Is Afghanistan Worth One More Life?

With the slaughter of women and children at the hands of a U.S. soldier, you can be sure more is to come.  Is it worth it for either side?  I cannot for the life of me find a rationale that is acceptable.

The Afghans hate us.  Their leaders play us like a fiddle.  Our troops are killed by the very men they have trained.  Billions of U.S. tax  dollars have been squandered on who knows what.  No one can account for it.

With this latest incident, it's time to leave.  If we don't the bloodshed is only going to get worse because they will use the tragedy as inspiration to kill even more of our soldiers.

The details aren't clear yet.  Even though there have been reports it was more than one, as information comes it seems  to be it was only one distraught soldier.  A sergeant. The backbone of the troops.  I will be interested in finding out who this man is and what drove him to madness.  How many tours has he served?  How many of his friends has he seen killed? Were any of the men killed by Afghan soldiers after the burning of the Korans his friends?

Does it really need to take ten years and counting to figure out a war cannot be won?  Maybe it's time to play tough.  If our satellites show us any sign of al Qaeda or Taliban activity in either Afghanistan or the border areas of Pakistan they have forty eight hours to take them out - or we will.  Period.  End of story.

Karzai has made so many pacts with the enemy I've lost count.  Perhaps he has too.  All to insure his safety, his little piece of the action, namely Kabul.  The war lords of the various tribes will have the rest divvied up before the last plane departs.  They probably already have and are just waiting.

I know it's an old and ongoing rant of mine.  I hate war.  Especially when it's muddled by political gamesmenship. But I know as sure as I sit here pecking at my keyboard, slaughter is lurking.  Their people.  Ours. My heart bleeds for all of them. Mostly, however, for the unfortunate soldier who was driven to do the unthinkable.  He should not have to suffer the blame or it's consequences alone.