As soon as President Barack Obama was inaugurated he started talking about a timeline for withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. You would think our enemies would welcome this news. You would think they would stop fighting us so we would be able to withdraw quicker. You would think that the Taliban here in Afghanistan would be anxious for us to leave so they can take back control of the country. That's what you would think, but in reality, just the opposite has happened. The fighting has intensified.
Could it be that our enemies actually want us in the Middle East? I contend that they do, and for two very good reasons.
The first reason is money. Our two wars in the Middle East have poured billions of dollars into the respective country's economies. We have given the locals construction and cleaning jobs on our bases. We have purchased raw materials for our buildings, and infrastructure. We have allowed local merchants to sell their goods for ridiculous profits at the Bazaar's on our bases. We have purchased millions of dollars worth of locally made concrete barriers to protect soldiers and civilians from rocket attacks. Not to mention all the money that is being made by the arms dealers who sell the rockets.
Analysts have predicted that Afghanistan will fall into a deep recession once International occupying forces turn over security to the Afghans and leave. This of course, will further de-legitimize the fragile Afghan government and help launch the Taliban back into power. This may seem like an ideal situation for returning to power which all the loyal Taliban would support, but they too benefit financially by our presence and would suffer dramatically if we withdrew.
The second reason our enemies may want us to stay here is more sinister. The Sixth Pillar of Islam is Jihad. Killing infidels is an integral part of an extremist Islamist's faith. Jews and Americans are the worst of all infidels, and since Jews are already in the Middle East, they are an easy target. With hundreds of thousands of Americans now in the Middle East, it isn't hard for an extremist Muslim to wage Jihad on their most despised enemies. Also, it is easier now for our enemies to win over more people to their extreme viewpoint, despite our best efforts to win over their hearts and minds.
Perhaps the silver lining to this war is that by bringing the fight to our enemies, they haven't been able to or felt the need to bring the war to us. If being here in Afghanistan helps to prevent another 9/11, then I am happy to make this sacrifice for my family, my friends, and my country.
from one soldier to another I think u have the nail on the head...whenever something dont make sense i always say follow the money...and your right the money trail is very deep ........SGT Morin Camp Leatherneck
ReplyDeleteI am the father of this fine soldier. This should dispel the myth that only those too dumb to find a real job, end up in the Army. As you can see, my son is intelligent, well versed, and articulate. I am extremely proud of him -not only for his service to our country but for the fact that his priorities are in place. His love is first for God, then family, then country. No father has ever been prouder. He calls every Sunday and we often speak for an hour -mostly about family, church, sports and politics. Even though he's halfway around the world, I feel as connected to him as my other children. We should all be proud that America's finest are not in the halls of government, but in the trenches on the battlefield.
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