War-Room Debate

U.S. Marines communicate with their command operation center during a raid on a Taliban headquarters in Afghanistan on Aug. 1, 2008. The Marines are from Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. DoD photo by Sgt. Freddy G. Cantu, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

From The New York Times:

One lesson from Vietnam was that the United States should not go to war without broad public support. One lesson from Iraq might be that we should not go to war without a vigorous public debate in which an administration’s claims are carefully examined and challenged. Yet we are on the verge of significantly expanding the war in Afghanistan, which will inevitably affect Pakistan as well. Unfortunately, there has been little or no debate about President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to send in more troops.

The pros and cons of continuing or escalating the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan can be gleaned from two recent books, “The Search for Al Qaeda,” by Bruce Riedel, a former C.I.A. analyst and adviser to three presidents, and “The Duel,” by the Pakistani writer and filmmaker Tariq Ali. One thing they agree on — and which was underscored by the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai — is that Pakistan is going to be at the forefront of foreign policy concerns for the Obama administration.

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My Comment: An interesting discussion on the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan .... what are the consequences of our actions ... consequences of our in-actions. If you want something to stimulate the brain tonight .... read the entire article.