Afghanistan: Time To Go.

This coming October 7th will mark the 9 year anniversary of the U.S. War in Afghanistan. Sounds like a long time doesn't it? It is. From the British, to the Soviets, to the United States, Afghanistan has been nothing but one big fat international greased pig, that no one can get their hands on, let alone hold. The Countries history is full of a tradition of kicking the shit out of invaders, going all the way back to the 5th Century.

As a historian, the old saying goes: "If you fail to learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it." Ring any bells here? To cut to the chase, Afghanistan is a rat hole. It has an unquenchable desire for men, material, and most of all money. For 9 years we have tended this hole pouring Billions of dollars, as well as, sacrificing our young men and women in a war that is going nowhere.

As combat troops finally leave Iraq, some to be sent to Afghanistan, where is the light at the end of the tunnel? By 2002 the Taliban insurgency was defeated and on the run. Up until George W. Bush's ill conceived plan to invade Iraq in 2003, the Taliban was finished. Then the bulk of our effort and resources went into Iraq, and for 6 1/2 years Afghanistan foundered, and the Taliban came back stronger than ever. So today we find ourselves bogged down with a replenished resurgency from the Taliban, and the daunting, if not impossible job of nation building. A strong centralized government runs contrary to generations of Afghans, who see us as just as big a problem as the Taliban?

The surprise here is that President Obama has not only bought into this war, he's raised the stakes by counting on a surge strategy that had some success in Iraq. However, Afghanistan isn't Iraq, and after being asleep at the wheel for so long, how do you regain popular support that was limited to begin with? The other consideration is the current Afghan National Government under Hamid Karzi which lacks not only legitimacy, but is corrupt as the day is long. As the steward of Billions in U.S. aid flowing through his office one wonders what are we thinking?

It is time to leave Afghanistan. The mission is untenable and too costly. As the economy here at home still falters, the money being poured into the Afghan rat hole sure would come in handy. I say go back to the limited covert operations that yielded our initial successes, and pull the bulk of U.S. combat forces out. Let strike teams take over for the infantry, and drones take over for the bombers. After 2 wars in almost 9 years approx. 5800 dead 50,000 maimed and wounded, what have we got to show for it? In my book, not much.