The mess that is Afghanistan

Lots of new blog posts and articles today that make me even more depressed and confused about Afghanistan: Captain’s Journal, Free Range International, Knights of Afghanistan, and Yahoo News. For those of you who do not have the time or the stomach to read them all, here’s the bare-bones summary:

Free Range International:

I get the distinct impression that…the military is riding this one out until somebody pulls the plug…It is clear, based on the reporting  I am seeing from the embedded journalists, that this fight is beyond the  capabilities of Gen. McChrystal and his staff.

Captain’s Journal:

As a journalist (and combat veteran) currently embedded with US forces in Afghanistan, I have found that roughly 95% of the troops on the ground in no way believe in their mission, have no confidence that their efforts will bring about lasting change to Afghan security, stability, governance, or a decreased influence of radicalism. In truth, they fight simply to stay alive and want nothing more than to go home.

I told you it was depressing. Thankfully, Joshua Foust brings some much-needed levity to the issue.