http://www.lewrockwell.com/shirtz/shirtz17.1.html

Throughout July and August of this year, US forces suffered almost 90 soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Heeding recommendations from military leaders and his advisors, President Obama has approved sending 17,000 troops, which includes a 5,000-member Marine Regimental Combat Team, to support the overextended combat troops in southern Afghanistan. While these numbers may seem impressive, in military terms this is the equivalent of scrounging couch change trying to pay off a balloon mortgage payment.

The desired purpose of the additional troops is twofold: To train pro-US Afghan troops, and help secure territory taken from Taliban forces. Concerning the former, recent events have demonstrated that our Afghan allies have as much enthusiasm to fight as the ARVN did in the Vietnam War. On the latter objective, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has hedged his bets by telling General Stanley McChrystal to be "forthright" in requesting the necessary forces to get the job done, while adding this disclaimer:

"I have expressed some concerns in the past about the size of the American footprint, the size of the foreign military footprint, in Afghanistan, and clearly I want to address those issues," Gates said during a visit to Fort Worth, Texas.

"And we will have to look at the availability of forces, we'll have to look at cost. There are a lot of different things that we'll have to look at once we get his recommendations, before we make any recommendations to the president."

This is a nothing more than a veiled confession that the US military is stretched to the breaking point. Somehow, General Stanley McChrystal must find a way to secure a country twice the size of Vietnam, with only a third of the troops that were employed in that disastrous Southeast Asian war. As a previous secretary of defense once said, "you go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want." So much for a change from the previous administration, eh?

This token reinforcement of troops tragically demonstrates the cliché of hope triumphing over experience. It reeks of the same desperation that existed during the Battle of Stalingrad. General Paulus 6th Army, consisting over a quarter of a million men, was bogged down in the rubble and ruins of the city. On November 7, 1942, in a bid to break through the stubborn Russian resistance at the factories, Hitler personally authorized the deployment of five combat pioneer battalions. In a brutal war involving millions under arms, much was riding on these three thousand elite soldiers to break the stalemate. After five days of intensive fighting, these specialized combat engineers suffered one thousand casualties. Though they made considerable gains in pushing back the Russian defense line, in the end they ran out of steam, and could go no further. Twelve days later, on November 19, the Soviets launched a massive counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, that doomed the entire 6th Army.

While US forces cannot be defeated in a climactic conventional battle in Afghanistan, they will lose trying to secure the geography and defeat a people that offer them nothing substantial to grasp as leverage for victory. I sense that our government knows very well this token force is nothing more than a political sop to give the impression that something is being done to gain victory in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, President Obama must being be feeling more akin to LBJ than FDR in attempting to pass a national health care bill while maintaining an expensive military occupation overseas. Attempting to build the Great Society while making the World Safe For Democracy at the same time has as much chance as Hitler’s Germany winning a two-front war. None at all.

Meanwhile, the constant trickle of US soldier’s deaths continues – One here, a few there, day after day, persisting like a constant bloody drip from a leaky faucet. Instead of stopping the leak, our country chooses to be distracted by louder issues such as who will win the next American Idol competition, or the ongoing news marathon on the life and death of Michael Jackson. Every couple of days, somewhere in the US, flags in various parts of the country are set at half-mast to honor those local men and women sacrificed in this winless war. If our government’s goal for an ongoing commitment in Afghanistan (and Iraq) comes to pass, then I humbly suggest leaving all US flags permanently at half-mast, to save time and effort. Better yet, upside down as well.

Meanwhile, the constant trickle of US soldier’s deaths continues – One here, a few there, day after day, persisting like a constant bloody drip from a leaky faucet.

I like your post better.
Mine uses the tired old "inherited" notion. Starting to get as used up as the race card.

WWBD?

lol...here, I'm still awaiting for "Change"! that the left-libs promised. I can only seem to find change in my pocket!

I'd like to see the BHO supporters man-up and support BHO by vollunteering their kids to the military.
Now, I would see that as true loyalty to BHO.

On the economic side. Where would we find jobs for all those kids at war if they were released? There's nothing here for them to make a living at.

Might we be reminded that the service is voluntary? No one volunteers their kids, the kids volunteer, where ya been?

Perhaps, but war is a State action that no individual gets to opt out of. (another inherent flaw of the State, BTW. Plus, modern "total war" with mass death is a direct result of the birth of the State, but that's enough rant for now)

Were's all the BHO warmonging supporters???

Perhaps, but paying for it is forced via taxation and inflation.

mmmmmmmmm warrrrrrrrrr...

Phunny, they'll support him wanting to kill off Americans but, they won't follow him into war.

Do even they, have their limits of loyalty?

Scanning the news, between the 2 occupations, I see BHO killed about 4 kids today.

And this is a surprise becuuuuuzzzzz why??? It was there before him and he spoke of it before during and after the election. It was going to be an ongoing war no matter who won the election...
I hate us being there or anywhere, but I am just a mom.....with a son over there somewhere in the middle east.

Where was all this talk when Bush initiated the illegal war to begin with?

Can't blame Obama since the war started before him and he told us all that it would take a while for the end of these wars.

I guess Bush needs to step up and end the wars bein's BHO doesn't have the power to.
The buck was picked up and BHO is doing exactly as Bush would have done.
No differance between the two.

Demand, BHO quit bein' a media ho' and stop killing our kids.

Obama lied and people died

Lots of people opposed Bush, too. We can blame Obama to the extent that he has the power to end the (unnecessary, senseless) war, but chooses to escalate them. We can blame Congress for funding this nonsense too, but Obama is pushing the policy, hence the emphasis.

The Taliban is trying to take over Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan has nuclear weapons.

If the Taliban can't take over Pakistan directly, they can take over Afghanistan and get to Pakistan via that route.

Let's see....Taliban in both countries beheading women and doing all their lovely activities.

Let's see....the Taliban with Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

I'm not for war but the Taliban in Pakistan is scary, IMO.

I also believe that Bush should have sent us to Afghanistan and taken care of the Taliban years ago instead of being in Iraq.

I agree with that. Iraq was a distraction and a tangent and delayed the necessary progress in Afghanistan. Iraq was necessary also but should have been put on the back burner until Afghanistan was finished

There is a concrete, defined, and finite reason we are in Afghanistan. Approved by both parties and deemed to be in the best interests of the country. There is an enumerated strategy and tactic to finish Afghanistan and get out. Contrary to what you'll hear in these forums, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the military heiarchy are not a bunch of incompetent idiots stumbling through this war. They are professionals and very good at what they do.

it's not a war just for the sake or war, or oil or opium as some will try to preach. It's a war to contain and destroy vowed ebemies of America. To preserve regional stability.

It's hard and people will die. Lots of em. If it was easy they wouldnt. But they are going over there willingly and cognizant of the danger and the consequences of failure. And they are doing it proudly and patriotically. No matter who is President

Quiet, I believe that if the Taliban take over Afghanistan and Pakistan, many people are going to die anyway.

Still real early in the day.

AOL News Alerts » NATO airstrike in Afghanistan kills up to 90 and only 40 were civilians