Letter to the Editor / WHOSE FIGHT IS IT ?

By Roger C. Kostmayer

“Nation-Building”, meaning military intervention to help a nation or movement, has rarely been successful since the post WW II Marshall Plan.  The original justification for military intervention in Afghanistan was retaliation for the 9/11 attack on our homeland by ISIS and Bin Ladin, and prevention of that threat.  The Taliban ruled Afghanistan brutally and medievally, and gave ISIS sanctuary.  The US “won” that chapter of the war by driving the Taliban out, destroying ISIS and killing Bin Ladin.

The strategy and agreement was that the Afghan people, military and leaders, with support from the US, would fight for freedom and their democracy.  Unfortunately, their desire for nationhood was less than their tribalism, corruption, unwillingness to fight and incompetence.  The US spent 20 years, $85 Billion on training and equipment, and the lives of 2442 Americans.  The Afghans have the planes (the Taliban doesn’t) and best military equipment, a much larger military force, and the support of most of the people – but lack the will to fight and defeat a determined “all in” enemy.

The first and most important question in these difficult military intervention situations should always be: Is this situation really a national security threat to the US ?  The answer in 2001, after 9/11, was Yes.  Today, 20 years later, the answer is “Maybe”, and there is no easy solution.

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