Dennis Kucinich -- Will the War Ever End?

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Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich & Ed Schultz of MSNBC's The Ed Show talk about Bush's never-ending War on Terror. Schultz accurately points out President Obama's decision to relocate troops from Iraq to Afghanistan shows he's not a pacifist but a hawk. Kucinich, one of the few people in Washington I honestly admire, correctly notes Iraq was a lie (which is a good reason for Obama to order troops out) and war in Afghanistan does not help stop terrorism.

Al-Qaeda isn't going to be stopped by bombing Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been war-torn for a few decades. It is this state of instability that brings out radical elements. The Soviet Union, the United States, and other Western powers have yet to show concern for the people of Afghanistan. That we would continue aggressions only helps al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and others to recruit future suicide bombers, terrorist leaders, and community support for reactionary Islamic groups.

Recently, Frontline took a look at growing Pakistani support of the Taliban. One of the root causes? Pakistan is not a terribly rich country, and supporting public education isn't a top priority (military dictatorship ranks far higher). Taliban-led madrassas provide the only education in the poorest areas. The only education received in these madrassas is a fundamentalist approach to the Koran.

Taliban-led madrassas has long been one of the primary places to recruit al-Qaeda members. As government-led wars and tribal fighting for rule continue, so, too, will hatred against the West continue. Whatever groups the West support will certainly fall out of favor with those who hate our policies. It's not a hatred of America or Americans but a hatred of the way we work globally.

There is no military solution to combat this ever-growing problem. More American troops in Afghanistan will not help. The Western mentality will not work. Rep. Kucinich is correct: we must pull out of both Iraq and Afghanistan, and we must look at regional approaches.