Afghanistan - The Endless War

It has become obvious to most Americans that it was a mistake to invade Afghanistan.   Recent polls have shown that the majority of Americans no longer think the war can be won and should be ended.   Unfortunately the current administration has a different opinion.

During the 2008 campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama promised to end this war.   After assuming office, he assessed the situation and told the American public that he would have American troops out of the country by the end of 2011.   That additional three years of war was disappointing, but at least there was a timetable for withdrawal.

Now even that timetable is just a dream.   Recently, the Obama administration pushed back the withdrawal of troops until at least the year 2014 -- another three year delay.   And recently, the administration announced that additional combat troops would be sent to Afghanistan.   Not only is the war not being won, but there are now less safe and stable areas of the country than there were last Spring.

While the deaths mount on both sides, there is little hope that the United States and its allies will be able to completely defeat the insurgent forces and stabilize the country.   The war is now well into its tenth year of fighting, and is starting to look more like the quagmire that was Vietnam every day.   We are defending an unpopular and very corrupt government against forces that seem to be able to go on forever at the current pace.

Evidently the administration is finally starting to realize that, even though they have yet to find the political courage to put an end to it.   Vice President Joe Biden is currently touring the war-torn country and his pronouncements are not encouraging.   He told the media there that the United States would not leave even in 2014 if the Afghan people did not want us to leave.

That's kind of a crazy statement, since polls show that a majority of Afghans would like for us to leave right now.   The people that want us to stay are those inside the corrupt and very weak government.   They know they wouldn't last a month once allied troops left, and they are making far too much money to give it up.   If we're waiting for them to give us permission to leave then we'll be there for many more years.

This is truly an endless war -- a war that can't be won, but which politicians of both parties will continue anyway.