Another ten year anniversary

Ten years ago today President Bush announced that the United State military had commenced military strikes against Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan. Ten years later we have seen some 1700 of our young men and women killed, over 13,000 wounded and crippled, tens of thousands of Afghans dead. A terrible human cost which overwhelms the incredible sum of money spent, hundreds of billions of dollars and counting. Neighboring Pakistan is in serious trouble and our relations with this nuclear power are at the lowest point in recent memory.

I saw this in the Salt Lake Tribune last night:

LIMBS LOST: As of July, 1,439 troops had limbs amputated from injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a recent report from the Congressional Research Service. Until early 2009, Iraq accounted for most major limb losses from battle wounds in the Army. Since then, most have come in Afghanistan.

What a terrible cost in response to 9/11/2001.

Are we closer to victory today? Or are we actually moving further away? Watch this brief video from the CATO Institute before you decide:



The most stunning revelation is that we are paying off the very people we are fighting in extortion rackets and protection for contractors.

Ten years is more than enough. We have no mission, no plan, no goal. With the lack of leadership in the White House coupled with the impossible task of creating a functioning national government in a dysfunctional region that doesn't even deserve the title "nation", we are throwing good money after bad and getting no closer to "victory".

I used to support the Afghanistan war wholeheartedly. Not any more. Bring the troops home. Stop borrowing money from China to fund the war effort. Someone needs to have the courage to say enough is enough.