........In my mind retaliation has always found its place low on the list of strategies. "Eye for an eye" seldom has been a good way of responding to an insult. The act of retaliation frequently is one of emotion rather than reason. Its results are less than satisfying for the most part, sometimes leaving a hanging guilt when there has been time for reconsideration.
But in the case of our current deployment in Afghanistan, I find myself more inclined to support the President.
#The response in Afghanistan is not at a nation; it is specifically focused on Al-Qaeda, the terrorists who attacked the United States in 2001.
#The response strategy has been thought out carefully, involving top military, diplomatic, and economic advisors.
#There is a strategy, not a knee-jerk reaction.
#There is an "end strategy."
#There seems to be international support.
The goal, as I see it, is to end the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It has gone on for too long, with too few successes to which we can point. While I am not enthusiastic about the prospect that it will include the loss of more American, Allied and civilian lives, I trust that success in the President's strategy will bring an end to the killing and maiming.
I suspect, however, that this is not the end of aggression by this particular brand of terrorists. Al Qaeda is not isolated in the hills of Pakistan. There are Al Qaeda cells throughout the world. They will not disappear. But removing the leadership of Al Qaeda may destroy the effectiveness of the cells and diminish their threat.
This retaliation must be successful. The nation and the world will not tolerate on-going strategies ad infinitum. Opposition is already mounting on both sides of the aisle in Congress. Some oppose any further action, and want the troops to come home now. Others object to the benchmark the President has set for exit from the retaliation. I could find myself in either camp without a great deal of effort.
However, my trust in President Obama and his military advisors is strong. I believe in his method and I trust his judgement. I didn't vote for him because he has a pretty face or because he is good in front of a TV camera. I am confident that he will make intelligent decisions and that he will keep his strategists' toes on the mark.
Retaliation, in this case, is in the name of those men and women who lost their lives on 9/11/01. It is also important that it honor the lives of those men, women, and children who have lost their lives or suffered horrible injury in the combat over the past eight years. But it is also a necessary evil in destroying or crippling those who would continue to perpetuate aggression against the United States and the world. Is "necessary evil" an oxymoron? Probably.
Photo credit: Military.com
*American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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