Lessons for Afghanistan from Vietnam: We had the experience but missed the meaning

Withdrawal is in the air. As the phase-out begins in Afghanistan, op-eds and journal articles abound about the potential lessons learnt. Not so long ago, in the 1970s, as the Nixon administration moved on its own promise of delivering “peace with honor”, a similar debate ensued. Just like today, commentators then did not know yet whether “victory” in Vietnam, if or when it was achieved, would be sustainable but they did know that the U.S. was leaving. They also knew that the great American military machine had failed to achieve a purely military victory and from this, stemmed some critical questions. I believe it’s timely to revisit some of their insight.