Friday, August 14, 2009
Thoughts on Afghanistan
My good friend Zenpundit has posted the single best analysis of what we should be doing in Afghanistan that I have seen. A realistic set of goals for a truly tough situation. As this has been transitioning into 'Obama's war,' I hope the new administration will develop a strategy similar to Zen's.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Much thanks Von! My fear is that, for a lack of clear direction re; AQ, we would decide to start massively re-shaping Afghanistan as something to do. Well, I'm not against helping Afghans with the things they actually want to have, need and can maintain without our help - I see that as being a good ally - but the US is in a habit of massively overbuilding an allied "state" beyond their capacity to absorb or maintain. South Vietnam, Iran under the Shah, China under Chiang Kai-Shek - when we leave, it all crumbles. It also distracts us from the hard decisions involved in finishing off AQ.
This is my fear in Iraq. One thing about AQ, is that they seem to be inherently patient. Why not sit back, give that (false) sense of security, and then get back to business when some portion of US troops leave the country? I suspect something like this is inevitable, and I can only hope I am wrong on this account.
Post a Comment