re: #544 Nimed

This is the first month since the beginning of the war in Iraq in which we are spending more money on Afghanistan.

[Link: yglesias.thinkprogress.org…]

Irrespective of your feelings about Iraq today, it’s worth taking a minute to observe that it was absurd to spend more money in Iraq than Afghanistan in 2004. And it was absurd to spend more money in Iraq than Afghanistan in 2005. And it was absurd to spend more money in Iraq than Afghanistan in 2006. And it was absurd to spend more money in Iraq than Afghanistan in 2007. And it was absurd to spend more money in Iraq than Afghanistan in 2008. And it was absurd to spend more money in Iraq than Afghanistan in 2009.

And not just absurd, it’s been positively tragic. Throughout 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 the population of Afghanistan was, unlike the population of Iraq, strongly supportive of a US military presence. If you want to use the US military for humanitarian ends, that’s how you want to use it—in places where it’s wanted.

I disagree. Iraq is a more important country, and has a larger population. Once the decision to remove Saddam Hussein was taken, it was correct to make Iraq our point of primary effort.