I am not a fan of nation-building, orchestrating black-ops inside sovereign nations or any other covert activity that is not specifically related to the 'forced removal' - from humanity, of an evil man. I have absolutely no problem with one nation removing a murderer and a maniac from our presence for the purposes of the peace and safety of our nation. Sorry...I'm American first!
Our lessons from the post World War I era have haunted us since the end of World War II. Every single skirmish/war/police action we have been involved in since has been a brutal disaster - including some of our covert efforts during the 'cold war'. That which is an irritant to one nation should be discussed in the light of day, disagreements laid out and discussed and if it becomes necessary, settled on the field of battle.
The conventional wisdom of 'peace-loving' men, diplomats and cowards is that war should be avoided at all costs. I am not of that mind. I believe war should be avoided but avoiding it at the cost of our national sovereignty, security to our citizenry, decimation of our Constitution or the gutting of our military and overall defensive posture is morally wrong! How is trading the safety and well being of your own citizenry and your own sovereignty justifiable in 'defending' the 'safety' of foreigners? When did the definition of a heroic act; of one man giving his life for another translate into 526 men in DC deciding to sacrifice the lives of others for so dubious a cause as the one we are involved in at present?
The stated reason for our continuing operations, under COIN, in Afghanistan has been for reasons of stability for the Afghan people. In some strange, unquantifiable way that is suppose to translate into security for us - even the re-seating of the Taliban in Kabul! The Taliban we removed and, of course, replaced with 'our man'.
If there is anything more aggravating than orchestrating the moves of a puppet, it is having the puppet talk back. Now, apparently, Karzai has decided that combat operations within Afghanistan or at least our involvement in combat operations in Afghanistan is too 'burdensome' for the Afghan people and he wants it to stop. Fortunately, Hillary Clinton told him that combat operations would continue. So did the NATO Secretary General Rasmussen.
General Petraeus, the 'architect' of modern American COIN expeditions, found Harmid's comments; troubling. Hey; I know! Maybe we could have Dave and Hamid and maybe Hillary meet somewhere neutral like, I don't know..maybe Canada - oh shucks, can't do that, the Canadians are now dealing with their own internal struggle to maintain a sense of tolerance being as members of the Muslim community there have now made it clear they want a 'parallel society', you know, kind of like the Amish only with different hats...and explosive vests.
Of course Karzai's comments could not possibly come at a worse time. His comments were made the same day 5 more as yet unidentified NATO troops died during combat operations around Afghanistan. Curious that our 'ally', Karzai, made no mention of that or whether he was troubled that 5 more foreign troops died attempting to make a better life for his beloved people.
Call me conspiratorial but it seems just a little convenient that Karzai's comments should come within a day of the CFR releasing their appraisal and recommendations for the road ahead in Afghanistan - a recommendation that basically throws in the towel (on COIN; they haven't the stomach for the kind of war that actually drives the Islamic hordes to their collective knees). His comments also seem to harmonize with this sitting Presidents new personal agenda; getting re-elected in 2012 which he had determined in 2008 (before his 'ascension'), would be war free. (More on the CFR members in a follow-up blog entry).
We have a name for this kind of knee-jerk/fire-fighting method of operation in the Marine Corps; it's called a 'flail-EX'. The best way to describe this activity for you is to have you play it out... Ready? While standing in an open space, where, hopefully, you won't hurt anyone else, wring your hands violently, with an expression of shock on your face. Simultaneously wildly flail your arms above your head, shrieking occasionally while running back and forth - aimlessly while declaring you are in charge!
Get the picture?
It would be funny if not the lost and broken lives of our Warrior community.
Semper Fidelis;
John Bernard
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