Shared by, Tahir Mahmood
Leveling one of the more serious charges that a defense secretary could make against a commander in chief sending forces into combat, Gates asserts that Obama had more than doubts about the course he had charted in Afghanistan. The president was “skeptical if not outright convinced it would fail,” Gates writes in “Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War.”
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The title of the book should be “Ingrate” instead of “Duty”. The only duty he is performing is to his bank account and to his political party, certainly not to his country. Actually the President is right in wondering if the presence of our troops will in any way change what Afghanistan is or ever will be after the day we leave, even if we stay there for 10 more years. case in point : Iraq. The military leaders may know how to fight, but may have no clue as to whether the fighting- and loss of lives- is a worthy cause.
What Mr.Gates has reportedly said about President Obama exposes his shallowness of character – a total disregard of courtesy for honoring him letting him continue as Secretary from previous administration and publicly praising him. I agree with Shoaib Sahib that it’s all for making money, the timing of the book while President is still in office confirms this. If he didn’t agree with White House then instead of getting angry he should have resigned or existed like Secretary Powell.
If President Obama approved war on Afghanistan that did not mean to continue forever and looking at the cost and time the only intelligent decision was to end this war ASAP.
There is something for Pakistan to note too, that it’s not only Pakistan where military and civilian relationship has under currents and it reminds me what Churchill said (perhaps, not sure) that war is too important a matter to be left to generals only.
Babar