You're not going to catch me calling myself: 1) an expert on Afghanistan, 2) a policy wonk, or 3) vastly qualified to blather on about the 'true' problem of Afghanistan. That being said, I'm deep in thought about this:
There is much gnashing of teeth lately over President Obama's supposed waffling on Afghanistan. Old, tired, worn-out terms like 'soft on defense', 'weak', 'indecisive' are being bantered about willy-nilly by the Right. Former Vice President Dick "I have a really short memory for the relevant, yet stupid shit my administration did" Cheney weighs in, too. He says the administration is "dithering" on Afghanistan. This from the man who declared the Taliban "out of business permanently".
It gets better ...
Bush NOW thinks Afghanistan is vital..
and we trust his judgment because ...
All of the windbags on the Right are having a boner party criticizing President Obama's decision-making...wholly ironic given that the 2008 GOP candidate for President did not think Afghanistan was a big deal, insisting that Iraq was the real war of concern.
Some think President Obama has no right to blame Bush for the mess that is Afghanistan. Oh, ok. My bad. I thought this war started during W's administration? I thought Bush and Cheney were the ones who lost focus on Afghanistan...focus spent on starting an immoral war, based on lies, against Iraq? I thought that Republican administrations had funded the Afghans' fight against the Soviet Union? Sure, whatever you say Party of No.
"Waffling", "weak", "indecisive", "just plain ignorant"? It's an old strategy that the Republicans drag out of the broom closet against pretty much anyone in the Democratic Party facing issues of national security and/or foreign policy. It usually involves some combination of unilateralism, poo-pooing the U.N., and incitement of a boogeyman.
But let's be honest here. Afghanistan is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. The President is weighing his options. The answers are far from clear. But the warmongers on the Right ranting on about the President not giving an answer about troop decisions fast enough to please the them frustrates the shit out of me.
Yes, the war is a serious thing. All war is serious and sending troops into harm's way should ALWAYS be carefully considered.
Yes, the Taliban is gaining influence. But to many Afghans, having the Taliban in power is a brutal, but necessary evil to ease the constant civil war and tribal tensions.
DO NOT FORGET, that 9/11 planning was conducted in Afghanistan. We trained and funded many of Bin Laden's people. We knew Al-Qaeda was there, being hidden and supported by the Taliban. But we squandered 7 years there with a hodge-podge strategy. We let Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda elude capture and escape into (probably) Pakistan. Yet, we remain there fighting a war... for what? Do the Taliban really threaten the U.S.? Yes, if they were harboring Al-Queda. Nobody really thinks they are anymore. Do we need stability in that part of the world? Sure.
The point is that the situation is complicated and deserving of thoughtful, well-intentioned decision-making. If you have never read "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson, you should. It is a fantastic book that gives a poignant & realistic picture of the complications and nuances of life in that part of the world. Perhaps having read that book has given me a modicum of understanding and more to the point, a healthy respect for thoughtful decision-making when it comes to foreign policy in that region of our world. If the Right chooses to call that 'indecisive', then I'll have to let them know that that isn't an insult. Sorry to disappoint warmongers. It isn't going to stick.
Our President will take his time and make his decision. Godspeed to him. I hope he makes a good one. But take the necessary time, he will. Funny how this same group of howling monkeys complains that health care reform is moving too FAST. Alas, they will never be happy as long as Obama is president. That is the real truth.
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