Afghanistan myths

Victor Davis Hanson, a military historian, reviews them

• it’s not unconquerable or the graveyard of empires
  
• although fierce fighters, they’ve never defeated invaders without outside help
  
• it isn’t ungovernable--had a long period of peace in modern times
  
• we didn’t take our eye off the “good” war--from 2001 to 2007 things were quiet
  
• and finally, it’s not Vietnam

“Is Afghanistan the new Vietnam? Hardly. In the three bloodiest years, 2007 through 2009 so far, the United States has suffered a total of 553 fatalities - tragic, but less than 1 percent of the 58,159 Americans killed in Vietnam. What is astounding is the ability of the U.S. military to inflict damage on the enemy, protect the constitutional government and keep our losses to a minimum.”

Today only Obama’s indecision and confusion stops our military.

“We have experienced soldiers and military leadership, a just cause and Western unity. In other words, we have everything we need to defeat the Taliban -- except a commander-in-chief as confident about fighting and winning as he once was as a candidate.”