By Bill Wilson
Our church prayed for the daughter of one of our congregation who is being deployed to Afghanistan this week. She is a single mother, leaving behind a beautiful daughter, who my wife led to the Lord. Stephanie is really confused and upset that her mother has to go away and fight in the war. Yes, of course, her mother is part of a volunteer army of American patriots who chose on her own to join up and be a good soldier, a good American. But she will be going away now for who knows how long. And I pray for Stephanie and the many, many other children who will be left behind by their mothers who have to go off to war. It just doesn't seem right that mothers and children be separated like that.
Herein illustrates an even deeper problem. A mother will leave her young daughter to fight this international war with Islam - a war that the White House is no longer calling a war against terrorism; a war that the White House knows is getting out of hand; a war that the White House said was the focal point in rooting out terrorists; and yet a war that the White House has had but one contact in nine months with the General who is prosecuting the war - the general who says that at least 40,000 more troops are needed otherwise the United States risks failure in Afghanistan. Failure in Afghanistan, to make it personal, could have a devastating impact on Stephanie and other American children like her.
NATO Commander Stanley McChrystal said in a September report that was leaked to the Washington Post that "the task in Afghanistan is being made more difficult by rampant Afghan government corruption and a hesitation by civilians to ally themselves with the authorities for fear that the Taliban might ultimately win." The Post said that McChrystal pressured the administration for a swift commitment by warning that if the Taliban is not driven back by coalition forces within a year then the war will be unwinnable. In response, the man who occupies the Oval Office said he would strategize for a few weeks. Meantime, the war is becoming more deadly with the loss of over 50 US soldiers since the report was released.
It appears that more energy was expended by the White House in a failed attempt to lobby the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago as its site in 2016. Intense pressure was put on by the First Lady and OOO in separate flights to Copenhagen. And details are surfacing that White House cronies in Chicago stood to benefit. All the while, troops are dying in Afghanistan because of a lack of direction and commitment by the White House.
Proverbs 14:34 says,
"Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."Is it a sin to pursue lining the pockets of your political cronies while lives are being wasted for a lack of direction? I am sure America's sons and daughters have the answer.
Related Links
Worst losses for a year as Taleban storm Nato outpost - Times Online Capital Crunch: Obama confronts waning political capital - ABC News White House furious at Gen. McChrystal for publicly objecting to new strategy - Los Angeles Times Sharp division inside White House on Afghanistan, analyst says - CNN News Congressional Leaders to Huddle with Obama on Afghanistan - Wall Street Journal
