After working the fraud-in-the-elections gambit for weeks, the US finally is close to establishing the need for a run-off election between Karzai and the former foreign minister Abdullah. The US polling apparatus shows that Karzai would probably win, but never underestimate the effort of the war chiefs. When they get their runoff, they will then turn their energy to character-assassination of Karzai.
Karzai had better move fast if he doesn't want to join the long list of politicians who displeased the cryptocracy and were removed in one manner or another.
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"Sen. Levin Crafts Afghan Compromise." This is a headline in today's Wall Street Journal (page A6). This article purports to convince us that Senator Levin, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has entered the great discussion of Afghan policy by proposing to solve the dilemma of more troops versus a 'counter-terror' push with fewer troops. Levin's compromise: train the Afghan army faster!!
Now there is a new idea!!!! This stratagem was a complete disaster in Vietnam, where the South Vietnamese army, built up fast by the US, was incapable of defending the regime, and ultimately led to the collapse of the war effort. In Iraq, the new idea was implemented and resulted in no decrease in US troops. This army too will probably collapse when the Americans reduce their armed influence.
It seems this 'new' approach is what the war mongers come up with when they realize that they cannot win a war. Just train the indigenous army quickly and hope for the best. In the long run this strategy provides cover for the war mongers when the war is lost. 'We didn't lose, it was the Afghan-Iraq-South Vietnamese army who lost the war.'
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