I’m not excerpting this because I agree with all of it — but if our policy is foolish, then we should exit. Here’s Leon H. Wolf:
The battle for the future of Afghanistan is a battle between the Taliban and ISIS, and we are just sticking around to amuse Obama’s sense of whimsy.
The facts on the ground are now well beyond the point of being grim: The Taliban now controls more territory in Afghanistan than they have at any point since 2001, and they are continually expanding their territory at the expense of the Afghan security forces. They have completely taken over southern Kandahar, and Helmand and Farah are in imminent danger of falling under complete Taliban control as well. But the Taliban have also expanded their activity from their traditional Southwestern strongholds to include campaigns in Baghdis, and on the border of Tajikstan. Everywhere they turn, they have experienced success.
In fact, the biggest threat at present to the Taliban’s ultimate conquest of Afghanistan is that ISIS has established a foothold in Eastern Afghanistan in Nangarhar.
In spite of all the time, money, training, and equipment we have given the Afghan security forces in the last 14 years, they still find themselves outgunned, outmanned, and outwilled. The current fight within the Obama administration is whether Obama will slow play the withdrawal of the remaining 10,000 or so United States troops who are still in Afghanistan. The current plan is for roughly half the U.S. force to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2016, although some in the administration are pushing for a slower withdrawal.
Read more: Red State
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