"...to defeat al Qaeda...security is the mother of all progress." Admiral Mike Mullens

The New York Times has 34 minutes and 19 seconds of the news conference regarding Afghanistan (click title to entry - thank you).

It is my belief the military leadership exhibits an honest assessment rather than a 'calculate' assessment. I believe the military with President Obama as Commander and Chief is more open and seeks solutions rather than 'just war.' I believe the 34 minutes and 19 seconds of the news conference reflect that reality. It is my belief that Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullens, within the context of this news conference, reflect men that see the Afghan 'engagement' in relation to a regional and global capacity for stability. I believe they consider every soldier and every military family as important, vital, valued and irreplaceable.

That said, I value their words regarding Afghanistan as truthful, important and confident. I don't know how a military can sustain their mission if they aren't operating under FACTS and integrity. I do believe the USA's military has integrity in Afghanistan. I believe the people of Afghanistan regard the USA military with integrity.

I 'KNOW' the war in Afghanistan is not one easily abandoned. I 'KNOW' the people of Afghanistan are 'in need' of our military and that of our allies. I 'KNOW' the economic reality of Afghanistan is as much an enemy to our military as is the Taliban.

On September 11, 2001 the USA suffered an unthinkable act of barbarism. That act was intended to cripple the USA and its 'Westernized' economic 'stratgies.' The act was conceived and deployed from a very distant place, completely obscure from any potential of imagineering in the absense of 'law,' except for faux religious precepts that served barbaric men called Taliban as was guaranteed in their protection of Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and the al Qaeda network.

Basically, here we are 8 days away from the 8th year since those attacks and the enemy is still 'operating' at a capacity within 'the region' that sustains deaths and destruction. It is incredible to realize this could have been 'ended' a long time ago, but, was diverted.

I am as disgusted as anyone else. I am weary as anyone else. I hate war more than anyone else. But. I find myself asking questions regarding the 'security' of our nation as it will be left to our children and I find a huge gap of confidence.

I cannot turn my back on the fact Osama bin Laden and his 'hopes' to destroy my country along with its allies is still alive. The question as to his whereabouts and his viability is nearly mute from the standpoint of where we go from here. The region that is Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq and Turkey is not stable. It includes places such as Kashmir. When one reflects on the 'governments' of the region there is only one country that dearly lacks a stable government and that is Afghanistan. Due to that reality it acts as a vacuum to international criminal elements.

Pakistan was slipping rapidly into a state of instability while Musharraf lived within his illusion. The Taliban entrenched themselves in Pakistan and literally re-established a 'power.' The region cannot be abandoned to 'chance.' I believe al Qaeda and bin Laden are still in the mountains shared by Pakistan and Afghanistan. I believe there are regions such as Swat needing vigilance for a long time. I also believe sustaining a 'warring profile' for any of those people does not solve the ultimate goal of stabilizing a very questionable region of the world.

The USA has options. It can withdraw from Afghanistan and leave the future to chance or it can carry out a strategy as set down by a new President that bases decisions in 'reality' and 'realistic outcomes.'

If the USA withdraws from Afghanistan that does not mean NATO will and our commitment will be required due to our obligation to that alliance. In lesser numbers, but, no more safer. If the USA realizes its obligations and wants to end this war while stabilizing a country that lends itself to chaos, anarchy and international criminals, the decision to accept the advise of our military leadership is a foregone conclusion.

The people of Afghanistan are learned enough to know who their enemy is and whom it is not. It is for that reason Secretary Gates finds 'the USA military footprint' far more fluid in these efforts than in a place such as Iraq.

I also believe the demographics of Afghanistan lends itself to 'loyalty' and that loyalty can be garnered into productivity and sophistication. I find the Afghan people very sophisticated and it is why they have a difficult time accepting the cruelty and inhumanity of The Taliban. The people of Afghanistan are 'survivors' for the years the Taliban have dominated their country. I also believe they do not want those years back. They do not want the reality that nurtured the attacks of September 11, 2001.

There is a change in the economics of Afghanistan occurring. The 'Poppy Culture' is diminishing. The opium is being replaced with crops. The reason that is stated is a fall in the global demand for opium. I guess. But, the reality that opium crops are being replaced for other agricultural commodities has a 'ring of sophistication' and 'status' to a country long regarded as incapable of having any international status. If Afghanistan were rich with oil this essay wouldn't even be necessary, but, it isn't. It is a mountainous country that struggles to feed and educate its people. It lacks 'cities' and 'resort' areas that support other methodologies to an economy. Even Iraq has a tourist trade within the understanding of 'pilgramages.'

At one time Afghanistan was regarded for its great 'natural' beauty and for that reason it invited travel to engage the challenges of its land and geography. That can no longer happen because of the impoverishment of the people as facilitated by al Qaeda as hosted by The Taliban.

There is no reward for 'The West' in abandoning Afghanistan. In doing so will open possibilities of greater danger to civilization and any ? peace ? due to lack of engagement of the criminals of the region will be short lived. So, therefore, what kind of world are we leaving to our children if we turn our backs on 'the reality' brought to us by President Obama and the current military leadership? The answer is simple. An insecure world with uncertain outcomes.

Will the people of Afghanistan prove to be another Vietnam and turn on the very presence of the USA? Will they determine our presence is more the enemy than the 'entities' we term our enemies? Will they consider 'our' enemies equally 'their' enemies? Will this be a huge and expensive mistake?

If I thought the culture of Afghanistan would seek to sustain The Taliban over decency and opportunity to remove such elements. If Pakistan was growing ever more in disarray. If India wasn't seeking peaceful means to achieving justice with 'elements' of the Pakistani populous. If Kashmir wasn't beginning to seek politics as an answer to its violent turmoil with demands for independance. If I thought Russia didn't have a vested interest in 'the region' and its stability. If I thought there wasn't a 'snowballs chance in hell' we would be successful regardless of the decisions of NATO. If I didn't believe we needed to secure our allies in Europe as much as ourselves.

Then.

And only then.

Would I believe the USA would be more in danger in the hands of our military than not.

I believed the invasion into Iraq was wrong. I still do. I believe our presence there, even today, is wrong and has inflamed and continues to inflame extremism in that country and in Iran. I never believed acting to defeat an enemy was wrong by sending our military into Afghanistan.

I don't want to be a 'starry-eyed' nation builder. I don't believe in nation building. I do believe remote areas of the world where international criminals can find 'safe havens' is wrong. I do believe the people of Afghanistan want their country to be a nation whereby their lives are honorable and not 'damning' to all of civilization. I do believe the Afghan people seek peace. They seek better lives. And. Where they can be 'empowered' to redefine their lives with sophistication, they will.

I believe we have a 'chance' in Afghanistan to stabilize an 'entire region.' I believe it is in our best interest to pursue that. I believe our children will have allies in Afghanistan 'at the end of the venture.'

What lies ahead isn't 'speculative' if the commitment is met with a strategy Admiral Mullens believes is a successful strategy. He and Secretary Gates state they have only begun to deploy a method of defeating the criminals of September 11, 2001. I don't know how the USA can honestly assess success in such a short period of time.

What troubles me are the increased deaths of our soldiers and that of our allies. Canada and Great Britain have sustained painful numbers of dead. Yet. They aren't withdrawing from the war. They view it as a necessary purpose to stop any possibility of future attacks by criminals that have proven their ability to cripple civilization.

It is my estimation the increase in the number of casualities in Afghanistan is in part due to the very successful campaign by the government of Pakistan. It is part due to some degree of 'incompleteness' in the new deployed strategy of the USA. It is part due to the desperation of The Taliban and al Qaeda in their realization of their fate.

There is a 'tipping point' that was a reality when the newly elected government of Pakistan was able to make a resolve to confront the Taliban when they became aggressive in defiance of the agreement they reached with the Pakistani government. That 'tipping point' may never be repeated if we turn away from its reality as it exists now. We may never again have the opportunity we are now faced with if Pakistan once again falls into the hands of coup leaders and criminals. There is a 'dynamic' to the region that has not existed before and it would be completely foolish to ignore it and even more dangerous to not exploit it.

I believe we have to listen to our military and 'expect' advances in stability. I also believe we have to continue to focus on the well being of our soldiers and their families and the importance of them returning home alive, healthy with their 'psyche' intact.

I believe there is reason to expect to find an answer to the chaos that lead to the attacks of September 11, 2001 and vanquish it. There is a 'difference' today we cannot ignore in realizing the sacrifice the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan 'are paying' in 'reasonable' patience for a hope to a stable country where they can achieve sustainable lives in peace. I believe there are reasons to 'keep trying' that shows how dramatically we should have persevered without diversion into another conflict. If the 'dynamics' of the region were different I would never 'entertain' further involvement with Afghanistan.

I wait to hear the decisions of President Obama who was 'in it' to secure elections.