This is Jesse Kelly we’re talking about, so of course, he announced his new piece in The Federalist by tweeting, “MUST READ: This is the best article I’ve ever read.” However, a lot of people are weighing in in agreement.
MUST READ: This is the best article I’ve ever read. https://t.co/o0j0ARsB9Y
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) February 4, 2019
Of course, you remember that President Trump had announced last August he was pulling American combat troops out of Afghanistan, but the Senate recently voted 68-23 to keep troops there for the time being.
That has Kelly writing in The Federalist that the majority of senators think “we haven’t spilled enough blood, broken enough soldiers (mentally and physically), or spent enough money. All for a now-aimless conflict in a part of the world Americans don’t even care about.”
What began as an attempt to hunt down Osama bin Laden has now become a generational conflict where sons are patrolling the same areas as their fathers did. This no longer a war. This has become a hopeless mission to tame a part of the world that has never been and will never be tamed.
Afghanistan is a rugged, tribal nation with different interests than ours. As with so many parts of the world, the strong will rule over the weak there, and there is precious little America can do about that. That is why we’re now resigned to negotiating a peace deal with the very Taliban we’ve been fighting for 17 years.
As we said, a lot of big names are passing Kelly’s piece along:
“Let us stop this. Let us revert back to an originalist foreign policy that lets America worry about America and Americans. “ https://t.co/Pqz1q5Iifi
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 4, 2019
I went to Afghanistan 13 years ago & spent 485 days there. Took an 85% casualty rate in my Platoon. Was wounded myself. Despite all that, we won every fight.
Yet somehow we are losing this war.
I 100% agree with this assessment.
It is past time to get the hell out of Afghanistan. https://t.co/d2QIpOHabA— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) February 4, 2019
This is important from @JesseKellyDC. Congress engages abroad with no ownership. It must own the cost of continuing & no longer act under a 17 year old AUMF. I would note also that the Western Hemisphere is on fire while we focus elsewhere. https://t.co/pRU1cSSokE
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) February 4, 2019
My family volunteers at our local Veterans center and hospital, as we are part of this family. You are 100% correct Jesse, it is filled with beautiful, broken, and forgotten younger men and women. Thank you very much for writing this article.
— JJensen (@Robynmonty) February 4, 2019
I can hardly walk through the VA without getting choked up. I’m sick of it. Bring them home. They deserve better. https://t.co/3ExZaGTdRK
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) February 4, 2019
I can’t begin to emphasize how much I agree with this article by @JesseKellyDC. Afghanistan was a necessary war in 2001, but the ME and technology have changed. I don’t know a single Afghanistan vet who thinks we should still sacrifice lives there. https://t.co/6pht6SM8AZ
— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) February 4, 2019
“When you call for deploying troops, understand that you’re telling a man to kiss his wife and children goodbye for maybe the last time.”
Like far too many others, I know people who didn’t make it home from Afghanistan. In 2019, what objective in Afghan is worth families’ grief?
— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) February 4, 2019
Drone warfare was rudimentary in ‘01-02, and AFG was one of the few safe havens for Al Qaeda. Now we have incredible UAV capabilities, and AFG is far from unique as a ME failed state (see Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen). The rationale for holding remote terrain no longer exists.
— James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) February 4, 2019
AMAZING ARTICLE!!!
I actually cried, my dad fought in Vietnam, an uncle the end of wwII, another, Korea, my brother in law, cousin and my son will all end up having blood in the M.E., one is in his mid 40s with his 9th deployment halfway done. I totally get it.— kimbertarian (@Kimberl21786787) February 4, 2019
Ninth deployment? And this really is a multi-generational conflict.
Very true. My son and I are veterans of the same war. This is the longest war in American history, and the reason is because it has no clearly defined mission, has loose parameters, and lacks a concrete end state. It's a war whose goal is literally to propagate more war.
— Lord Gouda (@Lord_Gouda) February 4, 2019
This article by @JesseKellyDC is sparking a fantastic, and necessary, discussion. Trump is being criticized for not following the advice of the intelligence community, but should instead be applauded for bringing independent thought to this important issue. I suspect more [cont] https://t.co/RPRREnkaPt
— Michael Berry (@MichaelBerrySho) February 4, 2019
people — including some (certainly not ALL) — Veterans agree. We are a civilian government, not a military junta. Military advisers are just that, advisers. It also seems they ALWAYS want more troops in more places, never fewer. The reasoning is always that it makes us
— Michael Berry (@MichaelBerrySho) February 4, 2019
safer, but I don't believe that. If we were using our military to protect our own people, rather than intervene in internal conflicts of other countries or regions, we'd place our troops in Mexico. But of course we don't. The cartels must find it odd we chase ISIS but not them.
— Michael Berry (@MichaelBerrySho) February 4, 2019
A guy I've known for many years got shot in AFG in November.
He and his guys are totally committed, and will do whatever we ask of them, but we citizens have to decide:Are we going to ask our best to put themselves at risk there any longer?@JesseKellyDC @MichaelBerrySho https://t.co/NbCoNMrqwf
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) February 5, 2019
The whole piece is definitely worth a read.
* * *
Update:
Here’s a nice thread by Dave in Texas:
The American Revolution lasted 8 years, 1775-1783
War of 1812, June that year to Feb 1815
We entered WWI in April of 2017. We were done by November of 1918
Entered into WWII in Dec of 1941. Finished it in Sept of 1945
1/
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) February 5, 2019
Korea, June 1950, July 1953
Vietnam, 1964 to 1973
First Gulf War. 2 months in 1991
2/
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) February 5, 2019
We have sent our sons and daughters to Afghanistan to fight and die for 17 years, since 2001
Longer than any other conflict we've ever waged. Longer than our own unpleasantness from 1861 to 1865
The longest war we have ever fought. Surpassed Vietnam 3/
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) February 5, 2019
Well what do we have to show for it? What did we win in Vietnam?
VA hospitals full of broken warriors. Blood and treasure. A generation and more pushed to the limit of human endurance. Broken families, kids without their parents 4/
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) February 5, 2019
We spent their lives, their bodies and we own em an answer. What's the motherfucking end game in Afghanistan? To what end shall we keep throwing them into harm's way?
What the hell are we supposed to protect for the nation?
5/
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) February 5, 2019
Because if 70 Senators can't answer this question I'm gonna suggest they don't know dick
I realize the only recourse is elections. But I'm willing to press this question to you both @tedcruz and @JohnCornyn
What's the end game?
6/6
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) February 5, 2019
Related:
Jake Tapper’s interviews with veterans and military families show support for Trump’s Afghanistan plan https://t.co/kbnxRTkjf7
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 22, 2017
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