NEW YORK TIMES - AFGHANISTAN!

NEW YORK TIMES http://nyti.ms/ayyTHi

Mr. Herbert, I criticized former President Bush [43] almost on a daily basis when he ordered the invasion of Iraq. However, going into Afghanistan wasn’t something we desired to do, but was forced to do so.

The egregious error was taking our eyes of the ball in 2003 when Bush and Cheney decided to move the bulk of the troops from Afghanistan to Iraq. But that is in the past, but I promise you, if President Obama follows your advice and withdraw, it would only be a matter of months before we would have to turn around and go back into Afghanistan.

I have children and grandchildren and my heart breaks to the point that at times I cannot look at the news, because another 20 year old died or was severely wounded! However, we are where are at this time and despite the nine years that we have been there, it would be ill advised to leave.

From 1991 to the inception of 2001, the Taliban killed more than 400,000 Afghans. In the nine years that we have been there, the Civilian death totals about 16,000. Some may ask why is this of any concern to us? Well, the answer is difficult but in a way simple. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1980, through covert operations we used Pakistan and the Afghanistan’s “freedom fighters” to resist Russia and promised them that we would help them once the Soviets left.

The Soviets left after eight years and we abandoned both countries. You are an educated man and so you must know that the Taliban are the disenfranchised tribe from Pakistan who became “lunatics” and ended up making Afghanistan their killing fields and planned the September 11, 2001 attack.

I love my America but our Government at times do things that have very severe consequences. President George Herbert Walker Bush, subsequent to our victory in the 1991 Gulf war told the Iraqis to “rise up” against Saddam Hussein. He promised them covert assistance. The people rose up and he left them to be butchered by Saddam Hussein. “WE ARE NOT WITHOUT SIN AND DUPLICITY, MR. HERBERT!”