President Obama has committed to end the war there at the end of this year and bring our troops home. The U.S. and Afghan leaders are trying to negotiate an agreement to allow some U.S. troops to remain for a certain time but so far Afghan leaders have yet to agree. It is this writers opinion that all American troops should be brought back home.
In September of this year the war will be 13 years and counting. If Afghan troops trained by the U.S. do not have the ability to protect their country, or leaders who are able to train their own people then the U.S. has either failed in its training or the Afghan military are unwilling to make the committment to do so. The latter would be more likely.
It is impossible to protect Americans in that part of the world from terror attacks and any American left in Afghanistan would surely pay the price over time. Remember, we could not protect our own country or its people on 9./11 and the terrorist attack nor our people at the Boston marathon last year. Who knows what a terrorist looks like, especially if you are in his country. We already know that some of our troops in Aghanistan were killed by terrorists while they dressed in friendly Afghan uniforms.
The U.S. has the capacity to protect its national interest without occupying any country in that part of the world. The military might, intelligence, technology and experience fighting terror has been used effectly with our drones to bring most of Al Queda's top leaders to justice in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
V.P. Joe Biden when he was a candidate for the democratic presidential nomination in 2008 said it best when he said foreigh governments who allow terrorists to use their territory to train terrorists for attacks on America or Americans lose their sovereignty and America is free to respond. That should be the American policy of responding instead of occupation that keep our military in harms way.
Saddam, his military and his WMD were supposed to be a threat to the U.S. we were told. But he had no WMD's and his military was defeated in the first three months of the war. But the war created Al Queda in Iraq, a terrorists orginization who were no where in Iraq prior to the war. They inflicted most of the 4400 U.S. casulties in that war and most of the 30,000 plus wounded. It is a lesson the people of our country should never forget.
Tlhe chicken hawks who wanted President Obama to send American troops to Lybia, Syria and Egypt during their civil uprising never learned. They failed to get their way with the President so they are trying to plant the seed that Obama has no foreign policy. Like the elder Bush, they don't know how to read lips.
President Obama kept his word on ending the Iraq war and I believe he will do the same in Afghanistan. I just hope he brings all of our troops home at the end of the year. They have paid the price with multiple deployments and their lives. It is time for them and their families to be reunited.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
