Afghanistan: the real war
This time the liberal community and the left-of-center press have it wrong. President Obama must not only fight the war in Afghanistan, he must win it.
Given the facts on the ground the choice is not even a hard one to make. If we do not destroy the efforts of the Taliban to resume control of that unfortunate country, not only will the al Queda regain a safe haven in which to plot outrage against the west, it and the Taliban itself will be in position to conduct guerrilla warfare against the nation of Pakistan. If that insurrection were successful, as it well might be, the radical, the insane wing of the Muslim religion would be in a position to make the "mushroom cloud" a reality.
Recall that our previous president was led into war against the nation of Iraq by two vital pieces of false information. One, that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, and, two, that he was in cahoots with al Queda. On the basis of that false information, the U.S. Congress and the American people supported the president's invasion. That the real motive behind the action may have been economic (read, "oil") is irrelevant. We went to war in Iraq because we had been misled, either intentionally or by mistake, to believe that Hussein presented a genuine threat to the world.
In Afghanistan, the same threats are real. There's nothing false about the Taliban's alliance with al Queda and nothing false about Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons. In my opinion, there's also nothing false about the outcome of the struggle that will ensue if we make a foolish decision and abandon Afghanistan. The Taliban, much better financed than even the legitimate government, will again come to power. Unlike the so-called moralistic regime currently in power, the Taliban has no qualms about conducting business in opium derivatives. And al Queda certainly will not be shy about using the funds thus generated to finance major operations against us and Pakistan. The Taliban is already waging indecisive battle against the Pakistani government. With better financing and a safe haven in Afghanistan from which to operate, the outcome of that struggle is, from a western standpoint, predictably bleak. Remember, Pakistan was a loyal supporter of the previous Taliban government of Afghanistan. The Pakistani sympathies that were beind that alliance have not gone away.
Outright pacifism is the only argument against increased levels of commitment in Afghanistan. But if there ever has existed a just reason for war, this one is it. Our involvement in Afghanistan resembles nothing more than a police action aimed at destroying a Mafia-like organization that threatens to take over a legitimate country. As I said, the choice is not difficult. We must win or sentence the future of the west to perpetual warfare against an opponent that welcomes death. That will be a harder war to win if we permit the Taliban to once more roll into power.
True, the decision has been made more difficult than it should be by the president's liberal base. But who's to blame them? The thinking wing of the American public has been led into a mild case of paranoia by the quackery of the previous administration. The fact that the right-wing of the Congress seems to be supporting the position I'm taking leads thinking people to wonder if we're not being led down another primrose path. We were fed so many lies and subjected to such a high level of clever propaganda, one can hardly blame us for being wary.
But this time the fears generated by the war mongers of 2002-3 have a genuine basis in truth. We cannot permit the illusions of the past to overshadow the realities of the present. We must do whatever it takes to destroy the Taliban as a political force, and with them, al Queda as a focal point for terrorism.
Given the facts on the ground the choice is not even a hard one to make. If we do not destroy the efforts of the Taliban to resume control of that unfortunate country, not only will the al Queda regain a safe haven in which to plot outrage against the west, it and the Taliban itself will be in position to conduct guerrilla warfare against the nation of Pakistan. If that insurrection were successful, as it well might be, the radical, the insane wing of the Muslim religion would be in a position to make the "mushroom cloud" a reality.
Recall that our previous president was led into war against the nation of Iraq by two vital pieces of false information. One, that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, and, two, that he was in cahoots with al Queda. On the basis of that false information, the U.S. Congress and the American people supported the president's invasion. That the real motive behind the action may have been economic (read, "oil") is irrelevant. We went to war in Iraq because we had been misled, either intentionally or by mistake, to believe that Hussein presented a genuine threat to the world.
In Afghanistan, the same threats are real. There's nothing false about the Taliban's alliance with al Queda and nothing false about Pakistan's possession of nuclear weapons. In my opinion, there's also nothing false about the outcome of the struggle that will ensue if we make a foolish decision and abandon Afghanistan. The Taliban, much better financed than even the legitimate government, will again come to power. Unlike the so-called moralistic regime currently in power, the Taliban has no qualms about conducting business in opium derivatives. And al Queda certainly will not be shy about using the funds thus generated to finance major operations against us and Pakistan. The Taliban is already waging indecisive battle against the Pakistani government. With better financing and a safe haven in Afghanistan from which to operate, the outcome of that struggle is, from a western standpoint, predictably bleak. Remember, Pakistan was a loyal supporter of the previous Taliban government of Afghanistan. The Pakistani sympathies that were beind that alliance have not gone away.
Outright pacifism is the only argument against increased levels of commitment in Afghanistan. But if there ever has existed a just reason for war, this one is it. Our involvement in Afghanistan resembles nothing more than a police action aimed at destroying a Mafia-like organization that threatens to take over a legitimate country. As I said, the choice is not difficult. We must win or sentence the future of the west to perpetual warfare against an opponent that welcomes death. That will be a harder war to win if we permit the Taliban to once more roll into power.
True, the decision has been made more difficult than it should be by the president's liberal base. But who's to blame them? The thinking wing of the American public has been led into a mild case of paranoia by the quackery of the previous administration. The fact that the right-wing of the Congress seems to be supporting the position I'm taking leads thinking people to wonder if we're not being led down another primrose path. We were fed so many lies and subjected to such a high level of clever propaganda, one can hardly blame us for being wary.
But this time the fears generated by the war mongers of 2002-3 have a genuine basis in truth. We cannot permit the illusions of the past to overshadow the realities of the present. We must do whatever it takes to destroy the Taliban as a political force, and with them, al Queda as a focal point for terrorism.
posted by Benedict S. at 5:02 AM
3 Comments:
Strangely, it has sometimes been said that we (the USA) helped foster creation of the Taliban as an anticommunist political force via funds flowing through Saudi Arabia, etc. If this is so, then what you advocate (staying the course in Afganistan) is no more than controlling -- or more precisely, killing -- our own Frankenstein monster to which our cold war foreign policy originally midwifed (if not actually birthed). True? Perhaps yes, or so I tend to think.
You're right, Herb, but kill it we must.
Herb...more. Although it could be said that we did not actually create the Taliban. We supported something called the Mujahedin. In the aftermath of the Russian defeat, the Taliban overpowered the Afghan government. The Nationalist forces continued to wage war against the Taliban. But, I repeat. You are essentially right. Now we must wonder what would that area of the world look like if the USSR had been successful? Hard to say.
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