Issues Under Fire: Obama Announce About-Face in Afghanistan Strategy

Issues Under Fire: Obama Announce About-Face in Afghanistan Strategy

Interrupting daytime programming on network and cable TV outlets to announce a major about-face in his Afghan strategy, President Obama told the nation, the military and their families, the mission in Afghanistan was not quite over.

When the Taliban took control of and held Kunduz, the sixth largest Afghan city for two weeks, while only encountering mediocre resistance at best from Afghan forces, it was clear major deficiencies still plagued that county's ability to defend itself. And with word that al-Qaeda and ISIS was turning an Afghan foothold into a stronghold, there was no other option but to remain engaged. 

Apparently, without the United States remaining in country to hold the Afghan's hands, they simply can't seem to shoot straight. The president stated U.S. forces will stay put to provide additional training and support in order to bring the Afghans up to speed.

But after more than 14 years of training, supporting, equipping and fighting side by side, one has to wonder if the Afghan is trainable. On the other hand, maybe the U.S. make lousy trainers. Either way, somebody had better start asking the uncomfortable questions. 

One has to wonder why the opposition fighters (whom ever they happen to be) always seem to out fight, out maneuver and outlast the best of U.S. backed efforts. Considering the performance of U.S. trained, equipped and fully supported Iraqi forces when ISIS rolled within miles of Baghdad, one has to wonder where all the billions really went to prep those forces for battle. When soldiers literally throw their weapons down and run away as soon as the bullets start flying, something is horribly wrong. 

Could it be, the United States more often than not, is scraping the bottom of the barrel for volunteers? Could it be the U.S. can't attract anything but lowlives and scurvy types? Could it be the U.S. is recruiting the stupid, the dumb and the desperate? In this observers opinion, these are perfectly legitimate questions to raise in light of the fact that neither the Taliban, al-Qaeda nor ISIS/ISIL have the military capability to match anything the United States can provide its trainees. On paper, this shouldn't even be a contest, let alone a bloody decades long quagmire.  

The islamic militants have no air power. ISIS can't establish a no fly zone, The Taliban can't call in air strikes for force protection. Al-Qaeda has no Tomahawk missiles or armed drones to launch. Yet, none of these groups seem to have any trouble defending themselves against them. With relatively modest weaponry, social media, determination and a willingness to die for a cause, the "enemy du jour" shows no signs of weakening against the best the West can throw at them. 

Bottom line: The Obama administration's about-face in Afghanistan to retrain the Afghan army again and again and again wouldn't have been an issue, were it not for the half billion large the U.S. burned in an effort to train the Syrian rebel forces. Like the Iraqis and Afghans, as soon as they faced their first taste of combat, they ran like a bunch of bitches. Somehow, there's a lot more wrong with this picture than a training problem. Podcast below!