Posted on 09/22/2009 3:56:52 PM PDT by Saije
Like wine turned to vinegar, the good war in Afghanistan has gone bad, creating a political minefield through which candidates will need to navigate carefully.
Not long ago, the war in Afghanistan, unlike its companion in Iraq, enjoyed wide public support, enabling Democrats to demonstrate toughness in response to terrorism. For reasons substantive and political, many complained that President George W. Bush, and the press, ignored the more important conflict there to focus on an unnecessary war in Iraq.
In the be careful what you wish for category, as American involvement in Iraq has begun to wind down, the war in central Asia has grabbed more headlines, leaving the American people with a less than palatable portrait. Success, the rule of law and democracy all appear uncertain, with widespread corruption apparently the only enduring verity.
Political calculation seems to favor a drawdown of forces in Afghanistan, even at the cost of failure as Gen. McChrystal put the choice. A critical caveat complicates the political calculus, however.
We are not dealing with a defanged and disarmed Saddam Hussein here we are dealing with those who did attack us on Sept. 11 and have vowed to do so again. Should another attack, planned in Afghanistan, follow an American withdrawal, the political consequences for having lost that country to the Taliban and al Qaeda would be catastrophic not to mention the real consequences for our country.
Difficult choices define a dilemma.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
I think you have that pretty well nailed down.
Is Mark and relations to Larry Bud?
Thanks for the memories, when Letterman was actually funny. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvert_DeForest
Like wine turned to vinegar, the good war in Afghanistan has gone bad, creating a political minefield through which candidates will need to navigate carefully.
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