Well said Nathan. As the father of a soldier in southern Afghanistan I can say that any help he can throw their way will be much appreciated by the boots on the ground. If the allies follow through, this will be a long winter and spring for the Taliban.

Good pece of wordng there Nathan. Must have been derived from the conservatve thoughts you have had on the war in Afghanistan. I too am supportive of our troops and I pray for their safety and a quick victory. I agree that we should be intensifying our ground search for Bin Laden. Something the prior administration never found time for.

Quite a few things have angered me about the whole situation as of late. You can politicize this if you'd like, but I am speaking realistically and not that of the right or left.

A few weeks ago, four Marines were killed on a patrol while acting as trainers to Afghan security forces. The patrol was attacked by insurgents and bogged down. The Marines called in artillery strikes on the insurgent positions which were subsquently denied due to the proximity of civilians. Air support was requested and the Marines were told that it was only minutes away. It took over an hour for the helos to arrive.

Recently, eight Soldiers were killed on an outpost in Afghanistan. While on leave with his family, one of the Soldiers complained of the constant volley of fire coming from mosques and houses in the village across from the outpost. He is quoted as saying that there was nothing that could be done. They were denied the right to return fire due to the proximity of civilians. After returning back to Afghanistan, the outpost manned with 49 Soldiers was attacked by insurgents numbering in the hundreds who emerged from the village.

CNN asked the question when this story was aired, "What lessons should be learned?" They answers were all about whether troop levels should be concentrated within more populated areas, the interactions with Afghans, or pulling out completely.

The real lesson to be learned from these two attacks is simple. Whether you are for or against the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, whether you are for more or less troops on the ground, it is senseless to keep Marines and Soldiers in a scenario that places them as sitting ducks and moving targets.

Politicians on both sides of the isle claim to be 100% in support of our troops. But in both instances, they were willing to choose the lives of "innocent" civilians over our own servicemen. Nine times out of ten, the civilians in an area know of a pending attack for days and even weeks. Often times the streets are clear for days leading up to it. Evil often prevails by indifference alone.

People need to learn and/or realize that this is just like the Revolutionary War. We are just like the British, trying to fight a gentleman's war and obey the rules of war. They are just like we were, using insurgent tactics that limit our response and increase our chance at dying one hundred fold.

Take from this what you will. I honestly do not care if you think that I am calling for the death of civilians or the withdrawal of our troops. I was an infantryman in the Marine Corps. I have led Marines and I have lost them. I have taken fire and been denied permission to return it. I have seen the hypocrisy of both sides and have witnessed the suffering that it brings. Both Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals alike, claim that our troops are the cream of the crop and the best that our country has to offer. Yet neither listens to them.