Be Patient

You'll see a lot in the news this week about the casualty figures released over the weekend showing a large increase in troop deaths for the first two months of 2009. This is compared to the 8 troop deaths for the same period of 2008 - now risen to 29. Keep in mind that we had 10,000 fewer troops in Afghanistan last year, and as recently announced, another 17,000 are on their way. Please stop and say a prayer for those who have lost loved ones in this war, for those who are soon headed there, and for the people of Afghanistan.

Look for the numbers to get worse before they get better. We've a lot of fighting left to do in Afghanistan before the job is done, but when we win this fight - and we will win as long as the politicians keep their mouths out of the way - the world will be a much better place.

But it won't come easy, and it won't come cheap. Afghanistan is full of thorny issues that aren't really the main problem - Pakistan is the main problem, but we're fighting there, too...just being creative about it.

Chuck Holton
www.livefire.us