While the story does cover significant reasons against being in Afghanistan there are certainly more just as important.
If the COIN principles are the mantra of our current military thinkers, why are they ignoring some of its most important points? And by ignoring them and continuing to believe they will prevail in Afghanistan, well, it defies rational thought. Why is it so difficult for our leadership to admit a mistake and rectify it? Their decisions and stubborness only cost the poor baztards doing the fighting to possibly die and at the least, be maimed for life. We already see the consequences of these wars with a dramatic increase in PTSD and suicides within our military...and I believe this is due to the psychological conflict between doing one's duty but knowing it is like trying to stop the tides of the ocean's to do so. We were all trained and indoctrinated to win, let's face it, winning by the US has not been part of the process of war since WW 2...Korea, Nam, Iraq, Afghanistan...where have the victories been that would sustain those who have fought these wars letting them know all of their sacrifices were worth the blood, sweat and tears expended by so many?
Leadership should never commit troops to any war unless there is an actual plan in place for victory...and limited warfare has never addressed this simple tenet of war...it has all been speculation and dependence upon others and their actions...a good example right now...the corrupt Karzai government in Afghanistan and the way their police and military treat their own people...you get nowhere under such conditions.
