Troop Support

Since the change of congressional power in Washington, a rumor has been going around about how Congress is going to bring soldiers home from the war in Iraq. Many ideas have been floated, clearly in a way to find public support.

However, one way has been the most disturbing. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), hearkened back to a previous' Congress method of ending the Vietnam conflict, which was to stop funding the war effort. He mentioned on a national Sunday opinion show how this had been successful regarding Vietnam and was worth looking into. Yeah, Senator, real successful. Our soldiers were spit upon on their return home. I hope Senator McCain reminds you of this before you take any action to repudiate the effort our soldiers have been valiantly fighting for the past 4 years. Oh yeah, the one you sent them to do. Did I mention that you didn't go and fight?

Please note, I do not have any problem with people who disagree with the decision to send troops into battle in Iraq. In fact, I believe that it is inappropriate to use our military to attempt to disarm any sovereign nation. I don't even have a problem with people who have changed their minds about the righteousness of this battle. I do have a major problem with people who are making life and death decisions with our soldiers as pawns to advance their political careers.

I have a message for all politicians like Senator Specter, who sent our troops into conflict in the first place: if you don't support the war effort, step up and bring the soldiers home. Don't de-fund it.

My problem with these politicians goes back to the initial debates about this conflict. Apparently, Congress authorized the President to send American soldiers into battle. Please note: I did not say that the President sent our soldiers into war. War is a political word, which actually has not been used since 1942. That is the last time Congress actually had the courage to declare war (incidentally against Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania on June 5, 1942).

Congress, as it is populated by lawyers, later determined that they could send troops into battle, while affording themselves political protection. The determined that while it is unconstitutional for the President to declare war, it was a gray area for congress to authorize the President to deploy the military. This had a 'wonderful' benefit: if the battle went poorly, congress could claim that it wasn't their vote that sent the troops into battle; it was the President. All of the political fallout would belong to the President. Members of his own party could distance themselves from this action (such as what Senator Specter is now doing).

This is why it infuriates me to hear politicians like Senators Hilary Clinton (D-NY), Joseph Biden (D-Del), Senator John Edwards (D-NC; ret), and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) take cover under the incompetence of the President. After all, they left the decision up to the discretion of the President; it is not their fault. Let me state for the record, this was not simply done by Democrats. Republicans are just as much to blame, if not more so.

Well I hope the country remembers its history long enough to view you as the cowards that you are.

Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the Fall of the Taliban

Stephen Tanner wrote the above referenced approximately 2 years ago, so has had some of the benefit of seeing what has been happening since the Taliban fell in 2001. But my guess is that he wouldn't need to see what has happened to know what will happen next.

Since the beginning of this book (approximately 400 B.C.) no conquering party has ever had much problem defeating the populace of Afghanistan. The real problems, however, come when those parties, regardless of their strengths or intentions, attempt to hold Afghanistan and extend their rule over the countryside; for it is a formiddable terrain that no conquering power has been able to use to their advantage.

Mr. Tanner also leaves important lessons for the Americans so that we may not leave Afghanistan as other conquering powers have before us: basically co-opt the people, regardless if they call themselves Tajiks, Hazaras, Pashtun or Taliban. Provide for economic progress and you have a better chance. If you go on destroying villages, you will lose.

End of story.

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