I suggest that the next time President Obama meets with his advisers on the future of the United States’ involvement in Afghanistan, he conducts the meeting in front of the Vietnam War Memorial. Let the almost 60,000 ghosts of Americans lost in that conflict bear witness to the discussions. I have been to that memorial (and am an Army veteran who spent time in Vietnam) and know that it would be a fitting place to discuss Afghanistan and Iraq.
Obama says the reason we are in Afghanistan is to defeat al-Qaida (not the Taliban). Yet our intelligence people estimate that there are only about 100 al-Qaida fighters there. The rest are across the border in Pakistan. So our military is fighting an enemy that they need not fight and we are spending billions of dollars on a war we cannot win. It is only a matter of time before we hear the ‘I see the light at the end of the tunnel’ statements. But that light, just like it was in Vietnam, is from a freight train barreling down on us.
Bring our troops home...NOW! It is not worth one more life nor is it worth of billions of dollars we are spending there. Instead of bombs, help the people of Afghanistan build roads, schools, medical facilities and more. When we occupy a country, we become an enemy and a target. We need to build friendships. If the people of a country want the Taliban to rule that country, let them make that decision.
Call or write your president, congressperson or senators today and tell them that our involvement is totally a waste of blood and money.