Ah, yes. Of course. Does Kerry mean Afghanistan the reliable ally of the United States? Well, no, it is not a reliable ally. Does Kerry mean Afghanistan the stable Western-style republic? No, it isn’t a republic in any genuine sense. Is Kerry referring to Afghanistan the economic powerhouse, raising the standard of living for its own people and those of other countries around it? Uh, no, Afghanistan is nothing like that. Does Kerry mean the Afghanistan in which the Taliban has been decisively defeated, never to menace Afghans who reject it and non-Muslims elsewhere again? No, the Taliban is poised to take power again as soon as the Americans are gone. Does Kerry mean the Afghanistan in which U.S. troops were respected and received with gratitude, and were able to help the Afghans build their own reliable military and police force? No, in Afghanistan there was a spate of green-on-blue attacks in which American soldiers were senselessly murdered in jihad attacks by their ostensible allies, even the people they were training.
The Afghan misadventure has been a failure of catastrophic proportions. Is Kerry completely self-deluded, or just hoping to fool the American people?
“John Kerry: Afghanistan One of ‘Proudest Achievements of the Obama Administration,'” by Jeryl Bier, The Weekly Standard, May 16, 2016 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
Secretary of State John Kerry recently spoke at the Oxford Union and addressed a range of issues from climate change to extremism to political corruption. During the question and answer after Kerry’s remarks, one audience member asked the secretary of state to name the “proudest achievements of the Obama administration” now that President Obama’s eight years in office are coming to an end.
Kerry seemed to be somewhat taken off guard by the question, but quickly named three issues in which Kerry himself had been intimately involved: the Paris climate change agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, and the reestablishment of ties with Cuba. But then he also named Afghanistan:
Wow, that’s asking me to be sort of retrospectively judgmental. But I – I mean, obviously, I think that the global climate change agreement in Paris and the Iran nuclear agreement and the Cuba opening; the efforts in Afghanistan to hold together – transition Afghanistan; fighting – ending Ebola as a global threat… [emphasis added]
In December 2009, President Obama announce the “way forward” for the US in Afghanistan. The three objective he set forth were “denying al-Qa’ida a safe haven, reversing the Taliban’s momentum, and strengthening the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan’s future” and to “support the Government of Afghanistan as it moves towards full responsibility for security across Afghanistan by the end of 2014.”
The reality has fallen somewhat short of these goals. In April, CNN reported that Afghanistan and U.S. officials were concerned that “al Qaeda is ‘very active’ and a ‘big threat’ in the country,” and that there was “concern over growing ties between al Qaeda and the Taliban.” In addition, the Washington Post reported in January:
Top U.S. military commanders, who only a few months ago were planning to pull the last American troops out of Afghanistan by year’s end, are now quietly talking about an American commitment that could keep thousands of troops in the country for decades.
More recently the Post reported in April that “[t]he Afghan army, left on its own, had failed to live up to expectations.”…

Zeke Zick says
So ketchup boy is proud of screwing up the world-quick alert the media!
RonaldB says
” Is Kerry completely self-deluded, or just hoping to fool the American people?”
No.
Kerry is just stating the facts: the Afghanistan disaster is the best result the Obama administration has gotten from all its foreign policy disasters. It doesn’t mean its Afghanistan results are good. They’re just not as disastrous as the rest of his foreign policy initiatives.
For example, Obama’s Baltic adventures stand a significant chance of involving the US in a needless war with Russia that at its best, would not further US interests in the least. The US has given Iran a pathway, within the negotiated treaty, to obtain nuclear weapons within the terms of the next administration or two.
With disasters like this, the Afghan adventure stands out as a bright, shining light.
Mak says
Ronald: Spot on with everything you’ve pointed out.
But I disagree on what’s the Obama administration’s biggest success story: DAESH / ISIS. People seem to forget that Obama and his think tank created ISIS! Well put them on the map anyhow.
It seems the short lived memory of people forget the “moderate Syrian rebels” that Obama provided arms to. Those were the ISIS Jihadis that were armed. In the few cases some weapons were accidentally given to “legitimate” rebels (whatever that means) they were quickly taken from them by ISIS.
The weapons provided by Obama are what allowed ISIS to become the middle east power it (sadly) is.
So I do think Kerry is wrong here. Afghanistan is an unstable hell hole but it’s far from Obama’s most significant “contribution.” It probably sounds cliche’ at this point but when what’s left of western civilization looks upon its smouldering ruins the seed of that destruction were planted by Obama.
The only chance I see of us not having such a depressing future is for every single group (Atheist, Bhuddist, Christian, Hindy, Jew, etc) to wake up and deal with the threat to a way of life that allows there to even be different groups. If we don’t the future will consist of one group: Islam — who will be busy murdering their own people in the 7th century future.
Angemon says
Mak posted:
“The weapons provided by Obama are what allowed ISIS to become the middle east power it (sadly) is. ”
Not in the way you think. The disbanding of Saddam’s army over a decade ago fuelled ISIS – where are former officers of Saddam’s army? ISIS. More recently, if the new Iraqi army did their work instead of fleeing without a fight and leaving their US-issued equipment behind and things might have went differently.
Will Doohan says
And remember that it was the Bush administration that decided to disband and stop paying the Iraqi army, thus acceleratiing the insurgency while Rumsfeld deliberately kept the troop levels low.
Lia says
Poor, poor Mr Kerry. He’d probably die of shock if he ever realises the scope of Mr Obama’s international ineptitude and express anti-all-allies diplomacy. But let’s give him this: my president is my president, wrong, more wrong and most wrong!
Angemon says
That’s an understatement…
cs says
LOL. Come on, Satan and his court is very proud of you guys.
Walter Sieruk says
Even the idea of having worthwhile, constructive “negotiations” with the Taliban is sheer folly. For the deceptive and disingenuous Taliban have proven many times over, by their own actions, that they are a ruthless, brutal vicious gang of thugs with no honor. So in any kind of “dialogue” the Taliban will speak the truth only when it happened to suite them. The rest of the time they will be speaking half-truths and also be outright lying. Likewise, the Taliban will keep their word in anything that they may happen to promise only and long as in fits into their agenda and no longer. So before engaging of the foolishness of attempting to have genuine “talks for a peace alliance” with Taliban, the officials of the current government would do well to heed the wisdom of Sun Tzu found in THE ART OF WAR. For it instructs “We cannot enter into an alliance neighboring’s princes, until we are acquainted with their designs.” To put this in a more updated and current way, it may be said that “We cannot enter into a peace alliance with the Taliban until we know the actual intentions and real schemes.”
Don McKellar says
The empty suit to end all empty suits has declared it a proud achievement. Yes, much back slapping to do — the Taliban has only risen up to control or contest over 70 districts in Afghanistan and the Islamic State is biding its time on the edges of the country and the whole shit house will collapse the moment foreign troops leave (as has ALWAYS been the case). Yes, a proud achievement, Lurch!
Guest says
When Afghanistan stops putting rape victims in jail then I’ll consider believing it a Western style country.
Susan B says
Lurch, has gone muslim where lies are truths and truths are lies. He does not need to worry about the “ministry of propaganda” MSM calling him out on his lies they work for the liars. We live in world where democracy does not exist and freedom does not exist. 1984 has arrived 32 years late.
Jan Aage Jeppesen says
History will judge the last three American presidents for four unnecessary, costly and failed wars: The two wars against Iraq, the war against Afghanistan and the war against Libya.
All those wars created chaos and less security in the regions and worked as a boost and recruiting tool for Islamic jihad groups aiming at what Huntington warned against: A bloody clash with the Islamic civilization in a global conflict. The failed wars weakened the position of US and the West economically and morally, and this weaknesses are being challenged and exploited by three other civilizations, the Islamic, the Chinese, and the orthodox, with China and Russia as leading core states of their respective civilizations. No leading core state exist in the Islamic civilization, they all hate each other, but not as much as they hate and mistrust the West.
The US has no allies in the Muslim world and policies based upon this illusion are very dangerous, as the four unnecessary and failed wars so clearly demonstrate.
Clever says
Kerry never was smart – just another tool of the left
Goldie says
The Russians could not control A-Stan. Neither could Rambo. This is what Biden said about Iraq in 2010. Look at what we have today. Are they for real?? It is worse than ever!!
Zub says
Hard to believe this Ding-Dong actually tried to get elected as POTUS back in 2004! He probably would have been as bad as the Obamination we currently have in the WH. I guess we dodged the bullet that time… but to what avail given current events?
common sense says
“Foreign policies are absolutely inter-changeable”. – secretary of all tools.
underbed cat says
John Kerry,…..I have a Pakistan Koran would you like to review….it is what isis repeats…it is some of the doctrine in the first 8 suras’ you should read….then you’ll understand there will be no end to the drive for a caliphate….please don’t allow this to happen. Their doctrine are commands and jihad is the method.
Veritas says
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened”
Winston S. Churchill
eagle says
John Kerry and Obama are mentally ill. There is nothing Obama and Kerry can do to make America proud of what they do.
underbed cat says
Sharia law constitution in Afghanistan and now we send soldiers to train….you have to read about sharia law….to understand how extremely dangerous, insane these directives are for our soldiers. Same with Iraq. Ah yes…no one knew who was living near the base, in that big white compound……
Charles says
I hope the American people make the right decision to replace their president with someone who will stand up for oppressed Christian people over in the middle east
Tommo says
According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report published in October 2007, the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost taxpayers a total of $2.4 trillion by 2017 when counting the huge interest costs because combat is being financed with borrowed money.
We have to stop leaders from spending such vast sums on senseless wars and make them more accountable to the people whose money they spend so willfully.
TopDrifter says
John Kerry”…is nothing more than a shit-stain!”
Carolyne says
The only thing Kerry ever accomplished was marrying super wealthy women. Why they would want a husband who looks like a creature from Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, I do not know. Teraaaysa Heinz is as dumb as they come, but she has been hidden away lately. I hope no harm has come to her. Oh hell, I don’t really care.
Florida Jim says
Afghanistan has as much success as Kerry’s Viet Nam Career or his Senate debacle with 20 years and not one b ill passed just one Marxist vote after another while living off his wives.He is one disgusting bigot.
Geppetto says
The question posed above: “Is Kerry completely self-deluded, or just hoping to fool the American people?”
The American people elected Barack Hussein Obama in 2008 after a campaign that could be accurately categorized as one of the greatest political con jobs in America’s history, and elected him again in 2012.
Question: What would convince the White House and John Kerry that the American people are ripe targets for any political scam whatsoever?
You’ve got 3 guesses.
gravenimage says
John Kerry: Afghanistan one of the “proudest achievements of the Obama administration”
……………………..
Just insane. Afghanistan is barely better than it was under the Taliban, despite all our outlays of blood and treasure. 75% of women in prison there are in for “Zina”–things like resisting forced marriages or escaping abusive marriages.
*Stoning* is now back on the books–for a long time, I said Afghanistan is bad, but at least they don’t have stoning. Now they do. We have allowed them to set up a Shari’ah state there on our dime.
The corruption there is unreal–but barely worth mentioning, since other things are so much worse.
American troops were prevented from rescuing boys used as sex slaves by our Afghan “allies”. Americans and other coalition troops are regularly murdered by Afghan troops and police whom we are training.
And that’s things as they are now–the fact is that the Taliban is fast encroaching, despite laughable “peace talks”–regularly and blatantly violated by the Taliban.
It seems clear that as soon as we pull out the Taliban will be back in power.
If this hellhole is one of the “proudest achievements” of the Obama administration, we know just what trouble we are in.
And Kerry mentioned that other great achievement on Obama’s watch: the appeasement of Iran, which now has them blatantly saber rattling and even taking our sailors hostage…
Sam says
“John Kerry: Afghanistan one of the “proudest achievements of the Obama administration”
Obama Administration is full of mentally disturbed people. Otherwise, how can you explain a statement like above.
F******** NUTS
siesmann says
Bush administration set up the stage for failure by declaring Taliban defeated prematurely and withdrawing all the forces to Iraq.That gave the Taliban time to regroup.Saudis wanted Iraq out and destroyed,and generations of Bush has been Saudis’ friends and beneficiaries of oil wealth .They could not but oblige the Saudis.
Mark says
Huum did imam kerry misshear the question, and thought the question was would you like to give us an example of your usual delusional lying? (and did not stop to think before complying).