As a journalist (and combat veteran) currently embedded with US forces in Afghanistan, I have found that roughly 95% of the troops on the ground in no way believe in their mission, have no confidence that their efforts will bring about lasting change to Afghan security, stability, governance, or a decreased influence of radicalism. In truth, they fight simply to stay alive and want nothing more than to go home. A recent quote:
“I joined to defend and fight for the United States, but now I feel like I’ve been tasked out to fight for Afghanistan. Yet the people don’t even care, and make no effort whatsoever to help us help them. They don’t WANT help.”
The nature of freedom is that those who are unwilling to fight for it personally will never realize it. As it stands, nothing is more important to Afghans than survival, even at the expense of all self-dignity, nationalism, tribalism, and whatever ideals may at one time surpassed the will to simply “get by.”
More at the link--and it's worse than the above.
HT: Captain's Journal
The journalist is NOT saying that 95% of ALL soldiers in Afghanistan lack confidence in their mission, but 95% of those he interviewed and/or followed. Distressing? Sure. But NOT necessarily indicative of the mind-set of those troops stationed there.
ReplyDeleteI would also venture to say that there are a number of Afghanis who indeed are grateful for our presence and our assistance. But atrocities committed by some of our troops--right or wrong, that's what happens in war--certainly doesn't help the cause.
www.thiscantbehappening.net/?q=node/440
Some good stuff here. Michael Yon, former Green Beret, independent combat journalist
www.michaelyon-online.com/gurkha.htm
We need to stay in Afghanistan!
Yon's a good guy, yup.
ReplyDeleteBut: remember that the VietNam War was lost b/c LBJ decided that we'd fight a "nice guy" war--against enemies who were not playing by the same rules.
Do we really "need" to stay in Afghanistan?
Not if we have to create and maintain a government there. Not our job, no matter what GWB thought.