Here’s what we know about the Obama perspective on international affairs:
- Obama appointees think Karzai’s election in August was a fraud.
- Fraud also occurred during the 2004 election, when Karzai was initially elected.
- When Obama thinks a government has been removed without an election, he wants the old government to be reinstalled, no matter how poorly that government may have acted.
- Until that government is reinstalled, the Obama administration doesn’t recognize future elections, no matter how fair they may be.
- The Administration believes there is “clearly a difference” between the Taliban and al Qaeda.
- They also think the Afghan Taliban is not a threat to the United States.
- We are at war against al Qaeda, but maybe not the Taliban.
- The Taliban was removed from power through U.S. intervention in a longstanding civil war between the Taliban and the tribes of the Northern Alliance.
- “No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed.”
- This White House has made significant policy shifts based on a brutally-oppressive regime’s statements and promises alone, or even in hopes that another government will change its behavior in response to our unilateral change.
- Leading liberal intellectuals believe that we must negotiate with the Taliban.
So, if the Taliban comes forward, apologizes for killing over 800 Americans over the past 8 years and for harboring al Qaeda in the years leading up to 9/11, and promises not to harbor terrorists in the future, will Obama let them have their country back? Or at the very least, will he consider the matter of who governs Afghanistan to be an “internal matter” and get out of the way?
Afghanistan is not ours to “give” to anyone. The Karzai government may not be a bunch of saints, but they are arguably the most legitimate government Afghanistan has had in decades. Ask any Afghani not living under the Taliban’s control whether they would like to see the Taliban come back and you will get a swift answer.
Couldn’t agree more, sir. But we certainly can create a situation where the Taliban’s return is all but inevitable, if we don’t protect Afghans from them. An imperfect Karzai government is far better than a bunch of woman-oppressing, culture-destroying, terrorist-enabling radicals with guns.
But contrasted with our last Administration, this White House is far more interested in its own political future than in the security and political leadership of Afghanistan. They’re knee-deep in a spin campaign to divorce the security of that people from our own. And if they can convince themselves of that utter falsehood, I see no reason why they wouldn’t abandon the region to Islamist radicals to avoid “Obama’s Vietnam.”
Thanks for the comment, Sanity.
Can’t argue with your presentation. You lay it out and reference the evidence. Nice post.
I’m surprised the Obamanauts have waited this long to turn tail and run. Then again, that would have required making a decision, the prospect of which seems to generate a mass allergic reaction in the White House.
Actually what nobody points out about the recent Afghan elections is that *all* of the top 3 candidates were Western-oriented progressives that the US could work with. Our interests in Afghanistan don’t depend on Karzai.