Mission Accomplished - Time To Leave

On the campaign trail in 2008 Barack Obama told Americans he would end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That still has not happened. It looks like the war in Iraq may actually end this December (at least for the United States) -- not because anything has actually been won, but because the Iraqis are set to kick us out when the current agreement runs out at the end of this year. Thank goodness!

Afghanistan is more of a problem -- or at least the government would like for us to think it is. Instead of immediately withdrawing our troops when he took office, President Obama put off our withdrawal. He told Americans that all of our troops would be out by the end of 2011 (an extra three years). Now it looks like that is not even going to happen.

It was learned recently that American military officers have developed a plan to withdraw about 5,000 troops this summer, and then in December they want to withdraw another 5,000 troops. That doesn't sound like much of a withdrawal to me. In fact, that is not even 10% of the soldiers we currently have in Afghanistan. Making matters even worse is the fact that we recently told NATO that 2014 is a more likely date for full withdrawal (and that is only "likely", not for sure).

The U.S. has now spent 10 years trying to accomplish something (nation-building?) in Afghanistan, and now it wants to spend another three years (or more) doing the same thing. I wonder if it's occurred to anyone that if something can't be accomplished in 10 years, it is highly unlikely another three years will change that. While America is very good at conventional war, it is terrible at "nation-building" (as Vietnam, Iraq, and now Afghanistan should have made very clear.

It is my understanding that we invaded Afghanistan to get Osama bin Laden and cripple al-Queda (although upon reflection there was probably a better way to do that). Well, that mission has now been accomplished. Osama is dead and al-Queda has been seriously crippled (and its members are hunted by most of the world's police agencies). Staying in Afghanistan will not further that goal anymore.

We never had a legitimate interest in deciding what kind of government Afghanistan should have (or who should control that government). The Taliban are not nice people, but bad people control a lot of the world's governments and we do nothing about them. It is the business of the people of Afghanistan to decide who they want to rule -- not us (or anyone else).

Would the Karzai government survive if the U.S. left now? I don't know, and it's really none of our business. The Taliban might take over again. But if the people didn't want that they would take care of it. When the people of a country want something badly enough it usually happens -- even the overthrow of an authoritarian regime or police state. There have been plenty enough examples to prove that is true.

A majority of Afghanis want the U.S. to leave their country. A majority of Americans want the U.S. to leave Afghanistan. Our mission has been accomplished. It is time to bring our soldiers home -- ALL of them.