The biggest lesson from Afghanistan we learned 20 years ago
by Ken Cuccinelli
| August 20, 2021 04:33 PM
The Debrief with Tim Carney — August 14
The biggest lessons we should learn from Afghanistan happened 20 years ago.
In an effort made famous by the 2009 book Horse Soldiers and the movie 12 Strong, America peaked in its success in Afghanistan at the very beginning.
It’s worth asking how and why that success happened and, critically, why didn’t that success continue?
Following the shock of 9/11, President George W. Bush signed Congress’ Authorization for the Use of Military Force (a declaration of war against the Taliban) just one week after the Twin Towers fell. However, it was not immediately obvious how such a war against the Taliban should be conducted.
The first step was to place Green Berets, Army Special Forces trained in unconventional warfare, in Afghanistan with willing anti-Taliban forces. These efforts were facilitated by CIA operatives already operating in Afghanistan, and they were to be supported by the U.S. Air Force.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/the-biggest-lesson-from-afghanistan-we-learned-20-years-ago
