March 19, 2009
Yet another attempt by me to see the glass as half empty
The decision to double the size of the Afghan security forces seems, at first glance, like a good one. But one of the smartest defense analysts I know raised a concern a few weeks ago that while yes, more Afghan soldiers might be less expensive than we are, a massive security apparatus of 400,000 men might be more than the Afghan economy can sustain over the long term. I know our near term goal here is to secure as much of the population as quickly as possible, but I hope that at the very least someone is thinking about that rather serious caveat emptor.