Afghan President Hamid Karzai recently accused the United States and the Taliban of colluding to convince Afghans that foreign forces were needed beyond 2014, when NATO is set to wrap up its combat mission and most foreign troops will withdraw. The Conservative Breakfast Group (CBG) will discuss President Karzai’s remarks and other recent foreign policy setbacks at its March 14 breakfast meeting.
The CBG meets every Thursday at 7:30AM at the Holiday Inn Express in Chestertown.
The last US troops left Iraq at the end of 2011 despite the fact that the US installed President al-Maliki and his Shite supporters as leaders in the government. Violence in Iraq appears to be increasing steadily. The US government used cruise missiles to drive the President of Libya from power. Violence in Libya is escalating as the governing General National Congress appears to be increasingly ineffective. Our efforts in Afghanistan appear to be following the same, predictable, path. These recent interventions in foreign lands seem to have had little effect aside from causing death and destruction. Is it time to pay more attention to George Washington’s advice in his 1796 Farewell Address: “Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent Alliances, with any portion of the foreign world … The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations … is to have with them as little political connection as possible”? George did not address the wisdom of launching unprovoked attacks on foreign countries as we did in Libya, and, arguably, in Egypt, but probably the idea of such attacks did not occur to him.
Fletcher R. Hall says
Today, the Wall Street Journal has the lead story, “CIA Ramps UP Role in Iraq”. Yes, troops have been withdrawn, but the last time I checked, CIA operatives were Americans. And, what ever happened ro rhe notion that American foreign policy was quided by our “vital national interests”.
Certainly, George Washington, and other American political leaders in the 1700’s, could not envision the types of wars which the United States has injected itself, of late. These wars remind me of wars withoout end and incursions without debate of America’s national interests. Just an observation.
joe diamond says
Fletcher,
The CIA reports to the President. Their budget is a national secret. When the Bush White House asked the FBI for some evidence of a threat from Iraq they said they could find none. It looks like the CIA didn’t have any problem finding informants who recited what they were told to say….Then the bombs started falling. Congress largely signed away our right to monitor the actions of elected officials with the Patriot Act. We trashed Iraq and can now buy their oil. Contractors (code for political pals of Bush the Younger) made plenty of money. The same NY Times reports that as of today there are no reconstruction projects that can be identified as finished and or in operation. None of the Iraq war expenses were on a budget congress could vote upon. but that money is gone……….and many soldiers…….and many Iraq civilians who became collateral damage…..and our national reputation is dinged.
Time to go home.
Joe
joe diamond says
Poor George,
Everyone ignores him and his Farewell Address. American history is full of examples of the times we ignored his words. Early on General George needed a fleet to grind Lord Cornwallis and block the escape of the English Army from the lower Chesapeake. George borrowed the French navy. The Brits marched out. The Revolution was won. George was elected president #1 and president #2 It was as he was declining to become president #3 that he delivered his Farewell Address. It has been quoted often while it has been largely ignored.
As George left office we supported France in a continuing war against England in hopes of taking a piece of Canada. In spite of the rockets red glare we got our capitol burned for that one. When the US Marines sing their song we are reminded the halls of Montezuma are in Mexico and the shores of Tripoli are where Libya is today. San Juan Hill is in Cuba and we were asked (by the Hurst Papers )to “Remember the Maine” so we could take Cuba and the Philippine Islands from Spain.
The words of George almost allowed us to miss WWI . We were “too proud to fight.” Rather than park our merchant fleet we sent troops through the U boat waters to aid the French and English et al. After the killing things returned to what they were but with far fewer Europeans alive. As WWII ended we again thanked George for the advice that kept battles away from here. We had nothing to fear but fear itself (and the Nazis…and the Japanese) It was probably at this point we decided avoiding foreign entanglements was was not going to happen. We went on to oppose communists where ever we could find them…wrecking countries in the process.
We have continually been involved in the affairs of foreign governments. We have made friends and supported them while turning the sword on those who annoy us. We have become the policeman of the world. We have spoken with a forked tongue and bull shitted the world. Our political leaders have lied to us and misrepresented out intentions to both friends and foes. It would be refreshing to let the words of our first president rest. We will be a danger to the world until our military spending forces up to cool our jets in the manner of the former USSR, an opponent we just out spent.
We are entering an era of military action less than war. Calling it a war on terror isn’t accurate. Signing away Constitutional rights in hopes of being saved by the government will, in my opinion, be an error. We need a policy that allows us to survive in an affordable manner without living in a police state. VietNam and Iraq were not successful. Let us do better with the next one.
Sorry George.
Joe
Fletcher R. Hall says
Is it not time to avoid a “next one” unless our vital national interests are involved as they were in the war against the Tripoli pirates, war of 1812, world war II, and the first Gluf war.
I need a better understanding of the rationale and national security objectives for the conflicts in which we are engaged today and will perhaps be involved in the near future. Africa, for one is an area where I am not sure why we are becoming more inolved currently.
Foreign policy should not be operated on a need to know basis. This applies to the Congress and the American public.