...I think it just might be time to get the hell out of Afghanistan and I don’t say this as a dumb liberal but only after serious conservative thought. ...
I agree pretty much with your reasoning as outlined in the remainder of that post and would add a few additional thoughts of my own.
First, the repeatedly asserted premise that "Afghanistan is the REAL war" is not just wrong, it's dishonest, and has been employed as a distraction and scheme to divert us from dealing with the real loci of the terrorist problem in the Middle East: Iran, Pakistan, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Remember back in 2003 when debate was raging over "why Iraq" the answer was "look at the map".
Iraq is both the geopolitical and the militarily strategic/tactical center of gravity for any effort to "drain the swamp" of the Middle East. Afghanistan has always been and still remains peripheral to this strategic reality. As was repeatedly pointed-out in discussions on FR, Iraq gave us an unsinkable land-based "aircraft carrier" smack dab in the middle of the vipers' nests from which to project power and effect change. Bush seemed to understand this at the time and started out well, but then for some reason lost his way.
I also understand the urge many good people have to not appear to cut and run, and who believe we must therefore commit more resources to Afghanistan. The problem is their hearts and their pride are overruling their heads. It is beyond obvious that the current Obama regime has no intention of trying to win in any war theater where we're involved, so the equation becomes one of how many more lives of our military are to be wasted to achieve the desired balance of saved face?
In a sane world, what I would propose would be a withdrawal from Afghanistan through southeastern Iran in order to take control of their oil fields, coupled with air strikes to take out or cripple as many of their nuclear sites, military bases and power-generating infrastructure as necessary to either force the mullahs to negotiate favorably or else be overthrown, plus a naval blockade of all Iranian sea traffic.
There was a time when this could have been done with a high probability of success. It could still be done now, although the window is closing rapidly. The problem, as it has always been, is not a lack of ability but a lack of will, and that is why, in this reality, the men of the West are losing to the forces of Shadow.
Of course this is all academic, Fish, the die have been cast and come up craps, but I wanted you to know that your thoughts were appreciated... /g
Well thank you so much Swamprat.
At times I do tend to think out loud and today was such a day.
I’d love to see your proposed exit route via Iran but I sigh like you. We could do it but you know we won’t.
Every day my ears perk up when I hear about another death in Afghanistan. Because I know that it’s more than likely an unecessary death and THAT more than anything causes me pain.
Thanks so much for taking the time. Someday we’ll have a real leader again. It’s one thing to play politics over a silly international game but when you’ve got young Americans dying it becomes a tragedy.