Mr. President, you owe us, you owe them

Ramirez. An explanation, a policy, a plan, even as our counterterrorism people comb NYC looking for bombs and AQ cells. Even as our troops are in the field overseas, at risk for us. Charles Krauthammer, watch: VDH, NRO:

Something is not quite right about the conventional wisdom about the Afghanistan war. For nearly eight years, yearly casualties in Afghanistan sometimes were less than a month's losses in the dire days in Iraq (e.g., 98 Americans killed in 2006 in Afghanistan, 112 killed in Iraq during December 2006). And while many argue that we took our eye off the ball, to quote the president, by going into Iraq to fight the optional war and shorting the essential one, it remains true that while Iraq was hottest, Afghanistan was weirdly sometimes quietest.

One might suggest of course that the Taliban and their Arab terrorist allies were quietly and stealthily laying low, regrouping, gathering support, and then blew back onto the scene in a fury in late 2008 and 2009, but that would still be at a post-surge time in Iraq when we were already deploying more Marines to Afghanistan.

Just as likely are two other developments never mentioned:

Read on. Mr. President, like it or not, you are the leader of the free world. There is no one else. There is no other country that values and protects freedom as we do. Think about that, if you haven't before, but time is of the essence.

And we need a united front--not a witch hunt against those who protected us in the aftermath of Sept. 11th, putting at risk those efforts to protect us now. And you. In NYC to make another speech. To the UN. On climate change!

More: TWS, Kagans Release Comprehensive Strategy for Afghanistan

More. Ben Smith, The Politico. Woodward leak bad news for the president. IBD editorial--why is the Justice Dept. hunting the good guys? WaPo editorial--Is the president wavering on Afghanistan?

Previous post: Outrage