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Originally Posted by Drakej
We are talking about Afghanistan...
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Not really. We are talking about things that Bush did that failed. And yes, I count the mess that is blooming in Afghanistan as a failure of the surge if one looks at the collateral damaged caused by the implementation of the surge. Certainly you must agree, that
IF the myopic focus on Iraq contributed to the chaos in Afghanistan then it was a flawed policy. What good does taming one area do when the price that is paid is losing control in another area?
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All I said is that the surge was not implemented in Afghanistan.
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And I'm saying that because of the surge being implemented in Iraq, we lost control in Afghanistan.
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And there where very few insurgents that came from Iraq. They have been camping out in Pakistan for the most part.
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The dynamics here are complex. For example part of the problem might be a shift in interest by Iran in that as we hampered their sponsored activities in Iraq they shifted their interests to Afghanistan. Another is that Bush was so desperate to make the surge work in Iraq he ignored warning signs in Afghanistan. Another is the surge may have caused a shift in resources away from Iraq and to Afghanistan. Whatever the case, as we focused on Iraq, Afghanistan has become a problem. The question you might ponder is once we shift our attention to Afghanistan, will Iraq once again become a problem.
Before you say no, consider the political dynamics in Iraq. As the Shi'ite dominated government begins to strongly establish itself, the Sunni will once again feel the "squeeze" for after all, the Shi'ite would love nothing better than to seek revenge on the Sunni for the decades of domination by the Baath party.
AND since most of the reduction in violence in Iraq was due to American forces making peace with the Sunni, supplying them and allowing them to reestablish their military presence, won't there be an explosion of violence? I'd say it is unavoidable.
So as we turn our attention to Afghanistan, surge there, it will only be a matter of time before Iraq is once again a hot bed of violence. Back and forth, back and forth...a failed policy.