The heartbreaking Afghanistan War transition
We accomplished our original mission long ago: hunt down the Al-Qaeda terrorists who murdered 2,977 people on 9/11, root out terrorists’ ability to plan global attacks from Afghanistan, and bring Al-Qaeda’s leader Osama bin Laden to justice. That original mission was successfully completed a decade ago.
We gave the Afghan people every opportunity to remain free and become prosperous. With a democratic framework, vast protection, and billions spent on civil development and military training, they were setup for success.
Their defeat to a lesser military and political force in stunning fashion makes clear that no amount of money or time would have willed them to become a self-sufficient democratic nation. This is their failure and their ongoing struggle, nobody else’s.
A civil war in a far off land that no longer poses a direct threat to us had taken root, and we were stuck in the middle - and so it was time to leave.
The transition out may be rockier than some of us would have hoped, but then again what can anyone other than expert military commanders possibly know about the many complexities of exiting a 20-year war zone amidst raging internal conflict. Before it’s over, it may get even messier, but this new mission must continue until every eligible person is rescued.
One of the biggest airlifts in US history is currently taking place. In just 2 weeks, over 120,000 US and coalition citizens, Afghans who assisted us throughout the war, and vulnerable Afghan civilians have been brought to safety.
Despite the inevitable attempts by terrorists to disrupt that mission and the resulting loss of life, it will end up as the most successful rescue mission in US history.
As we process this heartbreaking transition, we should deeply mourn the thousands of brave soldiers and innocent civilians lost in Afghanistan since 2001 and in these final days of a long-expired war.
Then, we must turn our attention and resources to the many larger threats that exist today here at home and in other places around the world.
The Afghanistan war was both a resounding early success and a cautionary tale of the perils of prolonged nation building.
The United States of America is the strongest force on earth, but in the face of humanity’s endless complexities and the necessity to balance resources around the world we can only do so much.
Welcome home, brave soldiers and our new Afghan neighbors. You have much to be proud of and we all have a lot to learn from this complicated chapter of history.
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