Throwing Rocks at Karzai

Dear Mr. President,
Yesterday the NYT (p. A7) reported that General Joseph Dunford “offered a far more positive take on the prospects for [Afghanistan] than many longtime Western officials here, and a less critical one than many of his predecessors had offered.” He’s spouting the new party line, dismissing the “rampant corruption and widespread abuses that plague the country” as their problem. He said yes to the question, Will Afghan security forces be able to assume the lead when we leave? Well, duh! Of course they will. They have no choice. And will they be able to provide security to Afghans? Again he said yes, but others see a different answer and anecdotal reports confirm that without American firepower, air strikes, helicopters, medical aid and logistical support, the Afghans’ goose is cooked; they are incapable of holding off the Taliban. No talk from Dunford about Afghanistan never again serving as a base from which Al Qaeda can launch attacks against the U.S. No talk about democracy or stability; the goal in Afghanistan is now like the goal in Vietnam and Iraq: get the hell out with as much dignity and as few casualties as possible. Another defeat, another shattered dream of Pax Americana. Then, in today’s NYT there’s a story on page A6 about a GI throwing rocks at a 9 by 15 foot portrait of Hamid Karzai hung from a wall in the town square of Asadabad, a provincial capital in Kunar Province. The soldier, the article states, was on his way to train Afghan police when the rock-throwing incident occurred. Not the first time he had done this but this time he was reported to the local governor who called the base commander and demanded the soldier come to his office and explain why he had done this. Too dangerous, the commander said, and pulled the soldier from his unit and sent him to an unnamed location while the military “investigates.” Since he’s a trainer, I assume he was Special Forces, which I neither respect nor approve of, but in this instance, I believe this man has retained at least a shred of conscience and common sense and understands the hypocrisy of politicians who continue your zombie war in Afghanistan. He recognizes the immorality of supporting a brazenly corrupt president—Karzai—and his gang of crony criminals who have ripped off the American taxpayer for the past 11 years. Mr. President, I nominate this anonymous soldier as commander of all military forces in Afghanistan. He’s the only one left who’s got his head screwed on straight.