Length: 427 Words Reading Time: 2 Minutes
I continue to be disappointed by the mindset exemplified by the smartest men in the room, both civilian and military, regarding the War in Afghanistan. It reminds me of the “best and brightest” thinking during the Vietnam War, in which I served as a Naval Officer with the Seabees.
I worked in Saudi Arabia for almost 25 years for Saudi Aramco and had many Afghan friends who were carpet dealers in Al-Khobar, Dammam, and Jeddah. To a man, they loved America and Americans. I suspect that is no longer the case now, after almost 18 years of war and occupation.
The War in Afghanistan was denoted the good war by Mr. Obama versus the bad war in Iraq when he became President of the United States in 2009. If memory serves, we invaded Afghanistan in October 2001, and we have been there ever since. The War in Afghanistan lost its way after the initial invasion and payback against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban for the 9/11 Attack. It morphed into a war clearly lacking in strategic goals or purpose, and without a rational exit strategy.
Mr. Jonathan Burks suggests in his opinion piece that we should create a group to study the War in Afghanistan to generate some “fresh thinking.” To me, this suggestion is both wrongheaded and without merit, and I am being kind. This recommendation comes from an individual who was the chief of staff for Paul Ryan and who had 18 years of service in the legislative and executive branches. That gives me great pause and concern.
I believe we have enough information and intelligence to make an informed decision regarding the War in Afghanistan, if we clear the decks of civilian and military ego, jargon, and obfuscation. The Department of Defense and related intelligence organizations should be able to put together simple, coherent presentations on the pros and cons of the war and the strategic issues involved. Then, present these two scenarios to President Trump and his national security team to decide which case is more compelling and in the best interests of the United States. If they (DOD and The Intelligence Community) cannot do this in a timely fashion (say two weeks), then they should not be in the positions they hold.
We have squandered the lives of too many of America’s finest young men and women in these wars. One war we should never have continued (Afghanistan) and a second one we should never have started (Iraq). To what advantage are these protracted, drawn-out conflicts, I ask myself: my answer, absolutely none.