Hey, Remember Afghanistan?
What a lousy way to celebrate your fifth anniversary. Forgotten, alone, no party -- well, unless you count the recent increased insurgency, violence and suicide bombings. Not the kind of party Afghanistan was promised, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.
In 2001 when the U.S.-led military coalition charged into Afghanistan and routed the Taliban from power in retaliation for harboring al-Qaida, it looked like a slam-dunk operation. We had the Taliban on the run, al-Qaida hiding in the hills, a fledgling democratic government trying out its wings, and an impoverished and downtrodden people experiencing the first glimmers of freedom. It seemed to happen in near record time, with one success after another. Of course it wasn't easy. Every step was hard fought; every victory, a small gain. But Afghanistan's leaders seemed willing to work toward a common goal. Those small gains were adding up to real change with a good chance of moving Afghanistan into the future as a part of the world community.
Of course, then Bush got distracted by his personal vendetta against Iraq and seems to have forgotten all about Afghanistan. He never committed the troops or resources to finish the job. It may be one of the most cataclysmic mistakes of his presidency. In Afghanistan, insurgency is on the rise. The Taliban are creeping back, ever more boldly, increasingly supported by tribal leaders in the southeast. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida cohorts still camp in the mountains, spewing venom and rallying their followers. Suicide bombings are increasing dramatically and the fragile government of President Hamid Karzai is in peril. Afghans, already suspicious of foreigners, yearn for the peace and stability of five years ago. Despite its iron-fisted savagery, many Afghans see rule by the Taliban as preferable to unending war and chaos.
This is hardly the democratic society we promised Afghanistan, hardly the example of democratic freedom we held up to the world. If we fail to finish the job, to maintain order and quell unrest, to support the struggling government of President Karzai with troops and arms, we will do the people of Afghanistan the most heinous injustice. We will lose any remaining tatters of respect we have left in the world community. And the brave young men and women who fought for our country will have died in vain, as will have thousands of Afghans. All because we failed to get the job done. I wonder how can the President can sleep at night?
In 2001 when the U.S.-led military coalition charged into Afghanistan and routed the Taliban from power in retaliation for harboring al-Qaida, it looked like a slam-dunk operation. We had the Taliban on the run, al-Qaida hiding in the hills, a fledgling democratic government trying out its wings, and an impoverished and downtrodden people experiencing the first glimmers of freedom. It seemed to happen in near record time, with one success after another. Of course it wasn't easy. Every step was hard fought; every victory, a small gain. But Afghanistan's leaders seemed willing to work toward a common goal. Those small gains were adding up to real change with a good chance of moving Afghanistan into the future as a part of the world community.
Of course, then Bush got distracted by his personal vendetta against Iraq and seems to have forgotten all about Afghanistan. He never committed the troops or resources to finish the job. It may be one of the most cataclysmic mistakes of his presidency. In Afghanistan, insurgency is on the rise. The Taliban are creeping back, ever more boldly, increasingly supported by tribal leaders in the southeast. Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida cohorts still camp in the mountains, spewing venom and rallying their followers. Suicide bombings are increasing dramatically and the fragile government of President Hamid Karzai is in peril. Afghans, already suspicious of foreigners, yearn for the peace and stability of five years ago. Despite its iron-fisted savagery, many Afghans see rule by the Taliban as preferable to unending war and chaos.
This is hardly the democratic society we promised Afghanistan, hardly the example of democratic freedom we held up to the world. If we fail to finish the job, to maintain order and quell unrest, to support the struggling government of President Karzai with troops and arms, we will do the people of Afghanistan the most heinous injustice. We will lose any remaining tatters of respect we have left in the world community. And the brave young men and women who fought for our country will have died in vain, as will have thousands of Afghans. All because we failed to get the job done. I wonder how can the President can sleep at night?
