Facing the Afghan challenge

Barack Obama campaigned for president partly on the premise that Afghanistan was “the right war,” and that George Bush had gotten it wrong.

He’s had a year to change his mind, but to his credit, he appears to remain committed to the idea of breaking the stranglehold of the Taliban in provincial Afghanistan and making sure that al-Qaida never gets another foothold in the country either.

There’s plenty to fear about the continuing presence of American troops in a country that stymied both Alexander the Great and the Soviet army, but there’s also every reason to believe that the U.S. military is up to the challenge of making the country a safer place for democracy before we pack up our tents and guns and go home.

President Obama announced last week that he is sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. That will mean more security for American military strategy, but it will also mean more targets for our enemies to aim at. There will be many more deaths on the battlefield and at the hands of terrorists, but that must not weaken our resolve.

Nor should the president be faulted for signaling that the American presence in Afghanistan is not permanent. America is not the Roman Empire, nor do we want to be. If we send our troops abroad, it ought to be for a specific purpose and a finite length of time.

Since we are fighting an ideology, not a country, the ability to declare victory is not as simple as in wars past. But rest assured, if we don’t do our best to convince the world that we have the resolve and stamina to crush our enemies, then our enemies will multiply and our future will grow bleak.

The president could easily have given in to the left wing of his own party and announced that he was wrong about “the right war.” Now, let’s hope that he has the fortitude to prove that he was right.

IF CHRISTMAS is near, that means it’s time for “Christmas at Our House.”

“Our House” is the Kalispell Armed Forces Reserve Center, which will be the site on Saturday of the annual free community dinner.

Any time between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., people are invited to stop in for a sumptuous feast (turkey, ham and all the trimmings) provided by the local National Guard detachment with plenty of help from community volunteers and donors.

Last year, the Guard served 1,500 people; this year organizers hope to attract 500 more people.

It’s always a great time for fellowship during the holiday season, so we hope to see you there.