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Bob Herbert: "These are real men and women, courageous and mostly uncomplaining human beings, that we are sending into the war zones, and we owe them our most careful attention. Above all, we owe them an end to two wars that have gone on much too long."

A harrowed-looking British solider after what was described as a successful daytime raid, 06/15/07. (photo: Michael Yon)

We Owe the Troops an Exit

By Bob Herbert, The New York Times

31 August 10

At least 14 American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan over the past few days.

We learned on Saturday that our so-called partner in this forlorn war, Hamid Karzai, fired a top prosecutor who had insisted on, gasp, fighting the corruption that runs like a crippling disease through his country.

Time magazine tells us that stressed-out, depressed and despondent soldiers are seeking help for their mental difficulties at a rate that is overwhelming the capacity of available professionals. What we are doing to these troops who have been serving tour after tour in Afghanistan and Iraq is unconscionable.

Comments

+10 # angelfish 2010-08-31 09:44

"Those who refuse to learn from History are condemned to repeat it." We need to LEAVE the Middle East to those poor souls who love the sand, scorpions and 14th Century way of life. We have NO business there. All we do is fan the flames of hatred. Not everyone wants to be dragged kicking and screaming ito the 21st Century. These Guerrillas are not fighting conventional Warfare and are unbeatable on their home turf, as WE would be if roles were reversed. Bring the Troops HOME NOW. No more blood shed, no more sacrifices to Bush's INANE Policy. If President Obama keeps us there much longer it will become HIS War. All the lives and money WASTED for WHAT? Can ANYONE tell me WHY? We have BANKRUPTED ourselves, much to the joy of Al Queda and the Taliban. Are we incapable of learning this sad fact?

+9 # Guest 2010-08-31 10:42

AMEN !!!!!Bin Laden is laughing in his beard. Mission acccomplished ........ the self destruction of the once civil American Society. We idiots took the bait, hook, line and sinker. SUCKERS !!

+4 # Guest 2010-08-31 16:17

From the best information I have read we are there because of the planned trans-Afghanistan pipeline that is planned to take Caspian energy out through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and on to India. It is a move designed to keep control of this away from Russia and China. Of course, this is never mentioned by the mainstream media. This is perhaps why we are still building permanent bases all over the area. It's about the oil and the natural gas.

+9 # Guest 2010-08-31 10:10

The ones who owe the troops are Bush, Chaney, Rice, the people like Fox news gang, and all who jumped on the band wagon because of lies, and fear, when the leader spoke,--you are with us, or against - the same type of words use by another leader in 1930. Our young killed and were killed out of revenge and spite against Arabs , and not to free the people of Iraq from a terrible dictator,- but for the leader, and his friends could have the freedom to control the Iraq oil. They are the ones who owe our troops, and the families of the troops.

+6 # Guest 2010-08-31 11:11

Taliban in the South are occupied by US, Kabul and NACO - we are doing what Soviets did, and are ending as Soviets did.
It is Taliban land, always was - we are commiting genocide there.
It is Obama war - and if he can not control military-industrial complex diktatorship here ... too sad joke.

+8 # Guest 2010-08-31 11:30

We have no business in the Middle East?

On the contrary, we have business and it's oil business. Yes, "it's the oil, stupid", and it always was. that ocean of oil cited by Wolfowitz beneath Iraq's sand.. And Afghanistan is strategically located as a pathway to the oil rich area beyond, a channel to feed our addiction.

Instead of waving flags and mouthing cliches about our freedom (which was never threatened by the enemy), real patriots look for ways to reduce our demand for oil--in transportation, plastics, agriculture, clothing, and so many other areas.

Hebert's essay is a powerful reminder of the cost.

+5 # Guest 2010-08-31 12:29

ADM Mullen made a speech this past Saturday and actually said words to this effect - we have to discourage 16 year olds from signing up and becoming fighters and encourage them to get an education instead? Oh, really? For heaven's sake, which side of the War was he talking about - theirs or ours? If our young people went to college they would not be recruited into the Army either. We need more college recruiters on the campuses instead of Military Recruiters! Furthermore, Army Recruiters continue to commit suicide while USAAC and USAREC continue to spend $500,000.000 per race on NASCAR races! Fifteen races this year! How many college educations can we finance with that same ridiculous amount of our tax payer dollars being burned up and polluting the air? LTGEN Benjamin Freakley and MGEN Donald M Campbell, Jr at U.S. Army, Fort Knox, KY, are the individuals in charge of USAAC and USAREC respectively. Their budgets need to be seriously examined.

+5 # Guest 2010-08-31 12:55

I do remember that Bush's father had the Taliban on the CIA payroll to help his agenda and supplied weapons. It's odd we never heard of the al Qaeda until then, and the bin Laden family have been doing business with the Bush family for many years. --OIL of course.

+5 # Guest 2010-08-31 13:51

"What we are doing to these troops who have been serving tour after tour in Afghanistan and Iraq is unconscionable."

Yes, and so is what we have been doing to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

+4 # Guest 2010-08-31 14:38

What? Remove the troops? And increase unemployment? The wars (and I include Iraq) supply employment to thousands of young people who would otherwise be unemployed!

Or maybe they could be put to work improving our roads and bridges and other infrastructure.

+3 # Guest 2010-08-31 19:15

We also owe future military of ours to not get involved in these stupid conflicts in the first place! Their lives are much more important and valuable to waste on such adventures. Politicians should be held accountable when they scam our nation into such adventures--for which I'd recommend long terms in prison!

+2 # Guest 2010-09-01 07:14

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! IT IS TIME TO DO GOOD AND LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST, FOREVER..

+2 # Guest 2010-09-02 07:02

To the military high command (we have more 4 stars generals than ever before and still losing wars)slogan in reference to young military personnal was to "use em or lose em." Now that has changed to "use em and lose em!"

If one think the generals, colonels, politicians, Republicans, the GOP or the entire officer corps are concerned about the welfare of our young men and women in the military, than the norm shall continue.

I believe it's to fire half of the military Officers wards of the state population and perhaps the Military and our democracy can be preserved.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-04 12:54

I am with Bob Herbert all the way, joining many many Americans who actually do envision a brighter day! Time to walk in the steps and listen to the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Time to have courage to "Just Say No" to the militarism and war profiteering that is undermining our economy and our moral and social fabric. God bless the USA AND all our neighbors on the planet!!

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