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| Afghanistan |
| A Time to Kill |
| 2009-08-26 |
| Sitting in the Atlanta airport listening to music on a warm summer day, I do not feel completely at ease; I cannot help but feel that the United States is vulnerable to new terrorist attacks. Though not necessarily in an imminent sense, it feels- quite unnoticeably to most- as if a creeping villain of unimaginable danger awaits in the shadows, incessantly stalking the peaceful-façade of the American dream, waiting for an opportune moment to permanently mar our serene existence; like dark storm clouds on an April day, the threat of another catastrophic assault on our homeland by al-Qaeda looms. Many might call such comments ‘paranoia’ or perhaps even ‘Cheney-esque’, yet the drudgery of such an assertion is the realization that it may indeed be accurate. There should be no doubt: our nation faces a long-term conflict against a small band of determined fundamentalists working fervently to murder as many innocent Americans as possible. This is an enemy to which time is irrelevant. These are the thoughts that cross my mind as mundane CNN headlines parade themselves in front of blank stares, touting both the success and grim violence of a free and democratic election in Afghanistan. Yet amidst the verbal-excesses of twenty-four hour headline news, certain questions weigh heavy on the mind, as it seems- to both laymen and expert analyst alike- that the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan is unwinnable. Providing no comfort, the pages of history reverberate as an eerie reminder that the United States is battling an ephemeral enemy in a ‘graveyard of empires.’ Yet, I do not believe the United States should immediately withdrawal from Afghanistan and nor do I accept that ‘victory’ [pick your definition] is impossible. Instead of offering strategic suggestions for winning the war against the Taliban , this essay is meant to make one argument: a hasty withdrawal of forces or an immediate lessening of military activity in Afghanistan and Pakistan would have direct and unacceptable ramifications for the security of the United States. Remember, the war against the Taliban is directly linked to the battle against al-Qaeda; if the United States leaves Afghanistan too quickly, Sunni Wahabi extremists will seize control of Kabul and Kandahar and offer safe havens for al-Qaeda militants, who will in turn utilize their new breathing room to plot a second 9/11/2001. Conceding such operational freedom to those responsible for the worst-ever attack on American soil is simply an intolerable possibility. Recognizing this, the war in Afghanistan must be pursued to some stable resolution. This will likely mean negotiating directly with elements of the Taliban willing to renounce al-Qaeda or perhaps even supporting a strong-arm leader who will bring the needed stability to develop a free-market economy in Afghanistan. For the moment, our government must continue to heed the brilliant military advice of General David Petraeus, a man with a PhD in anti-insurgency tactics responsible for an 80% drop in attacks in Iraq. After the undeniable success of the surge in Iraq , it seems prudent to await the results of similar troop increases in the Afghan theater. There may be a time in the future to cut our losses and leave Afghanistan, but that moment is not now. As our government continues to pursue an acceptable outcome to the war against the Taliban, the United States must remain ultra-aggressive in our hunt for al-Qaeda militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan, namely the rural Waziristan region. American predator drone attacks and Special-Forces assassination squads must continue to hunt these radical criminals to the very ends of the Earth. For if the United States rests too easy, if our countrymen become naïve to the dangers that we face, it is possible that we will witness a day far worse than 9/11/2001. This is an enemy not content with past successes; al-Qaeda hopes and prays to explode numerous dirty [i.e. nuclear] bombs in multiple American cities in a day. This is a patient opponent, one that has proven itself quite capable, willing to wait decades for their next triumph. As our memories of 9/11 fade along with the media’s ever lessening mention of the words “Bin Laden” and al-Qaeda, our dissolving vigilance could result in the realization of our worst nightmares in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. |
| Posted by:bgrebel |