Could Afghanistan be another Vietnam?

Published 12:02 am Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Dear Editor,

I feel compelled to respond or at least elaborate on recent actions of our elected president.

I would especially like to respond in respect —or perhaps in disrespect — to his choice of questionable people to fill the “offices of czars” without questioning their background, education, investigations on record or public opinion.

Obama, nearly all of the czars you have approved are not acceptable to the American public. None can show their tax records, like Jesse Jackson; one is a convicted pedophile in charge of elementary education — this is all on file, America.

Now, if I can be permitted to respond to an issue important to me as a veteran. This week, he called these same people together to decide how to proceed in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban. Well, if any of you follow the progress of this war, then you will know that Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of all Special Operation Forces, is the smartest of all commanders, and he asked for 40,000 troops to walk across this land and end it.

Guess what, people? This is the same request made by Gen. Creighton Abrams in Vietnam. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his “non-combatant” advisers said no. Well, we (at least those of us in the Special Forces) lost.

Now, I hope this bunch of ill-placed “czars” can make a right decision and we won’t have to leave another quagmire overseas.

But guess what, none of those czars are veterans and none have the respect of the American people.

Thank you for your time.

Steven A. Bryant

Andalusia