Afghanistan Earmarks

Campus Report ^ | October 14, 2008 | Lance Nation

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Afghanistan Earmarks

by: Lance Nation, October 14, 2008

Seven years ago the United States military entered Afghanistan to eliminate Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Now this once straightforward mission is becoming increasingly complex as politicians continue to tack on non-military objectives. “The military had initially resisted other attempts to broaden its mission in Afghanistan, and yet ended up adopting those expanded roles within months,” stated Dr. Ted Galen Carpenter. “For example, the military command insisted that it would not take part in nation-building activities and would not try to maintain security on the country’s far-flung road system. It has since embarked on both projects.”

Currently, politicians continue to urge the U.S. military to adopt additional objectives in Afghanistan; however, one of these congressional impulses could undermine the military’s original and primary objective in the region. As stated by Dr. Carpenter, vice-president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute:

“Congressional pressure is mounting . . . to make counternarcotics goals a significant part of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan . . . The most important objective is—or at least should be—the eradication of the remaining Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in that country. But the United States and its coalition partners are now also emphasizing the eradication of Afghanistan’s drug trade. These anti-drug efforts may fatally undermine the far more important anti-terrorism campaign.”...

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" The most important objective is—or at least should be—the eradication of the remaining Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in that country. But the United States and its coalition partners are now also emphasizing the eradication of Afghanistan’s drug trade. These anti-drug efforts may fatally undermine the far more important anti-terrorism campaign.”...

Fighting the narcotics trade in Afghanistan is a crucial tactic in fighting the Taliban and al Quaida, because they are financed in large part by the illegal drug trade. Of course this a-hole lefty knows that, but he has no problem with omitting this all important fact from his little theory. The lunatic left, consumed with fighting conservatism and attacking all that's right and good about America, will one day find that their hysteria has caused their own demise. Unfortunately, they will take the rest of us down with them, if possible.