Correspondent of the Day: Afghan People Need Coalition Support
Afghan People Need Coalition Support
Editor, Times-Dispatch: I am in total agreement with Howard Bartholf ["Win This War or Get Out Now"]. As the father of two sons overseas, one on a combat outpost on the Afghan-Pakistani border, and the other helping to keep the peace in Iraq, I am very concerned that they and their fellow soldiers are not being supported in their mission by this country's leadership.
It is imperative that our president and Congress come to some hard and fast decisions on the future of Afghanistan. There has been much discussion recently over voter fraud in the Afghan elections, but keep in mind, without U.S. and coalition troops on hand -- and if the Taliban were back in power -- there would have been no elections at all.
My son in Afghanistan describes going into the villages and "shaking hands and kissing babies." His unit, the 71st Cavalry-10th Mountain Division, and many others, are providing humanitarian aid and relief to the villages they patrol.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commanding general in Afghanistan believes, and rightly so, that to defeat an insurgency, we need to have the population on our side. It's common sense that if the U.S. and coalition forces downsize after eight years of being in Afghanistan, we lose and the Taliban wins. Have we as a country already forgotten 9/11 and the cruel lessons learned on that horrific day? We have an obligation to Afghanistan and to our young men and women serving over there, just as we did to the people of Iraq.
As a people, we need to quit worrying about celebrities, reality shows, and what country gets to host the future Olympics, and think about what really is important to us.
Christopher F. Harte.
Richmond.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Mr. Harte-A heartfelt thank to you and to your sons for their service.
There are some to whom even an attack on their own soil is not sufficient reason for retaliation.
Citizens who feel that those who serve in the military have been duped and misled.
That the army is simply a tool to further economic interests.
Inferring that we might be in Afghanistan for any other reason is regarded as niave at best and downright stupid at worst.
You and your sons know better Mr. Harte.
Let us hope that a wise decision is made soon. One that will be in the best interests of our young men and women and the Afghan nation.
The grateful and the ungrateful will share in the benefits.
I wish both of your kids well and a very soon homecoming.
Do you really mean to infer that the cruel lessons learned on 9/11 is that we have to invade and indefinitely occupy countries (with energy strategy considerations) to set up puppet governments that will be friendly to US corporate interests?
Honestly, what is the military objective in Afghanistan?
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement