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The United States has entered the second decade of the longest war in its history. The nation is weary and, polls show, eager to bring the troops home.
Afghanistan was supposed to be the “good war” – not the “war of choice” like Iraq. Barack Obama, who became president in part because of his opposition to the Iraq war, supported the war in Afghanistan. That is where Al Qaeda trained those who attacked the United States on September 11, 2001.
After increasing the number of troops by 30,000 in late 2009, Obama announced a gradual withdrawal, to be completed by the end of 2014. The mission was to train Afghan forces and help stabilize conditions so that the country could not be used to plan further attacks on the United States or its allies.
For some critics, the policy resembled “nation-building,” an unattainable goal in such a tribal society. The British, Soviets and others had been frustrated in Afghanistan. At the end of the 20th century, Winston Churchill observed that this is a land “where every man is a soldier.”
To have any chance of success, the US mission in Afghanistan required a reliable national partner. But Afghan President Hamid Zarzai and the US government have had a difficult and complicated relationship.
Any occupation of another country for such a long period is likely to produce deep resentment among the local population. That is a basic lesson of history that has not been learned.
Critics say that the US adventure has been a waste of lives, money, and effort. Others, however, have argued that Afghan forces are now better able to protect its citizens in parts of the country. The critics fault Obama for not spreading the good news.
How long the fragile progress can be sustained when US combat troops leave is another question. The US is not staying -- the Taliban is. It’s their country, after all.
Recent events have intensified doubts about the US mission and increased public pressure for a quick exit from Afghanistan. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales has been accused of a horrible atrocity – murder of 17 civilians -- in two Afghan villages on March 11. Before that, US soldiers were killed in reaction to the burning of Korans by military personnel.
There are no good US options in Afghanistan. Obama has been ambivalent but has tried to pursue a gradual, responsible course. The Republican presidential candidates offer no convincing alternatives.
Bin Laden is dead, and Al Qaeda and the Taliban have been weakened. After two wars, that may be enough for an exhausted nation.
2009 has not been a good year for U.S.-Latin America relations. Despite their warm welcome at the April Summit, Latin America’s governments made life more difficult than anticipated for President Obama.
Today, signs of frustration are unmistakable in Washington and in many Latin American capitals, despite Obama’s immense personal appeal and the continued promise of a more productive partnership.
Inter-American relations have taken a disappointing course for the Obama Administration. The US has suffered several political setbacks in the region and little progress has been made on most of the “legacy” issues that Obama inherited.
