Posted on 09/08/2009 8:47:02 AM PDT by IbJensen
America is losing the war in Afghanistan. Rather than change course, President Obama is sending 21,000 additional U.S. troops. This will bring the total to 68,000 American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan, bolstering coalition forces to 110,000.
The troop surge, however, will not work. Afghanistan has become Mr. Obama's Vietnam -- a protracted quagmire draining precious American blood and treasure. August was the deadliest month for U.S. forces, with 47 soldiers killed by Taliban insurgents. More than 300 coalition troops have died in 2009. This is the highest toll since the war began in 2001, and there are still four months to go.
The tide of battle has turned against the West. The Taliban is resurgent. It has reasserted control over its southern stronghold in Kandahar. The Taliban is launching devastating attacks in the western and northern parts of the country -- formerly stable areas. U.S. casualties are soaring. The morale of coalition forces is plummeting. Most of our allies -- with the exception of the Canadians and the British -- are reluctant to engage the Islamist militants. American public support for the war is waning.
The conflict has dragged on for nearly eight years. (U.S. involvement in World War II was four years, World War I less than one.) Yet, America's strategic objectives remain incoherent and elusive.
The war's initial aim was to topple the Taliban and eradicate al Qaeda bases from Afghan territory. Those goals have been achieved. Washington should have declared victory and focused on the more important issue: preventing Islamic fundamentalists from seizing power in Pakistan, along with its nuclear arsenal.
Instead, America is engaged in futile nation-building. Mr. Obama, like President George W. Bush before him, believes Afghanistan must be transformed by erecting a strong central government, democracy and a modern economy. Washington argues this will prevent terrorism from taking root and bring about lasting "stability." Advertisement
Hence, following a recent reassessment of the war by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, U.S. commander in Afghanistan, the Obama administration is contemplating deploying 20,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops -- on top of the 21,000 already pledged. Moreover, billions have been spent building irrigation canals, schools, hospitals and factories. Civilian advisers are being sent to encourage farmers to grow other cash crops besides opium poppies. Western aid money has been used to establish a massive Afghan army, a large police force and a swollen government bureaucracy.
Gen. McChrystal said this week that the situation is "serious," but not impossible. He still believes victory is within reach. His new strategy is to protect Afghan civilians from Taliban attacks. He also wants to create a lucrative jobs programs and improve local government services. The goal is to win the "hearts and minds" of the Afghan people. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says we must combat Afghanistan's "culture of poverty." Call it humanitarian war through social engineering.
Mr. Obama's policy will result in a major American defeat -- one that will signal the end of America as a superpower and expose us to the world as a paper tiger. Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. The mighty British and Russian armies were humiliated in drawn-out guerrilla campaigns. The country's mountainous geography and primitive tribal culture are ideally suited for insurgent warfare. By sending in more troops, Washington is playing right into the Taliban's hands: We are enabling the Taliban to pick off our forces one by one as they wage a campaign of attrition.
The Taliban blend with the local population, making it almost impossible for U.S. forces to distinguish combatants from civilians. American counterinsurgency efforts are thus alienating some of the locals. Initially welcomed as liberators, we are now viewed in some quarters as occupiers. Moreover, much of the West's aid money is siphoned off by greedy politicians in Kabul.
President Hamid Karzai's government is corrupt, venal and ineffective. It barely controls one-third of the country. It is despised by many Afghans for its brutality and incompetence. In addition, Mr. Karzai's vice-presidential running mate is a drug trafficker.
The West's efforts to forge a cohesive national state based on federalism and economic reconstruction have failed. Warlords are increasingly asserting power in the provinces. The country is fractured along tribal and ethnic lines. The center cannot hold: Afghanistan remains mired in anarchy, blood feuds and weak, decentralized rule.
U.S. troops should be deployed to defend U.S. national interests. Their lives should never be squandered for an experiment in liberal internationalism. In fact, such a policy is morally grotesque and strategically reckless.
Mr. Obama should quickly withdraw most U.S. forces from Afghanistan. American air power and small, flexible Special Forces units are more than enough to wipe out al Qaeda terrorists. The Taliban is too hated to reoccupy the country -- unless our huge military and economic footprint drives numerous Afghans into the evil, welcoming arms of extremists.
Afghanistan has been ungovernable and impoverished for centuries. No country -- including America -- can conquer or heal this strange, cursed land.
What needs to be done is to rid this country of all avowed muslims....they are like time bombs ticking away, awaiting the opportunities that will present themselves in our malls, our schools, etc.
Oh, and while we're at it why not rid this nation of ALL illegal aliens.
Instead, we put up with the ridiculous posturing of our government that allows 'screeners' at the airports to check under our genitals to see if we have secreted a bomb or a tube of toothpaste there.
What Americans have given up, thanks to ALL of our complicit politicians is tragic.
While we are busily building 'nations' our own has become inundated with mudslimes.
I don’t care what you say there is a definate plus to CARPET BOMBING.
Now wr're confronted with an assault on this nation from within by a communist, African-African president who hates this nation:
1. Get Obama gone, clean away.
2. More and better intelligence.
3. Fewer large units on the ground while . . .
4. using more surgical strikes from the air (and saturation bombing if and when necessary) based on the better intelligence, and
5. more precise and meticulous special forces operations.
6. Don’t set any deadlines for stopping operations.
7. Keep going after them as long as it takes to keep their bases and trainning facilities cleaned out.
8. When we do strike, be merciless.
The oil fields of Saudi Arabia should have been bombed until not a dram of oil would have been enabled to pump for eons.
No president is going to engage in systematic slaughter of all Afghan babies and little old ladies.
No.
” using more surgical strikes from the air “
“ When we do strike, be merciless. “
Obama’s new policy is called Buzz before Bomb.
Lt General Gilmary Hostage ,Aug 13,2009
“The first thing we do is fly over head, and the bad guys know airpower is in place and oftentimes that’s enough.
That ends the fight, they vamoose,” said Hostage, who will direct the air battle over Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The A-10 has a very distinct sound. The cannon on an A-10 is horrifically capable and our adversaries know it.
When they hear the sound of an A-10, they scatter.”
Hostage said McChrystal has told his forces,
“If you are in a situation where there’s a civilian at risk,
he’d rather have us back away than pressing to engage the enemy and run the risk of damaging or hurting somebody.”
Vamoosing and scattering and making our troops retreat allows the Taliban to escape unharmed , regroup and strike and kill US soldiers.
Barry is terrified of a PR backlash from the left if he kills civilians while killing Taliban.
So his solution is to not kill the Taliban.
There is no backlash if US soldiers die with his new strategy.
And that’s gotta change.
The right and the Republicans cannot stand by any longer while Barry allows US soldiers to be expendable pawns in his new strategy of protecting civilians rather than killing Taliban.
re: “The hot spot is here, Posty”
You’ve got a point.
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