Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Michael Steele's Version of Afghanistan

By Douglas V. Gibbs

A couple weeks ago the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, opened his mouth about the war in Afghanistan, and received a massive amount of criticism. Steele has long been questioned by conservatives. He is considered to be a Republican Party establishment guy, and the conservative base of the GOP believes that the "establishment" is more about politics, than the conservative principles that the party is supposed to be rooted in.

One area of conflict among those that reside on the right side of the center line of the political spectrum has been the war in Afghanistan. We all seem to agree that the war on terror needed to begin in Afghanistan, considering the fact that al-Qaeda was using the country as a base of operations, and that Osama bin Laden was hiding out in the Afghan countryside. The conflict among Republicans has been whether or not, once the Taliban was defeated and al-Qaeda was on the run, we should have remained in the region.

During the Bush years, as we also dedicated our efforts in Iraq, the Democrat Party criticized the GOP regarding Iraq, claiming that the war we should be focusing all of our attention on was Afghanistan. The campaign promise of Barack Obama was that he was going to end Iraq, and finish Afghanistan.

Well into the Barack Obama presidency, we still have troops in Iraq, and Afghanistan has become an escalated war. Michael Steele, like the rest of us, recognizes that the Democrats had not only adopted the war in Afghanistan, but had been behind Obama's decision to send more troops. During a GOP fund-raiser, Steele made the comment that the United States was on the wrong side of history with its conflict in Afghanistan, and that the war in Afghanistan had become "a war of Obama’s choosing."

Michael Steele later commented that "This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in. . . It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be Afghanistan. Well, if he’s such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that’s the one thing you don’t do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?"

Mr. Steele, seeking to clarify his remarks, issued another statement, saying, “There is no question that America must win the war on terror.”

Steele was right in that a land war in Afghanistan is one not won by any nation other than the natives. Russia invaded Afghanistan December 24, 1979 and did not withdraw the last of her troops until February 15, 1989. The insurmountable nature of the war for the Soviet Union was perceived as having caused incredible damage to the USSR's international standing and military morale.

Prominent Republican voices Bill Kristol, and Liz Cheney called for Steele's resignation for calling Afghanistan Obama's war. Kristol, in fact, added that Steele's tenure has been "marked by gaffes and embarrassments. . . the war in Afghanistan was not ‘a war of Obama’s choosing.’ It has been prosecuted by the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama."

Kristol also stated that, “There are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan, and they’re certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn’t be the chairman of the Republican Party.”

Democratic leaders also criticized Mr. Steele. A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, Brad Woodhouse, said Mr. Steele was “betting against our troops and rooting for failure in Afghanistan.”

Sounds like he took a cue from Republican criticism of the Democrats a few years back.

In defense, Michael Steele said, “For the sake of the security of the free world, our country must give our troops the support necessary to win this war. As we have learned throughout history, winning a war in Afghanistan is a difficult task. We must also remember that after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, it is also a necessary one.”

He also added: “That is why I supported the decision to increase our troop force and, like the entire United States Senate, I support General Petraeus’s confirmation. The stakes are too high for us to accept anything but success in Afghanistan.”

I agree that whenever we take on a military mission, we must win. And if our troops are engaged in an armed conflict they deserve all of our support, and all of our assistance, regardless of our opinion about their presence in whatever conflict they are in. The original mission in Afghanistan, however, was not supposed to turn into a similar effort like the one in Iraq, by trying to install a voting, democratic ally. The mission was to go after Osama, and eliminate the presence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. After that, it would have been in our best interest to stand down, and return only if the new government in Afghanistan asked for our help, or if Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, or al-Qaeda began to use the mountainous country as a base of operations once again.

Bush may have begun the war in Afghanistan, but it was Obama's decision to continue the war, escalate the war, and change the mission. I may not agree with Michael Steele often, but one thing I am sure of. . . Steele was right when he said that Afghanistan is a war of Obama's choosing.

Mr. Steele should not be forced to resign. Steele should be thanked for being willing to voice the truth under threat of the criticism he received.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Dust-Up Over Steele’s View of Afghan War - New York Times

Michael Steele clarifies again: Yes, we must win - Washington Post

Bill Kristol must resign - World Net Daily, Anne Coulter

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