Lost in the excitement over ISIS, the battle for Khobani, and the possible threat to Baghdad is news of the nation’s longest war, the one in Afghanistan, which the President once called a “war of necessity.”
Now, Senator Carl Levin, who is retiring, believes the that morale on the home front might cancel out what he sees as success on the battlefield. As reported by Travis Tritten in Stars and Stripes, Levin recently warned that
“If the public continues to believe that Afghanistan is a lost cause, it may become a self-fulfilling prophesy.”
The senator added that:
pessimism over the war has surged due to a “constant almost totally negative portrayal of events in the press.” But he said reasons for hope exist on the ground, including a power-sharing agreement brokered last month among the two presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, following an election dispute.
And that:
The fragile transition period following its national election will require years of support from the United States — and Congress — to realize its promise and cement some stability for the country.
Which, given the example of Iraq, is exceedingly problematic.
