Defeat in Afghanistan

Ten years on and our Troops are fighting a war that some say is unwinnable. In an area of operations that incoming POTUS Obama said was the 'war we have to win' and a 'top priority, ' the rules of engagement for our Troops, along with the political gamesmanship in DC by Military illiterates, are seen by some as pretty much ensuring no VICTORY for our Troops. It has often been noted that the MIC is not interested in Victory, and I found an interesting video clip that addresses the 'why' of his reluctance (inability) to even talk Victory as the only acceptable exit strategy of any Military mission. Take a look:



Interesting commentary on this video here as MIC pontificates on "Victory" and proves - yet again - that he is ignorant of history.

As MIC used to demonstrate, he can talk a good talk; well, he used to be able to do that! These days, he is being outed as an inarticulate, out-of-touch, bitter ignoramus (add your own adjectives) who can't put more than two words together, unless it is a scripted attack on Romney/Ryan - but I digress. This video is from 2008 and is the MIC's stated approach - at least then - on Afghanistan.



Obama in 2008.

Many have been watching the MIC's overseeing of the Global War On Terror, and none more closely than our Troops and our Veterans. Over at War On Terror News is the usual clear-eyed analysis and commentary.

Monday, August 27, 2012

On the path to defeat in Afghanistan

For those that have been paying attention, it is obvious that the War in Afghanistan is going poorly in 2012, that it is far worse now than in 2008. National Security should be on the campaign stump, and how the candidates would win the war should be part of the discussion, but its not.

Rarely do we hear in what little discussion there is, why we went there to begin with. That's an important detail because before we can pronounce the "war has been ended," or that the mission is complete, we must remember what the mission was and what was so important that we were unified as a Nation to go to the other side of the world, to a country landlocked and surrounded by less than friendly Nations, to fight a war in the 14th Century.

The desired end state is also missing from the discussion. That hasn't always been missing. It was quite clear in 2001 and slightly fuzzy but stated from 2003 to 2008.

Since we don't remember where this war came from, nor have a plan on where we want to take it, it is not surprising that we are confused as to how to get there. Instead, politicians have gotten mired in tangential side issues. The big issues pushed by the current political leadership have been: repeal of DADT, putting women in combat units, establishing no-fire zones around structures, and pushing talks with an enemy that has no desire to compromise.

Former Marine Paul Szoldra, in Business Insider writes:

"And yet all the blood, destruction—all the efforts of our military—cannot change the unfortunate and highly probable outcome that our 2014 exit from Afghanistan will be marked as a failure."

"I don’t want to believe it, but we are losing this war." (Paul highlights the post here)

And he is right. We are losing. And it is not because Our Troops lack the motivation, dedication, or will to win. They are winning, in every encounter with the enemy. We are losing because the politicians tried to play General, and tried to play politics on the battlefield. They tried to use the buzzwords that were used to describe things that worked before, but stripped those strategies of key components under the cover of "Afghanistan is not Iraq."...

If you read nothing else about Afghanistan this week, read the rest of this column here

With the US election coming up in November, we have another opportunity to decide how future national defence policies are executed by the politicians. The time is long past when any of us who value freedom can give carte blanche to empty suits whose only qualification is empty words dressed up as 'soaring rhetoric.'

By paying attention, maybe voters will actually make informed and educated choices.

Maybe.