MARJAH DISTRICT, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -- Marines with 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment and Afghan National Army soldiers conduct a census patrol here, May 20, 2011. The Marines with 3/9 conducted census and security patrols after the battalion expanded its area of operations during Operation Harvest Moon. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Christopher M. Carroll)Endgame -- Dexter Filkins, New Yorker
In the ten years since American soldiers first landed in Afghanistan, their official purpose has oscillated between building and destroying. The Americans initially went in to defeat Al Qaeda, whose soldiers had attacked the United States, and to disperse the Taliban clerics who had given the terrorist group a home. Over time, the Pentagon’s focus shifted toward Afghanistan itself—toward helping its people rebuild their society, which has been battered by war and upheaval since the late nineteen-seventies. In strategic terms, the U.S. has swung between counter-insurgency and counterterrorism. Or, put another way, between enlightened self-interest and a more naked kind.
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My Comment: A depressing but accurately summary on where Afghanistan is going. I have been saying the same thing for almost 3 years, and it saddens me to see the U.S. and NATO go down the same pathway as the Soviets did over 22 years ago when they left Afghanistan to its fate.