Losing Afghanistan Because of Iraq

by Steve Soto

The Los Angeles Times reports this morning that insurgent activity and American casualties are spiking in Afghanistan this year, as the Taliban have spread their attacks and destabilization efforts to previously peaceful areas in the east that bound the lawless Pakistan tribal areas. These areas in Pakistan are the same areas where Bush encouraged Musharraf to enter into truces with tribal leaders which led to a new Al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold that now threatens not only both countries but also the whole world.

And of course the Taliban are financing their operations with the return of a booming opium trade, enabled by Bush and Rumsfeld's "bomb and run" treatment of Afghanistan. This hasn't stopped Bush from dumping billions of dollars upon Pakistan since 9/11 with no accountability and nothing to show for it from them in fighting terrorism.

The kicker here is that although the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff badly needs new troops for Afghanistan, he confirms he can't get any because they are all tied down in Iraq. The Pentagon was hoping for troop reductions from Iraq by now, with an eventual rotation back into Afghanistan. But CENTCOM commander Petraeus is refusing to allow for any reductions at all from Iraq, so as a result of Bush's foreign policy, the Pentagon does not have the forces necessary to fight true terrorism.