Afghanistan Is Even Worse Than Iraq
If you are determined to not win a war – and are willing to sacrifice America’s human and financial resources in vain — I guess there comes a time you can legitimately argue to unceremoniously retreat. At least it stops the continuing loss of blood and money for no apparent reason.
It is too late to proffer the argument that the United States should never have been in Afghanistan. Although we seemed to have had purpose and resolve at the onset.
In the wake of the 9/11 attack on the United States by al Qaeda terrorists — who were shielded and supported by the Taliban government in Kabul – our purpose was to drive out the Taliban and take down the al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan – to annihilate them or at least take away their base of operation.
Some argue that we succeeded early on and should have left Afghanistan at that point. But we had not really succeeded. That is because the Taliban remained a potent force with ambitions to – and the possibility of – retaking power. That is happening in real time at this moment. It likely means that al Qaeda and even ISIS will again have a safe harbor from which to engage in international terrorism. With the United States and NATO nations being the primary targets.
In retrospect, it is difficult to understand how America could have been engaged in warfare for soooo long without any intent or strategy of actually winning – defeating the Taliban. To some extent, America ceased fighting in Afghanistan several years ago. That was when American forces stayed behind the battle lines to serve as tactical support and advisors. You may not have noticed, but American troops have not been in the line of fire for several years. There have been occasional attacks on American assets, but few and far between.
In some ways, what we have done in Afghanistan mirrors the United States’ failed policy in Iraq.
There was a sense of initial success. You can recall President Bush standing on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and declaring victory. In a very short time, American forces took Baghdad and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Rather than remain in Iraq to oversee the transition from Hussein to a more stable and more US-friendly government in Baghdad, President Obama pulled out the American military. And what happened? Unfriendly elements took over. ISIS rose like a monster in a horror movie. At one point, they even formed a terrorist caliphate.
While President Trump directed the American military to take down that caliphate, it did not end the anti-American influences in Iraq. To this day, it is arguable that Iran and Russia have more influence in Iraq than does the United States.
In real time, we are seeing that movie again in Afghanistan. As America retreats, the Taliban are spreading their hegemony over more of Afghanistan. At the time of this writing, they are said to be in control of 80 percent of the nation. And they are continuing to expand their dominance.
Some are expressing hope that the current Afghanistan government will at least be able to maintain control of Kabul. In his recent speech defending the unilateral retreat from Afghanistan, Biden claims confidence that the current government will be able to fend off the Taliban. He may be the only person in the world to believe that – and if he does, he is delusional.
We are already seeing the nature of the Taliban.
They have commenced an ISIS-like wave of brutal killings – especially targeting those who assisted the United States. Biden says he is concerned about their welfare, but he had no plan to rescue them – and with 90 percent of American troops out of Afghanistan, it is too late.
This is sadly consistent with American policy when our military is in retreat. We left behind our Hmong allies in Vietnam, abandoned the Kurds on the Turkish border and walk away from the anti-Bashar al Asaad forces in Syria. In each case human catastrophes followed.
It is not only an internal humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. With the Taliban in charge, a new threat of international terrorism will have a launch pad. Thanks to American impotence, the forces of terrorism are again on the rise – and it will not be long before we see the results here at home.
So, there ‘tis.
The entire world realizes thatAmerica became the Neutered States of America on January 20, 2021.
The new superpowers – China, Russia, North Korea, Iran – all mock us.
Can we last until Congress is retaken by the Republicans in 2022?
If only your buddy Rumsfeld had a real plan for victory instead of just war profiteering. Republicans started the War and had 12 years of control to finish it to no avail. How many more grandsons have to die for no apparent reason?
It was a boondoggle from the GetGo thanks to the ineptness of the Bush Administration and his warhawk advisors, unsurprisingly it has ended in a boondoggle. Unlike the Republican lead Vietnam War, hopefully we learn from our blunders this time.
The major threat is the anti American terrorists in our congress
John, I agree ! It seems as if the trump cult had insider information provided by traitors in American Congress!
It’s time to commence the 1-6 hearings and root out these Congressional Republican terrorist !
Also the entire commiecrat party
As per usual, you are misrepresenting the facts in your article Larry. Afghanistan has been a mess since W refocused the military on Iraq (due to the disrespect that Hussein showed his father most likely-there was zero reason for that war). But you obviously miss the point that of the last 4 1/2 years, for four of those years we had someone of your persuasion in the WH. It is pretty rich to blame Biden for what is happening in Iraq. After all-who negotiated that treaty with the taliban? Somehow that seems to have been left out of your story. Of course, I know you would never speak Ill of a Republican As for blaming Obama for what happened in Iraq, you seem to have forgotten the war had been going on for 5 1/2 years when he came to office, a reasonable length of time to set up a government more friendly to the US. And when we left Iraq, it was because they were requesting us to leave. So there tis, just the facts without the Horowitz bluster…
Horowitz bluster … ??? Mike, you are back to your old habit of changing my last name to an obvious Jewish name. As you know, i am not Jewish — and I have called you out in the past. As I have told you then, your anti-Semitism is highly offensive. Why on earth would you continue to use a gratuitous play on my name as an insult? You are one sick person — besides being stupid. But they both go hand-in-hand.
Mike,
Larry will not stand for anti Semitic remarks. Stick to the N word and yell out “White Power”, wet back, or ‘spic. He doesn’t seem to mind when his readers write those types of things.
You may wish to defend and ally with anti-Semites, but I do not. And you implication that I would would tolerate or use the N-word, support “White Power” — or use the terms “wet back or “spic” is not only untrue, but it shows a contemptable level of false accusation. I have come to believe that you are very old and losing your grip. I have not even heard the terms “wet back” or “spic.” since the 1950s. And in keeping with your propensity to make up sh*t, I have never seen any reader “writing those type of things,” as you allege. You are a proven liar.
Larry, this explains how you were to vote for trump( twice). You are somehow able to overlook and ignore things that that are right in front of your face but don’t adhere to your fabricated reality.
I have lied about nothing. Last time I proved to you with a copy paste and you still chose to ignore it. Dan and the Vet routinely use racist and derogatory words and name calling. While I do not align myself with any anti semitic language Or any other hateful rhetoric. I just found it odd the line that you drew. I don’t condone any off it, but by allowing your readers to post such obscenely offensive crap seems to indicate that you do.