Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Not anti-war; anti- the other guy's war

President Barack Obama, the great hope of the anti-war movement (remember campaign-era headlines like, "Obama's Antiwar Message Receives Cheers in Nashua, Durham"), is ordering 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, with an additional 30,000 on order should the latest shipment ... get damaged in transit? Chewed up on arrival?

However it works out, lots more American soldiers are headed to a conflict-ridden part of the world for reasons not so clear, except that they "will contribute to the security of the Afghan people and to stability in Afghanistan." Oh, goody. It's nice that Afghanistan will get some security and stability for the first time since ... umm ... ever? Glad we're the guys up to the job.

If we are.

The Christian Science Monitor has a nice take on the troop movements, writing:

President Obama's decision to deploy 17,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan may be a defining move that will either reverse the deteriorating situation there or mire the new administration in a war with no foreseeable end. ...

It is as yet unclear exactly what the new force will do. But it will face a determined insurgency operating in a vast, mountainous country. Despite seven years of US operations in Afghanistan, the bulk of the American fighting force is steeped in Iraq operations and will have to learn or relearn an entirely new culture, language, and battlefield conditions.

At the same time, the Obama administration still has not settled on a comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and does not yet know its endgame. That strategy is being debated by senior US military and civilian officials. A decision isn't expected for another two months.

Yes, it's change you can believe in. I believe that soon, more body bags will be coming from Afghanistan than from Iraq. That is a change!

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Jorge said...

Alexander got turned back in Afghanistan. Genghis Khan could not conquer it. The British likewise failed. As did the Soviets. Now it is the US's turn to get chewed up. Those who fail to learn from history.....

February 18, 2009 1:22 PM  
Blogger Ned said...

I think we all knew that this guy would go back on every promise he made on the campaign trail, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm genuinely shocked at the pace. Appointing lobbyists to his cabinet, giving a $787bn payoff to his friends, and sending thousands of troops to the middle east in under a month is rather mindblowing. It's like we're getting the greatest hits of the Bush administration. I can't wait for the second term...

February 18, 2009 6:16 PM  
Anonymous MacK said...

When a lion eats an antelope we do not hate him for being a lion.

Mr. Obama is a politician.

Lions eat antelopes, politicians lie.

February 19, 2009 4:46 AM  

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