Dec. 14, 09 (Hamsayeh.Net) - A well-respected former US Senator George McGovern openly criticized the US President’s Afghan surge initiative saying he is shocked by the idea of escalating the US war in Afghanistan similar to what happened in Vietnam.

 

‘I am astounded at the Obama administration' s decision to escalate the equally mistaken war in Afghanistan,’ McGovern wrote in an op-ed article in the Washington Post on Sunday.

’And as I listen to our talented young president explain why he is adding 30,000 troops -- beyond the 21,000 he had added already -- I can only think: another Vietnam,’ he added.

After a relatively long period of planning last month Obama made a controversial decision to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight what could generally be termed as an eternal US battle against terrorists which, according to Washington, happen to be found in and around energy rich regions of the Middle East.

 

The United States economy, which is badly hurt by an economic slump and loss of manufacturing to Chinese and others, is the world’s biggest debtor. Its national deficit runs over $ 12 trillions and the war in Afghanistan alone could cost over a $100 billion each year.

 

On this McGovern cautioned Obama that with a 12-trillion- dollar debt and a serious economic recession, this is not a time for unnecessary wars abroad. He instead suggested the US should bring soldiers home before any more of them are killed or wounded -- and before national debt explode.

 

McGovern compared Obama to the late US President Lyndon Johnson who decided to escalate the war in Vietnam. According to McGovern, Johnson enjoyed massive support from Americans for his domestic affairs, but his Vietnam decision choked his dream of a Great Society that finally faded his popularity.

With the new troop surge there is going to be a total of 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan fighting an estimated 25,000 Taliban militants. It would cost at least over a $100 billion for the US Army to maintain the war, while for the Taliban simply to keep the US army busy for eternity it would be less than a fraction of that amount.

 

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