Kerry op-ed: Losing Afghanistan

[ProSense]

AT WAR

Losing Afghanistan

We're not adequately fighting the war we should be fighting.

BY JOHN KERRY
Monday, September 25, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

As we marked the fifth anniversary of the worst attack on American soil, there was enormous discussion of the lessons of 9/11. But after the bagpipes stopped, and news coverage turned to other issues, perhaps the first lesson of that day seemed quickly forgotten: We cannot allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist stronghold and a staging ground for attacks on America.

If Washington seems to have forgotten Afghanistan, it is clear the Taliban and al Qaeda have not. Less than five years after American troops masterfully toppled the Taliban, the disastrous diversion in Iraq has allowed these radicals the chance to rise again. Time is running out to reverse an unfolding disaster in the war we were right to fight after 9/11.

Funded largely by a flourishing opium trade, a resurgent Taliban effectively controls entire swathes of southern Afghanistan. Roadside bomb attacks have more than doubled this year, and suicide attacks have more than tripled. Britain's commander in Afghanistan recently said that "the intensity and ferocity of the fighting is far greater than in Iraq on a daily basis."

Al Qaeda is again taking advantage: The recent plot to blow up U.S.-bound jets was reportedly masterminded by an al Qaeda affiliate operating from Afghanistan. The same killers who attacked us on 9/11 are still plotting against America--and they're still holed up in Afghanistan. President Karzai put it simply: "The same enemies that blew up themselves in . . . the twin towers in America are still around." And while President Bush frequently quotes Ayman al-Zawahiri, he hasn't mentioned that on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 al Qaeda's No. 2 described the situation in Afghanistan as "very good."

When did denying al Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan cease to be an urgent American priority? Somehow, we ended up with seven times more troops in Iraq--which even the administration now admits had nothing to do with 9/11--than in Afghanistan, where the killers still roam free. Even as the president claimed we are on the offensive against terrorists, Gen. James Jones, the U.S. commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, made an urgent plea for more troops to fight the Taliban. President Karzai has also appealed for more troops and support, and on my trip to Afghanistan this year, he stressed to me the importance of a robust American troop presence. And on Sept. 11 this year, U.S. Col. Michael Harrison noted "more troops would be welcome" in the hunt for bin Laden and his henchmen.

more...

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008993

[blm]

1. Hey Pro - thanks for the heads up.

Share with our friends in GD, too.

[wisteria]

2. Another fine mess brought to us by the Bush administration.

How does this situation in Afghanistan play into Pres. Bush's comments that we are fighting them over there so that we don't have to fight them over here? Does he think we have the terrorists all cornered in Iraq? Is he just ignoring Afghanistan now because they don't have oil? Is it another situation where Bush doesn't want to admit he made a mistake?
I noticed Senator Kerry didn't mention how long it would be necessary to have such a large American troop presence in Afghanistan. Then too, where are we going to get all of these soldiers? Oh, and then there is the money factor. I am not faulting Senator Kerry, he is absolutely right- again. He has warned us about Afghanistan before even as the administration ignored and continued to deny things were getting bad again there. America now is responsible for putting back together two countries and now Bush and company want to take on a third- Iran.
Someone has got to stop these NEOCONS, they have not a clue what they are doing and are a real danger to all of us.

[ProSense]

3. Maybe once the

Afghan Army can take over, but they need to be trained. I remember in the hearing last week Senator Kerry was pressing the NATO General about the size of the Afghan army, which JK said was inadequate for the job at hand.

The make up of the additional 5,000 troops is detailed in the article, and Kerry's emphasis has been on refocusing on Afghanistan and getting out of Iraq.

[wisteria]

4. Which I agree with 100%. n/t

[kerrygoddess]

5. A couple of notes on this

The right wingnut blogs are all over this. I smacked them on my post about it on the Dem Daily - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/

Interestingly Michelle Malkin actually gave him credit.

[TayTay]

6. backup for this on PINR

website. http://www.pinr.com/

The Resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Kerry is right! (Again, and sadly in this case.)