| Some might argue that a "just war" is oxymoronic but | | | | launched a bold comeback for any of number of |
| after 9/11, the Afghanistan war was, in my view, a just | | | | reasons including, but certainly not limited to the |
| and righteous engagement. I felt the same way about | | | | following:1) First and foremost, the seemingly endless |
| the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait. As the | | | | (and, for many, questionable) war in Iraq has distracted |
| Northern Alliance hooked up with our forces, it | | | | the U.S from the difficult job of suppressing the Taliban |
| appeared we were on the way to accomplishing our | | | | and rebuilding Afghanistan. Iraq has sucked up |
| goals in Afghanistan and our campaign seemed to | | | | resources and money that could better have been |
| have been perceived as a success. Reinforcing this | | | | deployed to Afghanistan.2) The rules of engagement |
| perception, our policy makers and spin meisters told us | | | | are terribly unclear and confusing. In this regard, some |
| we have nothing more to fear since al Qaeda and its | | | | argue that victory in Afghanistan calls for two things: a) |
| sponsoring regime, the Taliban, were now gone, and | | | | that we had to destroy the Taliban by focusing |
| the country had a new, pro-Western government. | | | | exclusively on capturing or killing them and B) that we |
| Unfortunately, the facts manifestly suggest | | | | had to ensure that a non-threatening, non-Islamic |
| otherwise.All of a sudden, news about Afghanistan is | | | | regime take its place. But others contend we must be |
| moving from page 8 to page 4 in the newspapers. All | | | | more strategically tentative and pursue Taliban fighters |
| of a sudden, the related Google sites have increased. | | | | only if we simultaneously show "compassion" to the |
| All of sudden, journalists from the front are reporting | | | | Afghans. They add that our purpose in being in |
| that the war is intensifying. What started as a | | | | Afghanistan is not to superimpose our style of |
| righteous and justified action after 9/11 has become | | | | government on the Afghan people. Adding to the |
| what some are calling a half-hearted war. Despite spin | | | | confusion, some counties allied with the U.S in |
| to the contrary, we have failed to crush the Taliban | | | | Afghanistan will fight; other will not.3 The Taliban know |
| and al Qaeda, nor have we rendered their | | | | that Afghans citizens are not likely to risk their lives to |
| ideology--Islamic totalitarianism--a lost cause. Instead, | | | | support the Karzai government, which many view as |
| the Bush administration's reluctance to fight more | | | | corrupt. Afghanistan's current problem may be as |
| decisively, if not ruthlessly seems to have increased | | | | much about the the weak institutions of the |
| the enthusiasm of jihadists.The proof is in the pudding. | | | | government as it is about the strong enemy.4) The |
| As this piece is being written, the U.S military is quietly | | | | insurgents have found a safe haven in Pakistan, |
| carrying out the largest military offensive in | | | | remaining beyond the reach of Afghan and |
| Afghanistan since our troops invaded that country in | | | | international security forces. Ostensibly, the Pakistan |
| 2001. "The Taliban has made a comeback, and we | | | | government's pro-Taliban policy changed under U.S. |
| have the next 90 days to crush them," said a senior | | | | Pressure after 9/11, but the key word is here is |
| U.S. Military official. The offensive, "Operation Mountain | | | | "ostensibly," and Karzai knows this all too well.The |
| Thrust," involves almost 11,000 U.S. Troops and is | | | | Insurgents seem to be betting that the West doesn't |
| focused on four southern Afghanistan | | | | have the political fortitude to remain for the long haul. |
| provinces."Comeback," Indeed. The Taliban has | | | | However, it Is submitted that deploying troops to |
| re-emerged and its spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammed | | | | support President Hamid Karzai's government and |
| Omar, remains at large, probably in Pakistan where our | | | | keeping them there is, I believe, a sacrifice worth |
| soldiers cannot operate. Armed with a storehouse of | | | | making. After all, 9/11 demonstrated what happened |
| lethal weapons, the Taliban and al Qaeda soldiers | | | | the last time the world community abandoned |
| have renewed their offensive. Boosted by money | | | | Afghanistan. Whatever philosophical road we follow |
| from the drug (opium) trade and recruiting fighters, they | | | | and no matter how we reconcile our rules of |
| are fighting fiercely to regain power. In recent weeks | | | | engagement, It's time for the Bush Administration to |
| they have mounted a string of suicide and rocket | | | | pick up the pace (and "Operation Mountain Thrust" is a |
| attacks against American and NATO forces; in fact, | | | | good start). At the least, we owe that much to our |
| more U.S. Troops have died in Afghanistan in the last | | | | soldiers who are fighting there. Afghanistan must not |
| 18 months than did during the height of the war. Taliban | | | | become a forgotten war."Too bad we didn't get |
| forces have besieged several southern provinces and | | | | distracted with other adventures. Think how |
| officials estimate that in some, the number of Taliban is | | | | Afghanistan 'could' have been the shining light of |
| far greater than that of the police and Afghan National | | | | democracy in the Middle east. Alas, if only they had |
| Army. Taliban are even said to walk boldly through | | | | more oil." Posted on the web on June 20, 2006 at |
| villages brandishing Kalashnikovs.How can it be that | | | | 4:22:53 PM by someone named kharmaTed Sares, |
| four years after the war began, Taliban and al Qaeda | | | | PhD, is a private investor and syndicated writer who |
| fighters are once again becoming a serious threat? | | | | lives in the White Mountain area of Northern New |
| Well for one thing leaders such as Mullah Omar "do | | | | Hampshire with his wife Holly and Min Pin Jackdog. He |
| not exert power the way a military general does," | | | | writes a bi-weekly column for a local newspaper, is a |
| Seth Jones, an analyst for the California-based think | | | | regular contributor to the NH Business Review, and |
| tank RAND Corp., wrote in the spring edition of the | | | | many of his other pieces are widely published.His |
| journal Survival. Instead, they leave "tactical and | | | | works focus on issues and themes dealing with |
| operational" control to local cells, "which act as | | | | socio-political topics, business and (economics in which |
| franchises." As we learned after 9/11, Al-Qaeda | | | | he advocates a free market approach to capitalism), |
| operates in the same way.Clearly, the loose alliance | | | | patriotism, and matters dealing with individual |
| opposed to the Karzai government and the U.S-led | | | | freedom.They are frequently inspirational in nature and |
| reconstruction has not been destroyed nor has its spirit | | | | sometimes reflect the Objectivist philosophy of novelist |
| been crushed. With moral fortitude, It as regrouped and | | | | and philosopher Ayn Rand. |