Afghanistan 101

<p>A series of estimates in the 1960s and early 1970s warned the Johnson and Nixon administrations that the South Vietnamese government was corrupt, that it would not be a strategic ally in the war against the North, and that the strategic bombing campaign would fail.</p > <p>As philosopher George Santayana's wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."</p > <!--break--> <p>Five Myths on Afghanistan - by Melvin A. Goodman</p > <p><i>Melvin A. Goodman is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and an adjunct professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. His 42-year government career includes service with the CIA, State Department, Defense Department and the US Army. His most recent book is "Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA."</i></p > <p>President Barack Obama is entering a crucial decision-making phase on Afghanistan at a time when geopolitical mythology is dominating the debate, the Pentagon is requesting additional forces in Afghanistan.</p > <p>The military bureaucracy is particularly vulnerable to such mythology. It is unfortunate that the intelligence community has not prepared a National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan, which would better inform the White House debate. The military has accepted five major myths with respect to Afghanistan.</p > <p><center><a href="http://www.truthout.org/10080910">READ THE WHOLE STORY</a></center></p >

<p>A series of estimates in the 1960s and early 1970s warned the Johnson and Nixon administrations that the South Vietnamese government was corrupt, that it would not be a strategic ally in the war against the North, and that the strategic bombing campaign would fail.</p> <p>As philosopher George Santayana's wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."</p> <!--break--><p>Five Myths on Afghanistan - by Melvin A. Goodman</p> <p><i>Melvin A. Goodman is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and an adjunct professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. His 42-year government career includes service with the CIA, State Department, Defense Department and the US Army. His most recent book is "Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA."</i></p> <p>President Barack Obama is entering a crucial decision-making phase on Afghanistan at a time when geopolitical mythology is dominating the debate, the Pentagon is requesting additional forces in Afghanistan.</p> <p>The military bureaucracy is particularly vulnerable to such mythology. It is unfortunate that the intelligence community has not prepared a National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan, which would better inform the White House debate. The military has accepted five major myths with respect to Afghanistan.</p> <p></p><center><a href="http://www.truthout.org/10080910">READ THE WHOLE STORY</a></center>