Public Comment

After 16 years and $4 – $6 trillion squandered in the failed war in Afghanistan, Trump now joins Obama and Bush hailing great progress in a country raked with violence. The uncomfortable truth is the Taliban and Islamic State are on the ascendency. A BBC study found the Taliban are now in control of 70 percent of the country. So dangerous is the situation that US personnel no longer drive from the airport to the embassy but are flown in by helicopter. President Trump becomes the third president in a row to attempt to put a positive spin on the war in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history. Compounding this tragedy is the theft of billions of dollars by a thoroughly corrupt Afghan government. 

Sadly, both sides cling to the delusion a military victory is possible. Much like his predecessors, President Trump still subscribes to the insane logic that what we actually need to do is to advance the war so that we can negotiate from an advantage. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Contrary to the spin merchants at the Pentagon, the drone war is exacting huge civilian casualties creating intense hostility towards the US and serving a huge recruitment for the Taliban and their affiliates. The current US strategy has little to do with victory but false pride to admit the war is lost. The time to exit is NOW.