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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated
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To: LindyBill who wrote (304978)5/14/2009 4:13:16 AM
From: unclewest  Read Replies (2) of 793939
 
Thanks for jogging the Yingling quote. Good memory. I'll borrow that one.

LB,
Afghan is not Iraq. The battlefield situation is much different. The various civilian factions are not even loosely organized for mutual security. There is no recognized central government.

The enemy is quite different too. In Iraq they are mostly home grown. In Afghan, they are mostly imports.

I do not think history will shine positively on our role in either war.

Many wars end because one-side gets tired and walks off the battlefield. My sense is that is exactly what we are about to do in Iraq. They need an Iraqi national political solution there.
I fear they get a civil war (slaughter) first.

Afghanistan needs a national political solution too. One little problem.
There is no national political apparatus to design and implement such a solution.

At least the Iraqis know from experience there are some benefits to national and cooperative regional rule. The Afghans never had it and don't trust the notion.
To Afghanis the highest form of government is the village elders, and they like it like that.

We cannot kick down enough doors, nor kill enough opposition leaders to win either war. Our opponents are like some species of Starfish. When you cut-off a leg the Starfish grows it back.
BUT the leg doesn't die. It grows into another Starfish.
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