"Realists" tell Obama to Cut & Run- again

As I have said quite a few times we are playing out the 2006 argument over Iraq again regarding Afghanistan. The usual suspects muster the same arguments about lost causes, lack of exit strategies etc. and see the same solution they proposed in 2006. "RUN, you're on MLK, RUN!" (reference anyone?). 

During your campaign for the Presidency, Americans around the country
appreciated your skepticism of the rationales for the Iraq war. In
2002, you had warned that such an endeavor would yield 'a U.S.
occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, and with
unintended consequences.' You pointed out the dangers of fighting such
a war 'without a clear rationale and without strong international
support.' As scholars of international relations and U.S. foreign
policy, many of us issued similar warnings before the war,
unfortunately to little avail," says the letter, being circulated by
the Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy, which formed in 2003 to coordinate opposition from realists, right and left, to the Iraq War.

Had we listened to this collection of self-named realists, we would have lost in Iraq and Iran and al Qaeda would be dominating the region. Somehow that is not a very appealing little piece of reality. Now the pointy-headed intellectuals think they know better than the warfighters and they are putting the screws to the President. To his credit Obama has made no major mistakes in either Iraq or Afghanistan, but the tests are going to come in the next few years, and he has a major insurgency on his left flank. Sen. Levin says we should just hire a bunch of Afghans, slap uniforms on them and call them an army. Then we can pull our troops out to a safe strategic zone (Okinawa maybe?). Harry Reid doesn't think there is much support in Congress for more troops, but this is the same guy who said if Petraeus told him the Surge was working he wouldn't believe him. I am trying to be hopeful that President Obama learned from his mistakes talking about Iraq and now understands that defeat to al Qaeda and the Taliban is simply not acceptable. It would embolden them and give them amazing recruiting capability. We need to beat them down and train up Afghan security forces to replace us. That takes time and will require more troops. Listen to the guys who were right last time Mr. President.

Funny thing about the signatories to that letter, only one military person and a ton of college professors. Hmmm, when was the last war Harvard won?

posted by Uncle Jimbo at 03:21 PM

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