WHITE RIVER VALLEY — For some years now pundits have called the fighting in Afghanistan the “Forgotten War.” Bah! That’s what they called the Korean War too, and like those who fought that war have not forgotten it, the veterans of the fighting in Afghanistan don’t considered it “Forgotten.” It never will be forgotten as long as one of them lives.

Some Republicans are already referring to this as Obama’s War. Again, Bah! He is just trying to clear up the mess Bush created. In a meeting with Republicans, Democrats and military leaders, the President said he wanted to find some “middle ground.” Some Democrats said they would support whatever the president decides to do. Republicans, ever stirring the boiling pot, want him to escalate the fight. General McChrystal wants at least 40,000 more Troopies as soon as possible.

The president is going to make a decision based on what he thinks is the best for the country. Not what is best for either Republicans or Democrats, but for our country. I truly hope he can find this middle ground. Senator McCain tried to sharp shoot Obama by saying the process of sending more Troopies should not be “leisurely” but done right now. The president replied, “John, I can assure you this won’t be leisurely. No one feels more urgency to get this right than I do.” Considering the office he holds I can believe that he feels the urgency because it must be done right.

Years ago I wrote what a friend and I had decided about the Afghan War. Everybody seems to have a theory on how to win. But I believe that what we should be attempting is not to lose! I wrote then that with all of our war machines such as tanks, aircraft, drones and artillery we cannot win. We tried that in Vietnam. Remember that war? I once compared the Viet Cong to the cockroaches in the basement apartment where I lived when an undergraduate. I had sprays and traps and heavy boots to stomp them, but they were a determined enemy. They had the advantage of terrain, were dug in, attacked at night, and took their dead and wounded out. They were winning. (I only paid $10 a month rent). The Viet Cong not only knew the terrain, they dug under our positions with a network of tunnels. They even had field hospitals under ground.

The same is true of the Taliban. They have mountains and caves to retreat to. When operating along the border with Pakistan, they have some real nice hidy holes there. The bombing runs and drones are killing mostly civilians. This not only creates more sympathy for the Taliban, it also creates more recruits for them. The majority of the Taliban are not Arabs. They are Pashtun. In some of the tribal areas the Arabs are referredto as “cockroaches.” Of course that is a pejorative, and if that concept could be nourished then possibly we could establish a secure government there.

I read that al Qaida has pretty much lost any influence that they had in Afghanistan. But I don’t think so. They may not have the training camps for young Arabs, but they surely have presence. And they are not shy in making their presence known.

I found that some tribal elders maintain that the Taliban are not fighting for religious reasons but are fighting for money. Another said that if they had jobs they would stop fighting. I don’t think it’s that simple, but those elders do have a point. If the local economy were nurtured, perhaps that could be another way to succeed in building a stable government there.

I was disappointed to hear that some military and civilian leaders in our government have started talking about “winning hearts and minds.” That hackneyed phrase has been around for a long, long time and it don’t work. Same for spreading Democracy. Not many countries have the social background to build democracies. What they want is a stable government that offers them jobs and security. They could work on the reconstruction of the country. Building roads that the villagers need. Supplying basic services like electricity and water and maybe, maybe this would give the people some hope that their government might work for them.

We would have to help build an effective army and police force. That won’t be easy. Very few Afghans car read, so they first need to build schools and find teachers. At the present time there are only a few units in the Afghan National Army and police. They aren’t in a rush to die fighting, for a government that doesn’t do much for them and with an occupying force, which we have become. When they are about to get involved in a patrol, they suddenly remember they left the tea kettle on the stove and have to go home. Which they do.

It is my sincere hope that all of our leadership will work with President Obama. We need a government that works for us, just as much as the Afghans need one that works for them. Nothing has been achieved in 8 years of fighting, so lets get it done right.

Question authority. It’s the American way.

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Budd Saunders has an M.A. in History from the University of Arkansas where he lectured the history of Western Civilization.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 10/15/2009

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