Senator Kerry and President Obama are ignoranat of history in Afghanistan
In response to General Mc Crystal's and NATO's request for 40,000 additional troops some are arguing we need to pull out of Afghanistan now. The arguments for pulling out in Afghanistan belies a knowledge of history and a commitment to defending our nation. Was it not Senator Kerry's argument in the 2004 election that President Bush had "taken his eye off the ball" by going into Iraq, and that Afghanistan should be the main front? Did not then Senator Barak Obama argue that the war in Afghanistan "could not afford to be lost," even threatening to invade an allied nation to win it? Yet now when the going starts getting a little tough Senator Kerry and some in this administration are losing their courage, calling for a pullout. The problem is there arguments for a pullout are specious:
Senator Kerry and some of his colleague argue that the Soviets fought there for ten years and were not able to defeat the Afghan War Lords, what makes us think that after 8 years we can do better? The truth is that it is was not the Afghan War Lords who defeated the Soviets. It was the United States of America operating through the CIA. In what has come to be called "Charlie Wilson's War," (see book by the same title) some mostly democratic Congressman and members of the CIA with the support of Presidents Carter and Reagan secretly funded, supported and directed along with Egypt, Pakistan and Israel a covert War against the Soviets. There is no doubt the U.S. supplied the training, the weaponry, the strategy, the money and some personnel. The fact is we and our allies in the region defeated the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Leaving Afghanistan too soon allowed a new enemy to arise; leaving it now could be worse.
Before Charlie Wilson's War the Afghan's were losing to the Soviets. There had been a hostile communist takeover of the country. President Carter had destabilized Iran and lost the battle for the hostages. Many saw the Soviet entrance into Afghanistan as the first step towards controlling the region. We entered that war, not because we were interested in liberating the Afghan people, but to prevent a Soviet foothold in the Middle East, even now our interests there are much broader than Afghanistan's form of government. When the Soviets left some thought we had no reason to stay, as our military objectives were accomplished, but were they?
Since the war was covert some Afghan War Lords began spreading the misconception that their isolate gorilla actions had defeated the Soviets, leading some isolated Muslim extremist to believe the War had been won because of their strength, prowess and faith of the Islamic people, along with the blessing of Al ah. When the U.S. left Afghanistan the ineptitude, disorganization of the War Lords lead to chaos in the country. Many misinformed War Lords such as Osama Ben Laden and company began to feel that since they had defeated the great Satan U.S.S. R, they could now turn their attention to the other great enemy of Islam: Israel and her surrogate the U.S. The Taliban entered the country because we refused to understand the nature of the post cold war middle east. It was our neglect of the country and leaving them on their own that resulted in the Taliban coming to power, El Quada getting a stronghold there and other places and the attacks on several US embassies, and finally US soil in 1993 and 2001. We pulled out then and things diverted into the chaos that lead to 9-11. What you do you think will happen if we pull out now? Leaving Afghanistan now will leave every American in every American city in imminent danger.
President George W. Bush so focused on the War on terror that he lost control of his domestic agenda, and the US people lost sight of what this war was about. His democratic opponents capitalized on the political climate in the U.S. to promote their dubious foreign policy. Bush understood that his focus had to be broader than Afghanistan, and when the going got tough in Iraq he changed his strategy sent in more troops and started winning. One of the reasons for this victory was that he recognized that what Senators Kerry and Obama and others in the democratic party (and some Republicans) were saying about the war, that Iraq had been a diversion, was wrong then, just as it is wrong now. The issue is much bigger than Afghanistan. As much as we would all like to get Osama Ben Laden and execute him, Bush realized that he was one of many players in the War on Terror. The cause went beyond him, whether he was captured and defeated had little bearing on what the Islamic terrorist did in the region. At the time of 9-11 Bush realized that the only central government that actively and directly funding and supporting Al Quada was Iraq. Sadam was a WMD whether he had stockpiled them or not. Regime change in Iraq was the first step in defeating Al Quada, but it was only that -- a first step. Now as former Secretary of State Rice has said, we cannot afford a loss in Afghanistan.
The second argument against the War is equally specious: the idea that Afghanistan must have a stable government for us to proceed militarily is nothing short of stupidity. Those who argue that we must wait until Afghanistan has a stable government before making a decision are too narrow in there understanding of the conflict. The fact is Afghanistan is not going to have a stable government until the Taliban are annihilated. The question is not whether it will come about as a result of their own making with U.S. protection or whether it will be imposed on them from outside. There is only one strategy that will result in peace and stability and allow for a government that represents the interest of the people of Afghanistan to arise. There is only one strategy that allows for an exit strategy, that will not require us to come back in later, that is Victory. Once victory is attained we can support the cultural and religious leaders in building their own nation. Surely the nation that defeated the Soviet Union and drove them from Afghanistan can defeat the Taliban and other on the same battlefield. Senator Kerry and the President did not understand the conflict whenwe were fighting the Soviets. The fact that they would consider waiting until a government was formed to send in troops shows a complete ignorance of the conflict today. Senator Kerry was wrong in 2004, Senator Obama was wrong in 2008. As the President waits for a government to stabilize American soldiers die, Afghanistan is terrorized. The are wrong today, pulling out of Afghanistan would be a grave mistake. General Mc Crystal has said this War will be won or lost this year, and the addition of 40,000 troops are essential to victory. The going will be tough, more lives will be lost, but can we afford less than total victory. Let us not lose our resolve. Mr President what are you waiting on send in more troops now.
Senator Kerry and some of his colleague argue that the Soviets fought there for ten years and were not able to defeat the Afghan War Lords, what makes us think that after 8 years we can do better? The truth is that it is was not the Afghan War Lords who defeated the Soviets. It was the United States of America operating through the CIA. In what has come to be called "Charlie Wilson's War," (see book by the same title) some mostly democratic Congressman and members of the CIA with the support of Presidents Carter and Reagan secretly funded, supported and directed along with Egypt, Pakistan and Israel a covert War against the Soviets. There is no doubt the U.S. supplied the training, the weaponry, the strategy, the money and some personnel. The fact is we and our allies in the region defeated the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Leaving Afghanistan too soon allowed a new enemy to arise; leaving it now could be worse.
Before Charlie Wilson's War the Afghan's were losing to the Soviets. There had been a hostile communist takeover of the country. President Carter had destabilized Iran and lost the battle for the hostages. Many saw the Soviet entrance into Afghanistan as the first step towards controlling the region. We entered that war, not because we were interested in liberating the Afghan people, but to prevent a Soviet foothold in the Middle East, even now our interests there are much broader than Afghanistan's form of government. When the Soviets left some thought we had no reason to stay, as our military objectives were accomplished, but were they?
Since the war was covert some Afghan War Lords began spreading the misconception that their isolate gorilla actions had defeated the Soviets, leading some isolated Muslim extremist to believe the War had been won because of their strength, prowess and faith of the Islamic people, along with the blessing of Al ah. When the U.S. left Afghanistan the ineptitude, disorganization of the War Lords lead to chaos in the country. Many misinformed War Lords such as Osama Ben Laden and company began to feel that since they had defeated the great Satan U.S.S. R, they could now turn their attention to the other great enemy of Islam: Israel and her surrogate the U.S. The Taliban entered the country because we refused to understand the nature of the post cold war middle east. It was our neglect of the country and leaving them on their own that resulted in the Taliban coming to power, El Quada getting a stronghold there and other places and the attacks on several US embassies, and finally US soil in 1993 and 2001. We pulled out then and things diverted into the chaos that lead to 9-11. What you do you think will happen if we pull out now? Leaving Afghanistan now will leave every American in every American city in imminent danger.
President George W. Bush so focused on the War on terror that he lost control of his domestic agenda, and the US people lost sight of what this war was about. His democratic opponents capitalized on the political climate in the U.S. to promote their dubious foreign policy. Bush understood that his focus had to be broader than Afghanistan, and when the going got tough in Iraq he changed his strategy sent in more troops and started winning. One of the reasons for this victory was that he recognized that what Senators Kerry and Obama and others in the democratic party (and some Republicans) were saying about the war, that Iraq had been a diversion, was wrong then, just as it is wrong now. The issue is much bigger than Afghanistan. As much as we would all like to get Osama Ben Laden and execute him, Bush realized that he was one of many players in the War on Terror. The cause went beyond him, whether he was captured and defeated had little bearing on what the Islamic terrorist did in the region. At the time of 9-11 Bush realized that the only central government that actively and directly funding and supporting Al Quada was Iraq. Sadam was a WMD whether he had stockpiled them or not. Regime change in Iraq was the first step in defeating Al Quada, but it was only that -- a first step. Now as former Secretary of State Rice has said, we cannot afford a loss in Afghanistan.
The second argument against the War is equally specious: the idea that Afghanistan must have a stable government for us to proceed militarily is nothing short of stupidity. Those who argue that we must wait until Afghanistan has a stable government before making a decision are too narrow in there understanding of the conflict. The fact is Afghanistan is not going to have a stable government until the Taliban are annihilated. The question is not whether it will come about as a result of their own making with U.S. protection or whether it will be imposed on them from outside. There is only one strategy that will result in peace and stability and allow for a government that represents the interest of the people of Afghanistan to arise. There is only one strategy that allows for an exit strategy, that will not require us to come back in later, that is Victory. Once victory is attained we can support the cultural and religious leaders in building their own nation. Surely the nation that defeated the Soviet Union and drove them from Afghanistan can defeat the Taliban and other on the same battlefield. Senator Kerry and the President did not understand the conflict whenwe were fighting the Soviets. The fact that they would consider waiting until a government was formed to send in troops shows a complete ignorance of the conflict today. Senator Kerry was wrong in 2004, Senator Obama was wrong in 2008. As the President waits for a government to stabilize American soldiers die, Afghanistan is terrorized. The are wrong today, pulling out of Afghanistan would be a grave mistake. General Mc Crystal has said this War will be won or lost this year, and the addition of 40,000 troops are essential to victory. The going will be tough, more lives will be lost, but can we afford less than total victory. Let us not lose our resolve. Mr President what are you waiting on send in more troops now.
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