Afghanistan is not what we pictured

Before we undertake any project, we have a picture in our mind about how it will turn out. When we plan to landscape our yards we have an idea about what to plant, where to plant it, and in our minds eye, we can see a picture of the result.

The pictures we see in our mind aren’t always the picture we see at the end of a project. Things happen unexpectedly, the tree we wanted to plant in the corner of the lot was not available, or there is a buried cable we didn’t know about where the tree was to be placed. The point is, you can’t always get what you want because what you want isn’t always available.

We wanted a safer world after 9/11. Some, perhaps, pictured the rebuilding of the Twin Towers, some pictured a great memorial at ground zero, but few pictured a mosque or anything like that being built two blocks away.

We pictured the end of terrorism, the end of fear and victory over our enemies. We pictured a perfect garden.

We put the vast majority of our military might behind a war in Iraq, instead of a war in Afghanistan. We toppled the violent regime of Saddam Hussein, and watched as he was executed for his crimes against humanity. We eliminated the threat of that regime, but we also upset the balance of power in the area and killed or scattered our enemies. Apparently, it was thought our enemies would be so shocked by our resolve and might they would run for the hills and never return – that’s the picture we must have seen.

Our enemies did scatter and run for the hills, just as we had pictured it. However, they did not hide shacking in fear that we would follow and root them out; they hid and waited for us to come. They saw a different picture. Their vision was one of American blood running down the very hills we chased them to. In their picture, they see a victory over the great imperialism of the West. They see a picture of victory over the arrogant giant, the United States of America.

Yesterday our government sold us a war, and we bought it because the picture they painted was serene and secure. Today, we see that picture coming into the light, and we find it is not what we imagined it to be. Tomorrow they will ask for our continued support for this war, and they will continue to present us with pictures in an effort to entice our favor, but we should no longer be blinded by the darkness of the pictures they portray.

We know Pakistan is consulting with our enemies, even as they take our money. We know we have not broken the backs of our enemies, but have killed innocent people, which have only strengthened their resolve - just as they strengthened our resolve when they killed our innocent. We know we are pouring money, lives and time into a war we cannot win.

We see clearly now that the landscape is not ready for the tree we sought to plant. And if we really look hard at the picture, we must also see two wrongs do not make things right. War is not a pretty picture.