Progress In Afghanistan Debate?

Today's Washington Times is reporting that some of the top Democrat leaders support the idea of increased troops in Afghanistan.  I hope they decide soon, since reinforcements tend to be of less value as time passes.  The troops are needed now.  Delay costs us American lives every day.

According to the article:

"House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, Missouri Democrat, who attended the White House meeting, also strongly advocates for Gen. McChrystal's plan. He sent a six-page letter to Mr. Obama earlier this month that he said implored the president to "give the general what he needs."

"Others, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman, say they are exploring a range of options but not taking Gen. McChrystal's recommendation off the table." 

The thing to remember here is that this is now President Obama's war.  It became his war when he chose his own general.  To ignore the advice of his own hand-picked general is to risk failure of the military operation in that country.  To float the idea of making a deal with the Taliban is folly.  Does anyone remember what Afghanistan was like under the Taliban? 

There is a scene in the move The Kite Runner that is very graphic and I will not describe it here, but if you watch the director's notes on the DVD of the movie, it is explained.  When America left Afghanistan after the Russians were defeated, the people of the country felt as if they had been abandoned.  The Taliban came into power and set up a regime that totally demoralized the people of Afghanistan.  For us to scale back our operations in that country in any way would only convince the Afghanis that we could not be depended upon.  Our recent actions regarding Israel, Poland, and the Czeck Republic have seriously damaged our credibility as an ally.  We don't need to do that in Afghanistan.