Let ‘em Fight or Bring ‘em Home

A military commander should never say its more important win the hearts of the locals than it is to kill the enemy. To say so publically for the enemy’s ears is to make the people and the soldiers on the ground fodder for a merciless enemy who kill the locals and kill our troops when they try to protect them. You wouldn’t expect such a pronouncement from General Stanley McChrystal, the former father of special ops singled out by George W. Bush for selection to the Joint Chiefs, unless of course the strategy is to reveal to the American people what will happen if we continue along the current path. Perhaps it is time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan unless we want to “kill the enemy” and “break his things.” Let’s leave nation-building to the non-military and let them convince people who live in mud huts and shacks that they would better off if they had heat and hot water and a Wal-Mart down the road. As a soldier it is perfectly appropriate to help an old lady, give candy to little kids and help a farmer with his goats, but it not appropriate to say to the enemy I won’t hurt you and give him an opportunity to kill you. The American people support the destruction of al Qaeda and the crushing of the Taliban, but they do not support using our troops as unarmed peace corp. volunteers fighting an enemy whose religion and hatred permits them to kill with no mercy. It’s not fair to the troops and their families and to the good name of our country. Let ‘em fight or bring ‘em home.