South Vietnam from 1962 through 1973

The millions of young Americans who trudged through the jungle, endlessly searching for a multifarious enemy, and the thousands of planes that had flown bombing missions decimating the ground beneath them, continuously proved that they could only barely hold on to the country while deployed. Nevertheless, these Americans could do nothing about the political weakness of the South Vietnamese government infiltrated on every level by the communist power in the north. American money, not loyalty, was the only motor driving the South Vietnamese war effort forward, and as it seamed money had become far less fungible than human life.

The overwhelming lesson of Vietnam: American forces, no matter how large, cannot create a strong allied government where the local will is lacking.

Unfortunately this lesson was lost 25 years later when this horrible reality replayed itself in the form of the Iraq War. After the horrific attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 the United States was drawn into its longest war. 

“In 2003 Iraq was about twice as populated and much larger in area than South Vietnam in 1962, but they were certain that less than a third of the troops eventually needed in South Vietnam would do the job. They were wrong on all counts.” – David Kaiser, Time Magazine 

The American-backed government had failed to secure the allegiance of the population in large religious areas, a “miss step” that continues to haunt them to this day.

President Biden has recently claimed that there will be a withdraw of all American troops from Afghanistan over the coming months, this will compliment the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that initiated the United States into its longest war.

“Biden’s decision comes after an administration review of U.S. ­options in Afghanistan, where U.S.-midwifed peace talks have failed to advance as hoped and the Taliban remains a potent force despite two decades of effort by the United States to defeat the militants and establish stable, democratic governance.” – Missy Ryan, The Washington Post 

The war has cost trillions of dollars in addition to the lives of more than 2,000 U.S. service members. At least 100,000 Afghan civilians have been injured or killed.

Some officials have warned that a U.S. exit will lead to the collapse of current U.S. Backed Iraqi government, while jeopardizing gains made over the past two decades in health, education and women’s rights. This would be a similar end result as the Vietnam War, which influenced destabilization and genocide in neighboring countries like Cambodia.

The current Administration has stated that the United States intends to remain involved in the process and creation of piece in Iraq, and will continue to provide assistance to the neighboring government and security forces, which remain almost completely dependent on foreign support.