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no total failure

Reader comment on item: The Afghan War's Dismal End; Blame Bush Too

Submitted by myth (Germany), May 30, 2014 at 05:31

I do not see the Afghan war as a total American failure. I see the Afghan war as part of a phase of military engagements beginning after 9-11 and lasting until retreat from Afghanistan. To me the question is what is the Afghan war's contribution to the overall success or failure of the entire phase. Connected is another question what ingredients account for success or failure. I argue, one cannot expect one war alone to supply all ingredients. Let me go into the ingredients:

  1. Prevent, react to, punish any attack on Americans or American territory: The Afghan war certainly satisfies that. When the US was attacked in Benghazi it has been sitting silently and motionless until today. This is what constitutes total failure in the truest meaning of total.
  2. Achieve deterrence by victory: Violent islamists outside of the West would rather burn a thousand churches in the MidEast than attack the US again. That is a result of the Afghan war, certainly combined with the Iraq war. In both cases the unmatched mobility of American forces on a global scale explains victory. However the US appear quite immobile when it is time to leave. It is the open reluctance to attack Iranian nuclear facilities that crumbles American deterrence.
  3. Demontrate moral integrity to ensure public support in the West: The Afghan war put violent islamism in the region in the spotlight of Western media. Would we even know of Malala without the Afghan war? The Afghan war's moral basis proved strong enough to convince Germany and The Netherlands to send forces. On this subject the Abu Ghraib prison scandal overshadows the Afghan war, not to mention the WMD narrative of the Iraq war. Moreover, there is little to none imperative now to keep American forces in Afghanistan on moral grounds.

I see a failure in concept to pursue all three points with one engagement alone. It would have been better to have restricted the Afghan war to (1) punishing an attack on the US and pursue deterrence and moral integrity elsewhere.

Today two goals face new and old opportunities: (2 - deterrence) Destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. (3 - moral integrety) go into Nigeria without even announcing it and defeat Boko Haram with flying flags. My approach here is buy deterrence in one place and moral integrity in another.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (40) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Bush's limited responsibility [268 words]Rob A.Jun 18, 2014 12:22215476
Mistakes [47 words]Kepha HorJun 11, 2014 21:03215336
1The strange case of Bowe Burgdahl and his father the erstwhile hippie [137 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
dhimmi no moreJun 2, 2014 08:27215198
1The great Michael Hastings and Bowe Burgdahl and his strange family [107 words]dhimmi no moreJun 4, 2014 07:01215198
divine copyright notice [97 words]mythJun 6, 2014 06:36215198
1The basmala revisited [586 words]dhimmi no moreJun 10, 2014 07:25215198
for the sake of communication [138 words]mythJun 16, 2014 08:54215198
1The Qur'an is text with no context [321 words]dhimmi no moreJun 19, 2014 09:11215198
Bergdahl is not a deserter, he was naive. [42 words]JaneJan 24, 2016 13:27215198
2Bowe Bergdhal is not naive [28 words]dhimmi no moreJan 25, 2016 08:03215198
Iraq nuclear drive? [143 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PezDispenserJun 1, 2014 12:48215164
Republican credibility on foreign policy [65 words]FrankzMay 31, 2014 17:01215142
4We're fighting the wrong wars [343 words]Halal McKosherSteinMay 30, 2014 20:49215128
1Prescience [131 words]y Brandstetter MDJun 1, 2014 08:50215128
1Prescience - As it is Written, So it is Happening [285 words]M. ToveyJun 4, 2014 14:12215128
1right on -add 1 more [17 words]Michael Hanni MorcosJun 9, 2014 02:11215128
1One mistake, however, was all Obama's [324 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Malcolm LoweMay 30, 2014 17:39215123
terrorists started the Iraq and Afganistan wars. [40 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
rodney allsworthMay 30, 2014 17:22215122
1Agree and Disagree [100 words]Luke LloydMay 30, 2014 10:43215121
1the grand fallacy in the Afghanistan region [62 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
mythMay 30, 2014 06:10215117
Access to Afghanistan [102 words]Gene TagliaJun 1, 2014 00:37215117
supply through Russia [34 words]mythJun 3, 2014 06:37215117
Pakistan has always been a part of the supply line. [130 words]Gene TagliaJun 6, 2014 04:50215117
no total failure [387 words]mythMay 30, 2014 05:31215116
1Reply to Daniel Pipes on President Bush [567 words]Joe WillinghamMay 29, 2014 19:20215108
Blame Bush [299 words]ChloeMay 29, 2014 16:44215106
1GWB vs BHO [189 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
YaleMay 29, 2014 12:43215103
What next? [154 words]dhimmi no moreMay 29, 2014 11:46215100
1Sanctity of precious Lives - is Key [149 words]Michael Hanni MorcosJun 9, 2014 02:51215100
RESPONSE TO THE AFGHAN WAR'S DISMAL END... [209 words]Ameer Labeeb HassanMay 29, 2014 10:34215099
1Re: Afghanistan [75 words]OLD DESERT RATMay 29, 2014 09:49215098
Cause rather than blame [35 words]John BMay 29, 2014 03:16215091
1Plenty of blame to go around [309 words]Gene TagliaMay 28, 2014 23:53215082
1Wanted: Islam Savvy Leader [95 words]
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DaveMay 28, 2014 21:09215079
1Truth, Knowledge and Wisdom [120 words]Mark WerfelMay 28, 2014 21:05215078
I was disappointed [52 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Philip WitriolMay 28, 2014 19:59215074
Bush 43 was not the Creator of the Problem [309 words]M. ToveyMay 28, 2014 19:08215071
The problem seems to be ours and we are stuck with it [148 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jacques HadidaMay 28, 2014 18:56215069
1honesty [12 words]LewisMay 28, 2014 17:42215066
1Americans don't understand... [14 words]Robin RosenblattMay 28, 2014 17:11215064

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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