[Vision2020] The Other War

[Tom Hansen]

>From the August 28, 2006 edition of the Army Times -

In a venue that is justly fighting terrorism with a true coalition . . .
where are the headlines?  Why doesn't this war receive the same attention
that the civil war in Iraq is experiencing?

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The other war
Despite Taliban resurgence, mission in Afghanistan fades into background

By Robert F. Dorr

The U.S. military is performing well in the Afghanistan war. But has anyone
noticed? Congress, the president, the press and the public don't seem to be
paying a lot of attention. Scan a newspaper. Watch a news program. You'll
see coverage of Iraq and of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

But as we approach the fifth anniversary of military operations in
Afghanistan on Oct. 7, it's difficult to find coverage in the mainstream
media of what some now call the "forgotten war."

Families and friends of Americans fighting in Afghanistan haven't forgotten.
But most Americans don't have a personal stake. Our elected leaders on
Capitol Hill and in the White House must help by charting a clear path and
keeping Afghanistan in the limelight.

They're not doing that.

You'd have to go to the Air Force's own news service to learn, for example,
that in fighting near Kandahar on Aug. 3, A-10 Warthogs, a B-1B Lancer,
British Harrier GR.Mk 7s and French Mirage 2000s provided close-air support
to friendly troops battling Taliban forces. 

In Afghanistan, there really is a coalition: NATO is taking over key
responsibilities. Canada and France, allies that don't support our war in
Iraq, are taking part in Afghanistan. The Canadians sustained several
casualties this summer.

So why isn't the contribution being made by American and allied service
members receiving more public attention? 

Let's remember how this started. On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 men transformed four
airliners into missiles and killed almost 3,000 Americans. The hijackers
belonged to the al-Qaida network and trained at camps in Afghanistan that
were permitted by Afghanistan's former Taliban government.

In response, our military campaign in Afghanistan was initially successful.
The Taliban no longer run the central government. We've installed a
government that has some power over parts of the country and may acquire
more if it wins popular support.

We dismantled al-Qaida training camps and killed or captured some al-Qaida
fighters.

Five years later, there's a resurgence of Taliban power and al-Qaida
operations in Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden is apparently living nearby in
Pakistan. The opium trade in Afghanistan is prospering as never before.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the drug trade is supporting our
Taliban and al-Qaida adversaries. Others say we haven't tried hard enough to
help Afghanistan's poppy growers find another way to earn a living.

That's the bad news, but thanks to the efforts of U.S. and allied military
members, there is plenty of good news.

We did the right thing when we went to Afghanistan. Through force of arms,
we've given Afghanis a chance at a new government that may eventually
exercise greater authority and will be - we hope - democratic.

At the working level, the U.S. military in Afghanistan has been a showcase
for competence and courage. Staff sergeants and captains have blazed new
paths in special operations warfare and improved the military's skill at
everything from high-altitude mountain fighting to urban civil operations.
Best of all, they've killed people who deserved it.

The record of our leaders is not as good. We should have gotten bin Laden.
When we took down the Taliban, we should have taken them all the way down.
Strategy and planning in Afghanistan have been badly flawed. Worst of all,
we've killed and wounded too many innocent people. 

In a July visit to Afghanistan, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the
Joints Chiefs of Staff, may have convinced troops that Washington is behind
them, but the need for greater public focus on the forgotten war goes way
above his paygrade.

It's time for the commander in chief to appear on national television with
an updated U.S. policy for Afghanistan. And it's time for Congress, the
press and the public to pay attention.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.