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What evidence do you have that Afghanistan was due to oil, and not due to the most direct motivations, like Taliban sheltering Al Qaeda (as they still do)? This

What evidence do you have that Afghanistan was due to oil, and not due to the most direct motivations, like Taliban sheltering Al Qaeda (as they still do)? This seems like a conspiracy theory.

swader999 5y ago
If you want to go there look at the acres of cultivation of opium under Taliban and then under US occupation. Ask where that exponential increase in production was spent.
- gruez 5y ago
  What does opium have to do with oil?
  - epistasis 5y ago
    I don't think opium has much to do with the initial invasion of Afghanistan, but I think that there's a pretty good argument that it has had a big effect on what has played out during the occupation. So I'm not fully sure of the relevance of the comment either.
    - swader999 5y ago
      The conspiracy theory is that much of the increased opium production funded a lot of CIA black programs.
pizza 5y ago
> Taleban in Texas for talks on gas pipeline (1997) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan%E2%80%93Afghanistan%E2%80%93Pakistan%E2%80%93India_Pipeline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan%E2%80%93Afghanist...
epistasis 5y ago
The purpose of invading Afghanistan was to enact revenge for the September 11th attacks. The reasons for the attacks that directly relate to the US are: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motives_for_the_September_11_attacks https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motives_for_the_September_11... * US support for Israel (specifically Lebanon) -- support that the US gives as a strategic ally in the oil-rich Middle East. Without oil in the region, we would not be expending as much effort on this support. * US troops in Saudi Arabia -- troops are there because of the oil * Sanctions against Iraq -- placed there again because of oil and the annexation of Kuwait over oil.
- throwawaysea 5y ago
  Come on - it was not to enact "revenge". That is hyperbolic editorialization. It was because the Taliban had consistently been harboring Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, had close ties with Al Qaeda (who attacked the US), and they would have granted those same terrorists safe harbor again if left alone. The Taliban continues to maintain close ties with Al Qaeda today (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/taliban-keep-close-ties-al-qaeda-despite-promise-u-s-n1258033 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/taliban-k...), which is why handing them back Afghanistan is an incredible failure of leadership for the US. The rest of your alleged oil-motivated acts all have other motives as well, so I remain unconvinced by your overall argument.
  - jessaustin 5y ago
    Bush the Lesser specifically emphasized revenge in his famous petulant rant from "ground zero". Did you somehow miss this great modern American oration to which we are subjected on every 9/11 anniversary?
- colordrops 5y ago
  > US support for Israel (specifically Lebanon) Not sure what that means? For Israel to defend themselves against Lebanon?
corey_moncure 5y ago
On the public face, the politicians talked about t-----ism and A- Q----. Behind the scenes, they're all doing things like this and getting filthy rich: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_Energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_Energy
- throwawaysea 5y ago
  What am I supposed to be taking away from that Wikipedia link? The words “Afghanistan” and “war” don’t appear in the article anywhere. It mentions some activity in Israel and that’s it. It feels to me like you’re mentioning a random energy company as a bogeyman, but it doesn’t actually involve any particular malicious activity.
  - mjreacher 5y ago
    I think the parent is talking about the fact Dick Cheney is on the advisory board among other former US government officials as seen on the linked page.

What evidence do you have that Afghanistan was due to oil, and not due to the most direct motivations, like Taliban sheltering Al Qaeda (as they still do)? This seems like a conspiracy theory.

swader999 5y ago

If you want to go there look at the acres of cultivation of opium under Taliban and then under US occupation. Ask where that exponential increase in production was spent.

gruez 5y ago
What does opium have to do with oil?
- epistasis 5y ago
  I don't think opium has much to do with the initial invasion of Afghanistan, but I think that there's a pretty good argument that it has had a big effect on what has played out during the occupation. So I'm not fully sure of the relevance of the comment either.
  - swader999 5y ago
    The conspiracy theory is that much of the increased opium production funded a lot of CIA black programs.

pizza 5y ago

> Taleban in Texas for talks on gas pipeline (1997) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan%E2%80%93Afghanistan%E2%80%93Pakistan%E2%80%93India_Pipeline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan%E2%80%93Afghanist...

epistasis 5y ago

The purpose of invading Afghanistan was to enact revenge for the September 11th attacks. The reasons for the attacks that directly relate to the US are: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motives_for_the_September_11_attacks https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motives_for_the_September_11... * US support for Israel (specifically Lebanon) -- support that the US gives as a strategic ally in the oil-rich Middle East. Without oil in the region, we would not be expending as much effort on this support. * US troops in Saudi Arabia -- troops are there because of the oil * Sanctions against Iraq -- placed there again because of oil and the annexation of Kuwait over oil.

throwawaysea 5y ago
Come on - it was not to enact "revenge". That is hyperbolic editorialization. It was because the Taliban had consistently been harboring Islamic fundamentalist terrorists, had close ties with Al Qaeda (who attacked the US), and they would have granted those same terrorists safe harbor again if left alone. The Taliban continues to maintain close ties with Al Qaeda today (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/taliban-keep-close-ties-al-qaeda-despite-promise-u-s-n1258033 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/taliban-k...), which is why handing them back Afghanistan is an incredible failure of leadership for the US. The rest of your alleged oil-motivated acts all have other motives as well, so I remain unconvinced by your overall argument.
- jessaustin 5y ago
  Bush the Lesser specifically emphasized revenge in his famous petulant rant from "ground zero". Did you somehow miss this great modern American oration to which we are subjected on every 9/11 anniversary?
colordrops 5y ago
> US support for Israel (specifically Lebanon) Not sure what that means? For Israel to defend themselves against Lebanon?

corey_moncure 5y ago

On the public face, the politicians talked about t-----ism and A- Q----. Behind the scenes, they're all doing things like this and getting filthy rich: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_Energy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_Energy

throwawaysea 5y ago
What am I supposed to be taking away from that Wikipedia link? The words “Afghanistan” and “war” don’t appear in the article anywhere. It mentions some activity in Israel and that’s it. It feels to me like you’re mentioning a random energy company as a bogeyman, but it doesn’t actually involve any particular malicious activity.
- mjreacher 5y ago
  I think the parent is talking about the fact Dick Cheney is on the advisory board among other former US government officials as seen on the linked page.