Ed Hornick
CNN
While President Obama's war council deliberates its strategy toward Afghanistan, the ghost of Vietnam is often invoked as a warning.
Afghanistan, U.S. and coalition forces have been fighting in Afghanistan for eight years and until recently the war had been overshadowed by the one in Iraq. In March, Afghanistan will become America's longest war, surpassing the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War, which cost 58,000 American lives, is the one most often invoked when U.S. troops are committed overseas.
While some say Afghanistan is "Obama's Vietnam," experts say there are several major similarities and differences between the two wars.
Eric Margolis, a veteran journalist and former Army soldier who served during the Vietnam War, said the biggest problem the United States is facing now - as in Vietnam - is fighting the mostly poor, rural insurgents who live among Afghans.
| Joe |
October 27th, 2009 12:52 pm ET There is a big difference between Vietnam and Afghanistan. In Vietnam there were places to hide if necessary. In Afghanistan, it is wide open. Casualties will mount very quickly in Afghanistan. |
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| SLM |
October 27th, 2009 12:59 pm ET Afghanistan is quickly becoming the next Vietnam and that is due to the current administration. Obama has no strategy and is taking his time doing nothing instead of what he needs to do. If Bush were still in office, this wouldn't be going on. Bush went against public opinion and pushed for the surge in Iraq and it worked. Obama has always been against anything for our troops and he still is. Either he needs to get us out or send more troops and finish the job. This doing nothing (just like voting "present") won't cut it. |
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| Kim |
October 27th, 2009 1:25 pm ET Go McChrystal ! |
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| Joanne P. |
October 27th, 2009 2:44 pm ET And, perhaps, fighting a war of cultures that we simply cannot win. |
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| Tim Gibson |
October 27th, 2009 2:45 pm ET Over shadowed by the illegal invasion on Iraq which has left the land of Iraq in the midst of turmoil and devestation while Bush and his cabinet, and congress remain outside the hand of justice for their crimes of war. I however remain firm that the best action for Afghanistan is a complete troop withdrawal not tomorrow but yesterday. This will dwarf Vietnam. |
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| Susan Lewis NYC |
October 27th, 2009 3:19 pm ET It is not Obama's Vietnam. Who took us over there? We've been over there since 2001. PLEASE. |
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