Decision Afghanistan

***

9/11 was the reason for the war in Afghanistan. At the time its purpose could not have been clearer. Nearly every American, joined by much of the international community wanted the Al Qaeda-protecting Taliban removed from power in Afghanistan. In the fall of 2001 strategy for that purpose was forcible simultaneous eradication of the Taliban and Al Qaeda from Afghanistan. As a bonus, the political vacuum would be filled by democratically elected government. The symbolic goal of the Afghan war was and remains the capture of Osama Bin-Laden.

Then came the Iraq war, distracting attention from the war for which the world clamored on 9/11/01. By the time US focus returned to Afghanistan 8 years into the war, the situation had changed dramatically from the near eradication of the Taliban in short order after the war’s beginning. Not only are the Taliban back as a military threat to the shaky Karzai government but they grabbed a province or two in neighboring Pakistan. And, amazingly enough, despite all the high tech equipment available to coalition forces, Bin-Laden remains at large.

Now that President Obama has turned his attention to the war in Afghanistan he has an exceptionally difficult, complex decision to make on its future direction. The fundamental question he must decide is the purpose of our being there and the strategy we wish to employ in accomplishing it. Only after why are we there and what do we want to do are decided can tactics be designed and troop levels be determined.

Lawmakers urging quick action in responding to General McChrystal’s request for more troops apparently learned nothing from the previous administration’s failures in prosecuting the Iraq war. Theirs was an incomplete strategy. The future prosecution of the war in Afghanistan must not suffer the same fate – that of thousands of lives.

***