The following is from Richard Sinnreich, a retired U.S. Army Colonel of Field Artillery, writing in the Lawton Constitution (Oklahoma):

Way back in April 2004, I published a column entitled “It’s time to remember why we’re fighting in Iraq.” I’m tempted to republish it today as written, merely substituting “Afghanistan” for “Iraq.”

The crux of the argument in that long-ago column was that confusion of purpose was sapping military effectiveness. Flattering themselves that they had “liberated” people who at best detested us only marginally less than the regime we had overthrown, U.S. leaders stubbornly refused to acknowledge Iraq’s mounting civil violence as the outright organized resistance it was becoming.
The entire column can be read by clicking here.