THE OUTPOST

Jake Tapper: 'The Outpost' That Never Should Have Been

I heard this author interviewed on NPR by Terry Gross. It was incredibly moving and as an ex military type, it made me angry. I always hate second guessing and I am going to, relatively speaking refrain from it, till I read the book. There are so many things about Afghanistan as there were about Iraq that are f..ked up at the highest levels.

Here you have, Outpost Keating, which shouldn't have been there in the first place and shows the basic weaknesses in military leadership that has failed at the highest levels.

Outpost Keating, named for the brave Lieutenant who, according to the interview, lost his life trying to make this bad scene work. He was a Lieutenant for God's sake! What was the Battalion Commander thinking? Did he feel under pressure to do this, to do something.

Based on the interview, the living conditions for the troops were horrendous. No basic hygiene, insects, things that are unimaginable for American soldiers. This was an isolated situation but shouldn't have been. Afghanistan, any way we cut it is a disaster. We can't really even fight to a standstill. Corruption at the highest levels. Our own generals have shown the worst of leadership and been out to lunch. Screwing around when he should have been countermanding

Americans that care should be shaking their heads in disgust and sorry that we have sacrificed young Americans. This isn't second guessing, this is opinion after the fact. The author's point: a disaster which should have never been. To reinforce: Outpost Keating, in addition to stupidity of putting these young soldiers at risk, to have been there in the first place, given the terrain and the likelihood that the Outpost was vulnerable, is beyond the pale.

Tapper was not a war correspondent, he simply became intrigued with the debacle of sending young Americans into an impossible situation. What the f..k. Let's read the book.