Reflections on Afghanistan

Let's see if I can get this straight--we decided to go into Afghanistan to get rid of and replace the Taliban government (because they were responsible for harboring and supporting Al Qaeda), and to go after Al Qaeda.

Things we should have known before going in:
(1) The ease or difficulty of setting up a new government, in a country strongly marked by factions (given the fact that there were areas not controlled by the Taliban but by [tribal] warlords).
(2) Whether AQ would be able to find refuge in Pakistan or not.
(3) The absence or presence within the Pakistani government and military of AQ sympathizers.
(4) The nature of 4GW and the strengths and weaknesses of AQ and its organization.

Let's not mention the debacle of letting a good part of AQ and its leadership (including Osama?) slip away across the border into Pakistan after the battle at Tora Bora because we decided to rely upon the Pakistanis and the forces of local warlords, rather than have American troops finish up the job.

As for the so-called 'War on Terror':
(1) How much of that would be necessary if we were not trying to maintain a non-negotiable American way of life (which is ultimately unsustainable)?
(2) Let us admit that we cannot kill all terrorists. Even if it is worthwhile to terminate the lives of those whom we can reach, are we neglecting other measures to protect our country and its borders?
(3) If we jeoparedize our safety for the sake of free trade, the generation of wealth (or the exploitation of others), and unrestricted travel (in the name of "freedom"), do we really have our priorities straight? Especially if the above mentioned activities and others are not necessary for the common good?
(4) How much of the motivation of "Muslim" extremists is religious? And if it is religious, how can it be countered by their own religion?
(5) If it cannot be countered, do we put ourselves in jeopardy by remaining tied to a region that is dominantly Muslim? And is oil a good enough reason to stay involved? (If we refuse to reform our lives and end our dependence on oil, are we not left with bad choices?)

Sure, hindsight is 20/20, but shouldn't we expect more than blindness from our leaders and their advisors?

In order to get access to certain individuals and terminate them with extreme prejudice, we needed to take other actions. And those actions have consequences.

A Grim Anniversary, by Srdja Trifkovic

Elsewhere, The Weekly Standard continues to defend an AQ-Saddam connection.

FrontPageMag Symposium:9/11
[At least some on the panel try to clear up Ralph Peters' confusions.]