TIC - 20 Years in the Middle East – a Reckoning
TIC - 20 Years in the Middle East – a Reckoning
Purpose: Discuss twenty years of U.S. military involvement in the Middle East
Facilitator: Mike Quinlan
Our twenty years of military engagement in the Middle East have now come to a close. Had 9/11 not happened, we would not have invaded Iraq or Afghanistan. The losses endured by and our NATO allies have been staggering. Hardly ever mentioned are the disrupted lives of millions of our heroic troops who served there. We cannot rewrite history, but we can learn from it. It is time for "Monday morning quarterbacking" so as to ask the tough questions, and ensure any mistakes are not repeated. Should we have invaded Iraq? Was Paul Bremer the right person to lead the Coalition Provisional Authority? Should we have followed General Patraeus' recommendation for a surge in troop strength? Should we have left Iraq in 2011? What lessons can we learn from our Iraq occupation? In Afghanistan we quickly routed both the Taliban and Al Qaeda - should we have left at that time? Did we have enough people on the ground when Osama Bin Laden was cornered in Bora Bora? Why did we and NATO forces remain for so many years? What mistakes were made during the evacuation of Afghanistan? What lessons can we learn from our twenty year Afghanistan endeavor?
Friday, November 12th
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Complimentary - Reservation required
Please log on www.thecommonsclub.com or call 239-949-3800
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