Afghanistan and IraqMike Rappaport

As President Obama is now considering what to do in Afghanistan, a few words about the two wars seem in order.

I had always thought the two wars were very different.  The Afghanistan War was a necessary response to 9-11 and the Taliban’s sheltering of Al Qaeda.  I always recognized that establishing a stable regime in the country would be difficult.  But one had to displace the Taliban.

Iraq was different.  To me, it was more about the long run fight against Islamic Extremism. Given the threats of WMDs in Iraq and the real possibility of establishing a popularly accountable regime there that could operate as a model for the Arab World, I fully supported the Iraqi War.  

So with the possibility of an acceptable regime in Iraq, the focus is now back on Afghanistan.  I suppose I support the surge there, but not because I think it can duplicate what happened in Iraq.  Rather, it is necessary to keep the Taliban and Al Qaeda from returning.  This won’t be easy and it will cost American lives and wealth, but it seems necessary to me.  But I don’t think it will be pretty, nor am I terribly sanguine about the eventual results.