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Afghanistan: Deaths Pass the 500 Mark |
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A New York Times feature on American casualties in Afghanistan, now over 500, fills me with a renewed sense of anger at the Bush administration. We can debate all day whether the invasion of Afghanistan was just or unjust, or whether the Iraq war was justified or unjustified, but what I view as beyond debate is the question of botched execution: never enough troops, never enough planning, never enough thinking. Reading the description of how the conflict changed from the early days of 2001-2003, when the Taliban were routed, Bush was beginning to talk about moving into the phase of reconstruction, and most deaths came about because of accidents or illness, I can only think of the opportunities that Bush squandered there. I can only blame him and his clique for the deaths of brave American servicemen and women caught in a conflict that we could have exited gracefully years ago were it not for Iraq, and hubris, and poor strategies that lose, not win, hearts and minds.
With this year’s casualties poised to eclipse those of last year, the deadliest so far, we need to think about this war. We need to remember this war, both for the sake of those who have died in it and for the sake of those who will sacrifice their lives in the coming months. The president has insulted them and their memories by running this war incompetently, by letting corruption fester among our contractors, our development specialists, and our allies, and American soldiers and Afghanistan’s poor are paying the price for that incompetence.
I think both presidential candidates should be asked, as often and as directly as possible, what their specific plans are regarding Afghanistan. It’s not enough to say “we need to get the job done,” because I don’t want to see more blood spilled in the service of politicians’ fantasies, while at the same time any hope of stabilizing the country or making a smooth exit fades away. And the American people need to take a look in the mirror and recognize that our countrymen are dying in not one, but two conflicts, and when we forget Afghanistan we dishonor our soldiers and ourselves.
Rest in peace to all the soldiers who have died in Afghanistan.
