A question raised time and again by many is, how is it that American troops were given 17 weeks of basic training and then sent into combat in World War II against both Japanese and German troops, and the Afghan army trained by the American military for near 10 years is still not ready to defend its own country? Yet, the Taliban troops using Afghan personnel has had major military successes. One answer given is that the Taliban, cruel as it is, is not corrupt and therefore commands allegiance, while the Karzai soldiers know their leadership is scamming the country.

Why do our government and military leaders urge our continued remaining in Afghanistan, instead of doing voluntarily what we were forced to do by the Iraqi government: quit the country and allow both countries, Iraq and Afghanistan, to defend themselves and run their own governments? We cannot make them accept Western mores, particularly as they apply to the rights of women to equality with their male counterparts. We cannot be the policeman of the world. Many believe that ultimately Iraq will disintegrate into chaos with three separate entities and governments: Shiite, Sunni and Kurd. Also that the Afghans will welcome back the Taliban and that Karzai will bring them into his government and they will ultimately be in charge once again…

Some foolishly say in defense of remaining to 2014 and beyond that to “cut and run” (after 10 years) will only endanger us with Afghanistan being used as a base for terrorism. The State Department has identified 62 countries where al-Qaeda is located. Many of those countries are far more advanced in technology than is Afghanistan. Also, have we forgotten the advice of former Secretary of Defense Gates who said on February 24, 2011, “Any future defense secretary who advises the President to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa ‘should have his head examined,’ as General McArthur so delicately put it.”