Afghanistan Is Looking Like an Emergency to Everyone But the Pentagon
By Spencer Ackerman
07/29/2008
06:16PM
Let me start off by noting that not everyone agrees increasing troop levels in Afghanistan is a solution to the deteriorating situation there. Maybe yes, maybe no; hopefully I'll have better insights into the question when I go to Afghanistan in the next few weeks. But that said, take a look at the contrast between this McClatchy piece --
Nearly twice as many U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq so far this month, marking the lowest death toll of the Iraq war and the first time that the American military has suffered more casualties in Afghanistan than it has in Iraq.
-- and this Pentagon press release:
[Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell did say that for the time being, U.S. Central Command’s strategic reserve –- 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit -– will not deploy to Afghanistan. The 2,200 Marines of the unit now are training in Kuwait.
Military commanders said that as much as troops are needed in Afghanistan, the strategic reserve is an insurance policy in a dangerous part of the world. Morrell wouldn’t discuss possible scenarios.
“If we were to commit these resources to Afghanistan now, we would be hamstrung in responding to future threats,” he said.
“The situation is not so desperately urgent at this point that it requires us rushing the strategic reserve for Central Command into Afghanistan at this very moment,” he said. “It is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed.”
How many more U.S. troop fatalities in Afghanistan would constitute "desperately urgent," sir?
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© 2007 The Washington Independent
Comments:
Posted 07/30/2008 06:46am with
As a “Devil Dog Dad” who has a son deployed with the 24th MEU in suuport of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan any casualty is a bad casualty.
There is a quote that is attributed to Mark Twain…there are lies, damn lies and then there are statistics. One can get the numbers to say whatever they want. For instance: In Afganistan, fatalities are down 25% for July over the month of June – assuming the numbers hold for another day. So, should we not be encouraged by a 25% reduction in Afghanistan. In a few months, there will be no fatalities – Right?
Question: would people be happier if there were still more fatalities in Iraq versus Afghanistan. Should we not be rejoicing that the situation in Iraq is getting signficantly better!
One of the things that all Americans wanted, especially those that have military personnel serving in the Middle East/Asia, was to see the stiutaion in Iraq get better. Now that it has happened we complain about it by comparing it to Afghanistan.
Let’s at least rejoice about the successes in Iraq!
Then we will be able to rejoice about the successes in Afghanistan and we are having success in Afghanistan!
Please at least acknowledge the successes that are happening and don’t dishonor the work that my son and thousands of others sons and daughters are doing in bringing freedom to the Afghani people.
For us, Afghanistan is not the “forgotten war” but a very present reality!
Posted 07/30/2008 10:06am with
God bless your son.
Posted 07/30/2008 05:30pm with
My son is in the 15th MEU. Spencer Ackerman could not have said it better. I’m a Marine Mom here to stay in support. I pray for all the men and women in the fighting in the middle east and their parents.
God bless our sons and daughters and our country.
Grannyfaye
Posted 07/31/2008 06:32pm with
My husband is on the 15th MEU and I don’t want him anywhere near Afghanistan. That’s not the intellectual or logical thing to say, but logic isn’t really a part of having a deployed husband. I feel blessed that he’s been floating around the sea for three months and hope I get to see him on the date they said he’d be home, which is November 4. If they go to Afghanistan they’ll be extended at least another three months. My one-year-old son isn’t getting to know his dad any better as the clock ticks on. I’m pretty glad I’m not the one making the decisions, because if it were up to me, they’d all be home watching their children learn how to walk.
Posted 08/19/2008 06:44pm with
Spencer, I ask you if the situation is deteriorating in Afghanistan or is the problem there a spillover from Pakistan?