The total rout of the Americans in Vietnam inspired Al Qaeda to make their attacks on NYC and DC.

The Viet Cong won in Vietnam because, obeying Clauswitz, they opened a second front in the US and won the battle over public opinion. Then they opened a third front in DC and took control of the house and senate and eliminated funding for the war.

Al Qaeda has followed the Viet Cong strategy. They are winning public opinion by “proving” no foreign power has ever won in Afghanistan. They are winning in congress. The president agrees that he does not believe in “American Exceptionalism” — which means that as long as he is president, America will not be the exception to the rule that “Foreigners Can Not Win in Afghanistan”. America will not win in Afghanistan.

If we try to quit, we will see those scenes from Vietnam re-enacted in Afghanistan as American will once again flee from the roof of the American embassy because the Taliban will give Obama no noble way to surrender.

To lose to Al Qaeda is to inspire and embolden another generation of men, dedicated to terrorism and Islamic extremism, to plan and launch a nuclear attack on several US cities.

These words will come back to haunt you.

I dunno what to do about Afghanistan, but I am disinclined to pull out of there before Osama’s head is mounted on a pike.

What we have right now can become the biggest mistake since Viet Nam. Just a few days ago we had eight soldiers killed and an unknown number wounded in some outposts around Kamdeysh, an outpost they say we want to abandon but can’t because the Afghans don’t want us to go and because we lack the heavy lift helos to make the retreat. Worse, these outposts are on low ground with the bad guys able to tiptoe through the tulips on the slopes above shooting down on these effing fishbowls.

Our troops should not be stuck in punchbowls where any passing idiot can just drop turds on. We are sitting around with about forty bazillion auto workers out of work, eating government cheese while we don’t have enough helos. Is it THAT much different between assembling a helo than a car? The unemployment is worst among young men, yet we don’t have enough troops? We need to either get out, and face those consequences, or quit fiddle farting around and fight.

What’s probably needed is a face-saving presence in Afghanistan and a lot of small and very focused operations that are definitely not happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In other words, what’s happening now but without as many troops officially “there”. This is a politically-questionable thing as it is a “flip-flop” from the campaign plan, but it’s also something that is militarily possible to do while also letting Afghanistan get its own house in order. And no, I don’t expect that to happen very well.

Yes sir I agree with you that the generals could not wage an unrestricted war with no oversight… that is unconstitutional and with good reason–good point. That is not what I was trying to impart.

I do not agree that a president decides the strategy for a war. He might set policy and have sign off on stategy, but does not set the strategy. He states what he wants done endgame and it is up to the generals to get it done. Look at Carter or LBJ setting military strategy. Too much input and bad stuff happens. A president with NO understanding of how the military operates, what it can do and the outright hardships the troops must endure should be listening to those that do know about these things–the generals who have been trained for and “been there and done that”. This president has surrounded himself with those civilian advisors who fully have an ingrained disrespect for the US military (democrats) and has failed to come up with a comprehensive military policy.

I was under the impression that 0 had already told Gen McC what he wants to do months ago but has failed to properly authorize troops/resources for such a fight and is now thinking/rethinking/backpedaling on what to do. He asked for input/assessment, got it and has failed to do a damn thing with this info for political reasons.

Leaving a decision to the advice that he got from Biden is a catastrophe waiting to happen. He has once again voted “present”. Would you want the miltary following a plan set out by “the sheriff”. I sir would not..I would be scared shitless. If the prez has set out a policy..then give the generals the men and equipment to make it happen. No more rethinking.

For example: Mike Yon has reported that we need more helos in theater..has been saying this for months..why have we not been given those birds? Make up your mind mr prez..in or out but dont kill our people while you dither.

Thanks for listening Stephen. I do enjoy your blog.

Leaving war “to the generals” is, well, unconstitutional. Congress declares war (or “use of force” authorization, as has become fashionable). The President decides the strategy. And the generals execute it.

It’s not a perfect system, but no system is. And its flaws tend to protect us rather than harm us.

As I understand this particular instance, the President has decided on (or mostly decided on, or is in the process of deciding on, or is thinking of starting a decision-making process at some point) a counterinsurgency strategy. And Gen. McChrystal has told him that in order to wage that kind of war, he requires and additional 10,000-40,000 troops.

And the President should listen to that request, and listen very hard.

But McChrystal does not get to choose a different strategy from the President’s. He may only wage the war the President has decided on and which Congress has authorized.

(hope the damn tags work)

But you make a good case that Afghanistan at this point is too peripheral to our interests to make a high priority.