Return to the Unconventional Warfare Approach to Afghanistan, Don’t Surrender

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Yesterday, President Trump expressed his great frustration with America’s involvement in Afghanistan. It is understandable, but must not translate into a vastly bigger problem.

Unfortunately, to paraphrase the famous quote attributed to Leon Trotsky, we may not be interested in jihad, but jihad is interested in us. Negotiating with the Taliban to the exclusion of the elected Afghan government is a formula for a second Vietnam – surrendering the place to jihadists, emboldening them and other Sharia-supremacists to redouble their “holy war” against us. 

The President says he is looking at various options. Here’s one from former Navy SEAL Erik Prince: Revert to an unconventional warfare approach, cutting U.S. forces to a relatively small number of special operators and replacing the 37,000 contractors now in country with 6,000 veterans who would fight to win alongside Afghan troops. It’s worth a try.

This is Frank Gaffney.