John McCain: "They say those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Well, my friends, I know my history lessons"

Unfortunately, in this case, neither John McCain or Barack Obama know the lessons of history; no invaders have EVER prevailed in Afghanistan, NEVER.

Back in July both McCain and Obama called for a "surge" in Afghanistan.

While Barack Obama was correct to say "The central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was...." both he and McCain are dead wrong in suggesting that some sort of a "surge" will defeat the Taliban and bring American victory in Afghanistan.

The lesson of history is clear and unambiguous:Afghanistan has been invaded many times and its boundaries and legitimate government have almost always been in dispute. Invaders include: the Mughal rulers of South Asia, Russian Tsars, Soviet Union, The British Empire, and, of course, currently a coalition force of NATO troops with UN-backing led by US armed forces.

"They have no name for their country", wrote the Scotsman who was sent as the first British ambassador to the court of the Emir of Kabul in 1809 (Mountstuart Elphinstone, An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, Oxford University Press, 1972,first published 1815).


Afghanistan always beats their invaders.

Bush is walking into a trap wrote Robert Fisk back in 2001. Fisk is a student of history.

The British should have known better and remembered their loss at The Battle of Maiwand; they have been defeated in Afghanistan before, most notably in The Second Anglo-Afghan War which lasted from 1878 to 1880.

It is clear that in the past three years, "the Taleban has become stronger and increased its control over large parts of southern Afghanistan. The government of President Hamid Karzai is increasingly corrupt, isolated and mistrusted by its people" according to an article in The Times of London, .

The British Ambassador to Kabul was quoted on October 2nd as saying that "the Afghanistan mission is doomed".

America is at a cross-roads. The Bush administration has squandered not only America's position in the world but our treasure as well. Our mission in Afghanistan, as currently constituted is clearly doomed to failure - we cannot afford it, and do not have the military or economic strength to sustain or win it.

U.S. and NATO strategy must morph immediatly to one of containing the Taliban, not trying to defeat it militarily.