Mike Pouraryan
Afghanistan: The Dawn of Zero Hour
:
...and now?
As I write this, President Obama had concluded his 9th War Council meeting on option regaring Afghanistan. The advocates for a "surge" want it now. The conservatives have been on a warpath accusing the President of "dithering" and "being weak". Yet, these same conservatives seem to forget Vietnam and the lessons of Vietnam.
Over the week-end, Bill Moyers remembered President Johnson's dilema over Vietnam. There are many who will dismiss Bill Moyers as a liberal, left-leaning angry fellow. Yet, this one hour retrospective is so devastating in the parallels with what President Obama faces in Afghanistan today. President Johnson asked the right questions. He just made the call and made it to the detriment of the country. Click Here: Really Long Link retrieved 11/23/2009. How can America make a committment when there is no government. Although Karzai has been making noises, Karzai will be hung if NATO and the US moved out tomorrow.
As I assess the arguments on both sides, I think that the President will order additional resources in to Afghanistan. The question I continue to have is what is the endgame. What is regarded as victory? These are questions that there are no clear answers too. The article by William R. Polk reminds us about what the Soviets did in Afghanistan. Furthermore, what I find even more disturbing in the Polk Article is about the control that the current top brass have on imposing their views on the political leadership. What the same people who are pushing for the surge have to remember that the Soviets had 500,000 Troops in Afghanistan and the war ended up bankrupting the Soviet Union.
What is clear to me is that options are dismal. I see the President in a no-win situation. We are in a hell of a mess now.
Over the week-end, Bill Moyers remembered President Johnson's dilema over Vietnam. There are many who will dismiss Bill Moyers as a liberal, left-leaning angry fellow. Yet, this one hour retrospective is so devastating in the parallels with what President Obama faces in Afghanistan today. President Johnson asked the right questions. He just made the call and made it to the detriment of the country. Click Here: Really Long Link retrieved 11/23/2009. How can America make a committment when there is no government. Although Karzai has been making noises, Karzai will be hung if NATO and the US moved out tomorrow.
As I assess the arguments on both sides, I think that the President will order additional resources in to Afghanistan. The question I continue to have is what is the endgame. What is regarded as victory? These are questions that there are no clear answers too. The article by William R. Polk reminds us about what the Soviets did in Afghanistan. Furthermore, what I find even more disturbing in the Polk Article is about the control that the current top brass have on imposing their views on the political leadership. What the same people who are pushing for the surge have to remember that the Soviets had 500,000 Troops in Afghanistan and the war ended up bankrupting the Soviet Union.
What is clear to me is that options are dismal. I see the President in a no-win situation. We are in a hell of a mess now.
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