So, Afghanistan

Posted by Sir Four at 5:22pm Oct 11 '09
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If we take a step back from talk of troop levels and whatnot to look at the bigger picture, what are we really aiming to accomplish in Afghanistan? We've been there for eight years, and the evidence is that little progress has been made in that time. Do we expect one day for the country to be a true (uncorrupted) democracy, pulled up from poverty, with human rights respected, and Kabul the acknowledged political authority over all the land? And if so, how much time and money and American lives are we willing to commit to that goal?

Also, do we really think that by staying in Afghanistan we are "preventing another 9/11"? This is the point of view I least understand. Yes, al Qaeda had a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. But this was merely a place of opportunity. There was nothing specific about Afghanistan that necessitated al Qaeda being there. Bin Laden has jumped from one lawless country to the next as opportunity presented itself. To plan more terrorist attacks, Pakistan is perfectly suitable, or perhaps back to Sudan, or to Yemen, or maybe Somalia. A US presence in Afghanistan may keep al Qaeda out of Afghanistan, but that's it.

Is it merely domestic political pressure keeping this war going, or are there clear, achievable goals on the horizon?