2009.10.27
It's time to get out of Afghanistan
U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jameson Adams of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., looks over the valley of Now Zad during a 24-hour observation watch on a nearby mountainside in the Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan. Marines on the front lines across southern Afghanistan, who also fought in Iraq, told The Associated Press that the enemy in Afghanistan is a smaller but smarter force. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, 8.22.09)
The United State armed forces are fearsome when it comes to fighting conventional wars.
But we are not so good when it come to guerrilla warfare. And we're pretty rotten when it comes to indefinite occupation, which is what it seems Afghanistan is turning into.
This country can't afford that, and we shouldn't try to.
Haven't plenty of foreign powers tried to conquer Afghanistan? Has any one of them succeeded with any permanency?
We know what happened after the Soviets' Afghan "adventure." Their weakened country fell apart.
Here's another argument against the U.S. remaining there, from a former Marine who just quit his U.S. State Department post. The Washington Post has the story:
"I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," [former Marine Corps Capt. Matthew Hoh] wrote Sept. 10 in a four-page letter to the department's head of personnel. "I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end."
the whole reason we invaded here,,get Bin Laden..total failure.if escelate here.it will be a defeat in Vietnam numbers.we cant win this
Comment by Tony — October 27, 2009 @ 9:58 pm
Well those who still advocate for our invasion of Vietnam will hold that it was a "victory" because we supposedly killed so many more VC than we lost. Unfortunately, if you can't convince your enemy he's lost, it's difficult to declare victory. In a zero sum game, you need someone willing to stand in the L column, otherwise "victory" is hollow.
Comment by Kristen — October 28, 2009 @ 7:54 am
Tony
We agree!
There is no win in Afghanistan. 40k more troops, 80k more troops, I do not think it matters. There are a million holes in tens of thousands of mountains in which they can hide.
Comment by VVarlock — October 28, 2009 @ 8:22 am
Well what a ya know Warlock..lol
Anyway..were also fighting with people who can climb mountains barefooted in zero degree weather..their leader(Taliban).removed his own eye on the battlefield and continued to fight..and were fighting them on their turf..as great as our troops are thats a heckuva task..
Comment by Tony — October 28, 2009 @ 10:22 am
Amen Dan, Amen. OOAN - Out of Afghanistan Now.
Comment by Krt — October 28, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
Should have never went in the first place.
Comment by James — October 28, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
@6 - Hold on I thought the left thought that was where we needed to be in the first place, chasing Bin Laden. Not IRAQ where we took down a maniacal dictator? I wish they would make up their minds!
Comment by Walker — October 29, 2009 @ 11:43 am
Walker, agreed that that's where we needed to be originally (liberals almost universally agreed with that incursion; we're not TOTAL traitors, you know), and there's no question that Bush turned his attention from it too early. BIG mistake. But why are we still there? The Afghans hate us being there, and we're doing no good and can't afford it. Time to say bye-bye. However, conservatives will call Obama a coward even though many also think we need to go.
Comment by gdad — October 29, 2009 @ 9:17 pm