A Blunder of Colossal Proportions in Afghanistan

How to Stop the Islamic Jihad: Again, how NOT to stop the Jihad in Afghanistan:

A Blunder of Colossal Proportions in Afghanistan!

BY Herschel Smith

from
The Captain's Journal
http://www.captainsjournal.com/2009/01/21/a-blunder-of-colossal-proportions-in-afghanistan/

One error made in the phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom following the invasion was the foisting of a democratic form of government on the country, and even more specifically, a parliamentary form of government. It led to the ineptitude and intransigence of the government for a protracted period of time. The position of Prime Minister, held now by Maliki, was used as much to prevent U.S. operations against rogue Shi’a elements as it was to serve the country. Indeed, while performing a defensive political operation for Moqtada al Sadr, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and the SIIC and others, he had no problem allowing the U.S. to go after Sunni insurgents in Anbar and in and around Baghdad. Even recently Marine Maj. Gen John Kelly has complained about the lack of funding flowing from Baghdad to Anbar. Having a political authority and structure to which the U.S. was reportable hindered the progress of counterinsurgency, even if in the end a political authority was necessary for turnover of control.

Hamid Karzai wants the U.S. to make the same mistake in Afghanistan. Even worse, he wants operational and strategic control over U.S. forces."

Continue reading at How to Stop the Islamic Jihad: Again, how NOT to stop the Jihad in Afghanistan