Is Now The Time To Abandon Afghanistan?

Tom Mockaitis, Huffington Post: Time to Leave Afghanistan?

The death of six U.S. soldiers near Bagram Airbase on December 21 serves as a grim reminder that while Americans worry about ISIS, the country's longest war is now entering its fifteenth year with no end to it in sight. The tragedy also underscores two additional but often forgotten truths. First, getting into conflicts is much easier than getting out of them. Second, the cost in blood and treasure of virtually every major war that has ever been fought has far exceeded the optimistic estimates of the political leaders who started it. Following this most recent attack it may, therefore, be worth considering a few important questions. What has the war cost us? How did we get into it, and, most important of all, how will we get out?

WNU Editor: As much as we all like to forget about Afghanistan .... a complete withdrawal is not going to happen. What we will probably see is a policy of containment and minimal involvement .... an operational airbase or two, special operations, intelligence, drone strikes, and training. And should the Taliban or any other militant group appear to be successful in over-running a strategic target ... to be targeted and destroyed via through the air and special operations. It is a crummy way to fight a war .... but .... Afghanistan is a conflict that will probably continue for 50 years (if not more) .... we might as well get use to it.