|
There is clearly and obviously no war in Afghanistan right now. When the facts don't suit you, do you just invent them?
The Iraq war suffers from an adminstration that doesn't lead, and can't state its objectives to save itself. The actual strategic objective of the war is to replace the US bases lost in Saudi Arabia, create a pro-US state in the middle of the middle east, and to create a Democratic example for the rest of the Arab world as a basis for reform. But you can't state those objectives up front, you have to come up with something palatable to everyone.
The exit strategy, stated hundreds of times but ignored here, is "as the Iraqis stand up we will stand down." The Iraqi forces have been improving but reporting on this matter is weak and mistakenly claims they are not. There is buzz that the stand-down will start in January, following the next election. You can tell it's imminent by how the politicians are now fighting to be the ones who thought of the idea. The Ds are demanding it so that when it happens they can say they thought of it, and won their point. The Rs will do it because the public wants it and will spin it as victory. The truth will not be evident for years.
Nobody seems to give a crap about actual victory. Even the pols who said there weren't enough troops to do it correctly, never demanded more troops.
|