Afghanistan Weighing on my Mind and Conscience

I had hoped to post something on Afghanistan but have not so far. All I can say at this point is that President Obama needs to lead America and the West into a decades-long struggle (for lack of a better word) in support of a moderate, tolerant Islam committed to the full mobilization of its human resources (including, especially, its women) against Islamic, extremist militarists.

It is a struggle that will be intercontinental and involve military, political and economic force in which America needs to use "just enough, but no more" military power. It is a different type of struggle, I believe, than any America has engaged in.

It is no less than a struggle between civilization (both Western and Islamic) and barbarism.

It is in the context that the decision about "more troops to Afghanistan" must be considered. The Afghanistan decision is operational: it may be that other commitments of power are called for. But the overall decision to commit America to this extended and expensive struggle is strategic and must be brought home to the American people by President Obama.

I believe he needs to lead us into the most tragically necessary war America has fought since the Civil War and WWII.

Bill Bekkenhuis
Bethlehem, PA