Mikheil Gorbachev, the last head of state to organize the withdrawal of a failed occupation from Afghanistan, has some advice for President Barack Obama: get out while the getting’s good.
“There is no prospect of a military solution,” Gorbachev warned, “what we need is the reconciliation of Afghan society – and they should be preparing the ground for withdrawal rather than additional troops.”
As the General Secretary of the Soviet Union in the mid 1980’s, Gorbachev oversaw the last four years of the failed decade-long occupation, and materially all of the pullout from the country.
The US government’s war has followed largely the same path as the Soviet one, with ever escalating numbers of troops and rising expectations failing in the face of an ever growing insurgency.
When the Soviet Union left Afghanistan, they likewise talked of forming a “national reconciliation government.” Within three years, that government (materially the same Soviet-installed government that was so harshly opposed in the first place) was overthrown by the US-backed mujahideen.
"the US government’s war has followed largely the same path as the Soviet one,"
what?!?!
the soviets left behind a trained professional civil class.. doctors, lawyers and the likes.
the united states will leave behind warlords and drug dealers
Funny thing is, the Soviets asked the United States for help in creating a stable Afghani regime so that it wouldn't collapse and leave Afghanistan a black hole of a nation. But our government, so wisely advised by neocons like Richard Perle, would not accept anything but an immediate Soviet withdrawal. And so that's just what Gorbachev did. And the rest, as they say, is history. Interesting how the Soviets were acting more responsibly than the U.S. was. And now these same neocons who screwed up by not cooperating with the Soviets when they had the chance are telling us we have no choice but to endlessly pay in blood and finance for the mess they have been so instrumental in making.
Neocons. Pure evil. And always wrong.
Those who fail to learn from history…. Nah, let's not learn history's lessons. We're America! We're different! There is no problem so intractable that can't be solved by a really good bombing campaign. Things aren't working to plan? Send more troops! Yep, that's the ticket.
As the wife and mother of soldiers, you all are people who have no idea what you are talking about. Take advice from Gorbachev? Really? How's that working for Russia? America is not Russia, and we are more honorable than you morons think. Our soldiers do not target innocent people. They are fighting cruel radicals who trained others to attack us. Oh, yes, and they also build–schools, hospitals, homes, and give medical treatment. I, for one, want no advise from a former communist!
I think the Soviet Union would have won the War, if it wasn't for the fabricated Mugahedean's propoganda that was tailored by the Saudi Wahabists and the CIA to undermine the Palastinian cause and divert World opinion to the so called Mugahedean.