The death of nine U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan Sunday in a Taliban attack underscored the deteriorating security situation there, and the collateral costs of the Bush administration’s ongoing distraction in Iraq.
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said recently that the United States faced a “very complex problem” in Afghanistan that required a buildup of U.S. forces — but a surge in Afghanistan couldn’t happen as long as U.S. troops were tied down in Iraq.
Barack Obama called Monday for sending an additional two combat brigades to Afghanistan as part of a refocused war-on-terror strategy. “Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and al-Qaida has a safe haven,” Obama wrote in a New York Times commentary. “Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been.”
John McCain said that the “status quo is not acceptable” in Afghanistan and has pledged three more combat brigades of about 3,500 troops each.
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post wrote about the amazing rehabilitation of John Ashcroft (in photo with Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.). When Ashcroft departed as attorney general three years ago, he was despised by the left for his role in the Patriot Act and other spying efforts. But as more information has come out about how Ashcroft stood up to the White House on a number of occasions — including when he was in the hospital on the verge of death — the left has changed its opinion of Ashcroft. At a hearing this week of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic lawmakers heaped praise on Ashcroft. Of course, one big reason why Ashcroft looks better now is because of how bad successor Alberto Gonzales was.
In my column Friday, I support the growing trend of walk-in medical clinics in retail outlets like Walgreens and Wal-Mart.
Many doctors and medical groups don’t like them, but retail clinics — staffed by nurses and physician assistants — provide quick, affordable and convenient service on routine medical tasks. And there is great potential for partnerships with traditional providers such as hospitals and doctors.
What’s not to like?
