Will More U.S. Troops Help in Afghanistan?

When George Bush authorized the invasion of Afghanistan by U.S. forces he did so knowing that One: Al Qaeda had planned and executed the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, The Pentagon and the failed hijacking of United Flight 93 which crashed in Shanksville Pennsylvania. Two that the Taliban which ruled Afghanistan at that time had provided Al Qaeda a base of operations. Less than two months after the October invasion the Taliban government had been overthrown and Al Qaeda and its senior leadership was on the run. In December of 2001 U.S. military forces had surrounded the Al Qaeda leadership in the Tora Bora region having taken refuge there. For inexplicable reasons the capture of Osama Bin Landen and the senior Al Qaeda leadership was turned over to local forces who promptly allowed them to escape into Pakistan. Unknown at the time was that it was Donald Rumsfeld then Secretary of Defense wouldn't authorize their capture for fear of a Black Lash from U.S. allies in Afghanistan.

As Osama Bin Landen faded into Northwest Pakistan Rumsfeld and the rest of the Bush National Security Team had switch their focus to "regime change" in Iraq. The country with nuclear, biological and chemical weapons that didn't have nuclear, biological or chemical weapons. By pushing Iraq to the forefront and allocating the majority of its military forces in Iraq it was like the war in Afghanistan: The country from which the attacks were planned and its war on longer existed. In those intervening years, completely neglected by the Bush administration the Taliban would slowly rebuild its operational level from one of almost complete elimination to having regained control over large areas of Southeast Afghanistan which borders Pakistan.

Beginning last April the Obama administration sought to reassess America's military mission in Afghanistan. Neglected for 7 years by the Bush administration President Obama has been effectively painted into a corner. No matter what policy shift is chosen it will inevitably be the worst of a bad set of choices. Should troop levels be increased bring the number of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan to over 100,000 or should there be a unilateral withdrawal leaving the Afghan's to fend for themselves.

Afghanistan is country where it is said empires go to die as no invading has been able to subdue that nation through sheer military force. The British tried it twice and failed. The Soviet Union attempted this in the 1980's and failed with 100,000 troops in country. The only thing they managed to control was the population centers and nothing more. Many will opine that once President Obama gives his speech Tuesday night outlining his policy for Afghanistan that it will become his war. Its his war only because the previous administration was more concerned with an enemy that posed no threat than they were with the one that did.

So now President Obama is stuck with a war that he said was necessary for the obvious reasons but one he did not start. His administration didn't neglect this war, but must find a way out. No matter which choice he makes it will be the wrong one no matter which side of the political divide you come from.