After the 9/11 attack by groups in Afghanistan — one of the farthest and most remote nations on Earth — it took considerable time, strategy and cooperation of indigenous Afghans to establish a presence for U.S. forces there. Then it also took great cost in lives, logistics, material and even more time to consolidate and sustain such military presence.
When belligerents can be relied on to end hostilities permanently after U.S. troops pull out of Afghanistan, it might make sense to do so. But until then, keeping a U.S. military Afghan presence may be necessary, not because the Afghan government is worthy, but because a regional capability to protect U.S. security interests may be difficult to recreate quickly in the event of a future attack from that region.
The United States’ Afghan strategy should be farsighted enough to avoid today’s kids having to try to abruptly recreate a new Afghan military presence as adults.
S.A. Zobans
Independence
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