Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen says that the Obama Administration’s massive escalation in Afghanistan is going to take another 12 to 18 months to “turn this thing around,” and he seems poised to ask for additional forces above what’s already committed to the war, though he is waiting for Gen. McChrystal’s assessment to hit before making specific recommendations.
But nearly eight years into the disastrous war, and with the American public seeming less and less eager to keep the conflict going, the admiral sought to distance himself and indeed the war effort from the last eight years of failure, saying that the military was basically “starting over.”
“There is a newness here,” Mullen claimed, “there is a starting again, or starting over.” At the same time, they’re starting in a considerably worse position than they had eight years ago when they originally invaded.
Just last week Gen. McChrystal admitted that the Taliban was at its strongest point since the war began. A rising number of attacks have been setting new records for soldiers killed in the war, and Afghan voter turnout plummeted amid threats of violence and reports of corruption. As General David Petraeus put it today, “an enormous amount of hard work and tough fighting lies ahead,” one that will “require a sustained, substantial commitment from all involved.”
But with growing impatience, and in some cases outright opposition, to the US war effort among its allies (and among the US voters), such a commitment seems unlikely. Even if one was to discard the last eight years, the thousands of people killed, the hundreds of billions of dollars spent, the “new” war doesn’t look to have a very bright future, and the 12-18 month timetable to reverse the momentum seems remarkably optimistic.
Mullen is either a liar or an idiot. Maybe both. On what is he basing this 12-18 month estimate? My guess: he pulled it out of thin air. A year from now, no one in the media will call him on his bogus claim.
Why are we in Afghanistan? No one in this administration has articulated a coherent reason for this war or its escalation. They're too stupid and stubborn to admit a failure and reverse course, so their only solution is more of the same. Throw more troops into the maw, spend money we don't have, and hope for the best! Brilliant. Hey, it worked wonders in Vietnam.
The Pentagon is looking into its Vietnam archives to use the same quotes that were used then. That's the extent of their imagination, this is an organization that wants to police the world and all they can do is recycle quotes from 40 years ago, doing the same failed conduct over and over again expecting a different result. This is also a definition of insanity. This is significant because the whole Pentagon adventure in the M.E. is insane and they are ordered by the politicians to conduct insane operations which they dutifully due because the get huge budget increases which are used to perpetuate insanity.The Pentagon has become the government inside the government, so aptly titled by Michael Parenti. This is not to mention the Wall St., Wash., DC axis of evil another branch of a government inside the government which are not accountable to anyone.
Admiral Mullins, "12 to 18 month to turn this thing around" quote, unquote. He plagiarizing and should indicate he's quoting former proclamations from another failed endeavor, Vietnam.
…so i guess its fair to call this the "'2nd Afghanistan war"