will reap billions monthly on this program and the banks will be saved and people can buy their own health insurance policy and buy their own medicine. Is this not what the American people want in life? Because of politicians and law makers and the media ignoring the public outcry and suggestions on what to do you now have lost your first bank in California, how many more will it take before they do something to stop this financial madness? REMEMBER YOU CAN"T TAKE IT WITH YOU!!!!

My heart felt condolences to the snow family as I listened to Tony everyday while driving as a nationwide truck driver, am radio hands free and miles down the road, many thanks Tony for the passing of time as a driver while listening to you from the White House. God's Blessings and may you rest in peace.

DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR IRAN TO HAVE A BOMB.

This is so much like a replay of WW11, with both Germany and Japan arming to the hilt while Western leaders fiddled with wishful thinking and appeasement.

As Patton would say, you can't put off the match that is already scheduled. Better to attack now while Iran is less capable of fighting back or even detonating a nuclear device.