Mess Of Afghanistan War Omitted From McChrystal Storyline
In his speech yesterday, explaining his decision to accept the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal, President Barack Obama tried to sound resolved about the war in Afghanistan: “We will not tolerate a safe haven for terrorists who want to destroy Afghan security from within, and launch attacks against innocent men, women, and children in our country and around the world,” Obama said.
There’s just one little problem with that statement: It’s balderdash.
Just two days before, news came from a congressional investigation that American military contractors had been paying large amounts of money to Taliban warlords in exchange for temporary guarantees of safe passage. That investigation established that the U.S. government certainly will tolerate safe havens for terrorists in Afghanistan. We’re even giving them the money they need to set up those safe havens.
In a hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs this week, Representative John Tierney characterized the problem by saying that American military contractors have, “fueled warlordism, extortion, corruption, and maybe even funded the enemy. U.S. taxpayer dollars are feeding a protection racket in Afghanistan that would make Tony Soprano proud.”
The investigation shows that the U.S. military operation is contributing to the culture of corruption in Afghanistan that makes it possible for terrorists to retain their safehavens. For allowing this corruption to take place, if for no other reason, General McChrystal was right to resign.
