Afghanistan: Getting What We Asked For

If you wage war with "compassionate conservatism," you get just what you asked for. Afghanistan is a perfect example, and Iraq is right on its heels.

U.S. Failure in Afghanistan

by

Dr. Yaron Brook

Ayn Rand Institute Press Release

IRVINE, CA—"The reborn Afghanistan is hailed as a success in the Bush administration's 'war on terror,' but in reality America's campaign there has been a drastic failure. Legions of undefeated Taliban and al Qaeda fighters are resurging. They have launched suicide bombings and rocket attacks on American and Western troops, and are besieging several Afghan provinces.

"The U.S.-endorsed, and supposedly friendly, Afghan government is committed not to protecting individual rights, but to enshrining sharia--jailing 'blasphemers' and threatening execution to apostates. Such a regime cannot be counted on to oppose the forces behind the attacks of 9/11.

"Washington failed to eradicate the terrorist-sponsoring Taliban and to make Afghanistan a non-threatening regime, because its battle plans are shaped by the moral code of self-sacrifice.

"Instead of waging a ruthless war of self-defense, Washington pulled its punches in the air bombing and ground war--for fear of upsetting Afghans and Muslims elsewhere. By embracing a 'compassionate' war, Washington renounced victory."

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Dr. Yaron Brook is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and a recognized Middle-East expert who has written and lectured on a variety of Middle-East issues. Dr. Brook has served in the Israeli Army Intelligence and has discussed the Israeli-Arab conflict and the war on Islamic totalitarianism on hundreds of radio and TV programs, including FOX News (The O'Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto, At Large with Geraldo Rivera), CNN's Talkback Live, CNBC's Closing Bell and On the Money, and a C-SPAN panel of experts on terrorism.