Millions of Americans voted for Barack Obama with the hope that the new president would withdraw our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This was far from an easy task. The USA likes the title of # 1. Any talk of downsizing the troop levels smacks of defeatism to the forward strategists of the Pentagon and resurrects images of the last helicopter leaving the US Embassy in Saigon.
Victory at any cost seems the only road open to Obama. His commander on the ground insists that a 'surge' will succeed in Afghanistan without acknowledging that tactic was wholly dependent on our bribing anti-Coalition forces to cut back on their attacks. Only this week the US Ambassador to Kabul expresses his concern about increasing troop strength without countering the corruption pandemic to the Karzai regime. He refused to comment on The Nation article accusing the USA of handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to Taliban factions to not cut US supply lines.
The British Empire suffered a rout in 1842 after refusing to pay an indemnity to a chieftain controlling the Khyber Pass. Only one soldier escaped that retreat. Over 16000 were not so lucky.
USSR Prime Minster Gorbachev announced that there is no way that the USA can win in Afghanistan and suggests that the Pentagon take advantage of the Kremlin's contacts in the Central Asian nation to effect a total withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"I think that what's needed is not additional forces. This is something that we discussed, too, years ago, and we decided not to do it. And I think our experience deserves attention."
The USSR fought a deadly war on its southern border.
13,000 dead.
No victory, but they were happy to get out of there.
I'm sure our troops would be too.
Bring them home.
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