ACCORDING IN VIZZINI IN THE MOVIE PRINCESS BRIDE, WE HAVE FALLEN FOR ONE OF THE CLASSIC BLUNDERS- NEVER GET INVOLVED IN A LAND WAR IN ASIA!

BUT 9/11 HAPPENED, AND LEFT OUR COUNTRY SHAKEN AND WOUNDED. AFGHANISTAN WAS A SAFE HAVEN FOR AL QAEDA, WHERE REPORTEDLY THE 9/11 PLOT WAS HATCHED. SO IN ORDER TO PREVENT FUTURE ATTACKS, THE US WENT OT AFGHANISTAN AND PROCEEDED TO DESTROY AL QAEDA AND THEIR PROTECTORS THE TALIBAN. WE TRIED TO SET UP A GOVERNMENT THERE THAT WOULD KEEP THE MILLITANS FROM REORGANIZING, AND BE FAVORABLE TO THE U.S.   AFTERALL,  AFGHANISTAN IS LOCATED NEXT TO BOTH CHINA AND IRAN AND AN AMERICAN PRESCENCE THERE WOULD BE IDEAL. BUT WE DID NOT LEARN FROM THE SOVIET UNION WHO THOUGHT THE SAME THING. THEIR 11 YEAR WAR IN AFGHANISTAN WHICH ENDED IN 1989 WAS A TOTAL DISASTER ECCONOMICALLY AND WAS A FACTOR TO THE BREAKUP OF THE SOVIET UNION. NOW IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE CHINESSE'S TURN.

 AFTER 20 YEARS THE TALIBAN 2.0 IS BACK AND WE HAVE FINALLY ENDED OUR MILITARY PRESCENCE THERE. THE OVER 2300 HUNDRED MILITARY DEATHS  SAVED MANY AMERICAN LIVES, AND PREVENTED MORE TERRORIST ATTACKS FROM AL QAEDA. THE EFFORT BROUGHT HOPE TO MANY AFGHANS, ESPECIALLY THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, WHOM WERE TREATED AS WORSE THAN PROPERTY UNDER TALIBAN RULE. IN THE 20 YEARS MANY WOMEN GOT AN EDUCATION AND BECAME AN INTERGAL PART OF THE AFGHAN SOCIETY. OUR PRESCENCE MAY END BUT THE CHANGES IN PEOPLES LIVES WILL GO ON FOREVER. WE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THE TALIBAN WILL LIVE UP TO THEIR PROMISE OF ALLOWING WOMEN TO CONTINUE TO GO TO SCHOOL, AND WORK IN THEIR SOCIETY.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

STAY SAFE AND SANE

THE BEGGAR'S APPRENTICE