No Holds Barred

Parts of the Asian Region in the world have severe instability right now; from the Koreas to Afghanistan, lethal organized attacks and long-range missile launches are becoming routine practice. Though, Afghanistan continues to be the #1 cesspool with people succumbing to widespread violence almost every other day.

As the U.S.and NATO forces announce new, and reiterate established withdrawal timelines from Afghanistan, it seems like militants and insurgents plan more attacks to taunt NATO forces. The extremists are sending their own message - they have not weakened and will be there after NATO withdraws.

Recent suicide missions by the Taliban in the Herat and Helmand provinces took the lives of about 18, and injured at least another 25 people. The drama and bloodshed extends far beyond these instances with a coordinated attack that lasted three quarters of a day just last weekend. This took place in the capital (Kabul) of the country. The death toll from this attack is in the forties.

Targets in the plotted attack were NATO facilities and embassies of alliance members. The situation in Afghanistan looks to be spiraling for the worst; even though NATO and Afghan military forces say they have things under control and nearly prepared for the Afghans to handle their own security. At this point, attacks can be launched anytime and anywhere by the Taliban or Haqqani group, which both claim involvement in the nearly 20 hour attack.

The bad news is, even with all the Intel and multiple military forces working together to fight insurgency, suicide missions, roadside bombs, and sneak attacks, there are no foolproof plans or options to completely stop the violence. The enemy wakes up everyday with the same plans no matter how bad the previous day was for them.

While NATO forces continue to counter the terrorist groups, and withdraw over the next two plus years, the world will see how things end up in Afghanistan.

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Wait! I Think The Job Market Has a Pulse

After being literally dead for about four years the U.S. job market has started to breathe again. Not long ago if you mentioned the words "looking for a job" you would likely get one of these responses: there are no jobs, what for it's a waste of time, or I'm over qualified for minimum wage jobs. There was a point where jobs at a fast food restaurant, Wal-Mart, or other low paying positions were the only jobs hiring. That was because most quality and decent paying jobs weren't hiring and laying people off at a staggering rate.

That was then, and this is now. The U.S. job market is consistently seeing people fill positions that are being opened by steady job creation. Though, there are always questions concerning all the facts with reports on jobless and unemployment rates decreasing, the job market does seem to be noticeably improved. More than 200,000 jobs have been created nationwide for three consecutive months dating back to December 2011, lowering the unemployment rate to 8.3%. This by no means is a drastic turnaround to the pre-recession job market, but it does show a good sign that things are honestly looking better.

These improvements can't come at a better time for President Obama who is in the midst of a political battle for re-election. The President stated he was working on improving the job market for Americans, and it seems to be coming to fruition. Businesses in the private sector are the driving force behind most of the hiring being done right now. A number of CEO's from prominent U.S. companies who took a survey showed that more than 40% of the executives have intentions to hire more employees within the next two quarters. Though, it will still take time for most Americans to feel a turnaround, at least the glass looks half full now instead of half empty. 

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How Long Is Too Long To Stay In Afghanistan?

Towards the end of 2011 and this early part of 2012, our government spoke of the U.S.
military adjusting their role & troop levels in Afghanistan. After being at war in this country since the early 2000's, and seeing success with the Iraq War officially ending, it's definitely time to depart Afghanistan. America and its troops can't stay there forever, and they definitely don't want to wear-out their tentative welcome in a hostile region.

Occupying a foreign country too long can get annoying for that country's residents. Both sides may start to get on each others nerves and have communication break down. Then, add in the War on Terrorism happening around you at the same time, and tensions have no choice but to boil over. With all this said, the problems are deeper than a strong and indefinite U.S. military presence amongst Afghan citizens and extremists everyday. But staying past the "best if used by" date doesn't help either.

The 1st quarter of 2012 has saw unnecessary violence in Afghanistan against civilians and American soldiers. Last month a group of Afghan adolescents were inadvertently killed by a airstrike initiated by U.S - NATO forces. February also harnessed violence against U.S. - NATO soldiers who were killed by meaningless sneak attacks from Afghan soldiers who were supposed to be colleagues and allies. In addition, more American soldiers were killed by Afghans in retaliation for an accidental defacing of the Quran by American troops.

While time passes each year until the war is over, U.S military personnel is shifted in and out of Afghanistan to strategize, give needed time away, and complete service terms. The sooner the war is over, the better. This way troops can return to their families and the U.S. economy will be strengthened without having the financial burden of the war, and having a bigger pool of resourceful citizens. Time will tell when this war ends. 

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