Attention: Sonoran News Editor
With recent troubling US political-military events, I reflected on what occurred April 30, 1975, the fall of Saigon. Now August 12, 2021, more than 3,000 US troops have been deployed to assist in a partial evacuation of Americans from the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. History repeats itself as there is not much time left until the Taliban take over Kabul…quickly bring home embassy personnel. And of course, the Biden administration is downplaying the withdrawal policy failure.
The Afghanistan war is a US failure. Three presidents and twenty years of blood and treasure and nothing to show for it except the loss of thousand US troops and severely injured soldiers, and angry American Gold Star Mothers. Equally disturbing, the pursuit of Osama bin Laden could have ended in the winter of 2001. In General Mattis’ memoir, his battle-ready Marines were positioned to capture or kill bin Laden and hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters…high command did not want a repeat of the Soviets’ failure decades ago…result, a twenty-year war.
Upon reflection, there have been US troop surges, counterinsurgency strategy and execution, nation building, including trying to uncorrupt, corruption amongst government officials and contractors. Oh, and there was building an Afghanistan army to fight the Taliban, police force, and judicial system to address crime as well as reconstruction of villages and towns destroyed by battle. Also, tragic was the loss of civilian lives. And all for what…the return of Taliban. These fanatics are clearly emboldened to take over the country and in-force Sharia Islamic law… they waited us out!
Ray Torres
scottsdale
