Comment E-mail Print

Page 2 of 2

Today the campaign against radical Islam in Iraq is won. In countless battles, young Americans in flak jackets and helmets defeated often-suicidal enemies, built schools and clinics, established civil order, and trained and equipped a new ally in a part of the world where we need friends. Americans became the protectors of Muslim women and assured their right to participate fully in the economic, social and political life of a country. That's a major victory in the fight against radical Islam. Let's hope that at some point in the not-too-distant future, the new commander in chief will acknowledge his predecessor's resolve and thank the soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and Marines who achieved it.

Instead of expressing "interest" in what happens in the shadow of the Hindu Kush, the new administration needs to realize that failure is not an option. Despite significant cultural and tribal differences between Afghanistan and Iraq, they are equally "winnable" if we do the right things:

--Use the presidential bully pulpit to remind Afghanistan's neighbors that if Taliban/terror bases on their territories are not closed, they will be attacked.

--Commence building paved roads throughout all of Afghanistan's 34 provinces to generate jobs, reduce casualties from IEDs and mines, and show the Afghan people that their government cares about them.

--Stop corruption and illicit drug production from the top down, not the bottom up. Arrest and prosecute the kingpins, and then go for eradication and crop replacement. It worked in Colombia, and it can work in Afghanistan.

--Shut down the NATO-ISAF command structure in Kabul. "Allied" forces that can't or won't fight should be thanked and sent home. Then replicate the effective and successful counterinsurgency strategy Gen. David Petraeus devised for Iraq.

And finally, a solution for relocating the violent enemy combatants in "Gitmo": Pick up the detainees, the guards and support personnel in Cuba, and bring them to the brand-new, as-yet-unoccupied 1,600-bed supermax Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois. They can keep Gov. Blagojevich company.

---

Oliver North is the host of "War Stories" on Fox News Channel, the founder and honorary chairman of Freedom Alliance, and the author of "American Heroes."

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

--------------------

Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.

>> Back -- Page 1 2

++ Discuss this topic in The Forum

Current rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 (7 total votes)