On Veterans Day, the New York Times published an op-ed penned by five veterans of the armed forces in which they argue that the war in Afghanistan is unwinnable. In July, a survey from the Pew Research Center found that a majority of veterans feel that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were not worth fighting.
On Monday, WGBH News Analyst Charlie Sennott said during an interview with Boston Public Radio that he sympathized with the veterans, particularly the ones who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sennott said that while the war in Iraq was a mistake, there have been some positive aspects that came out of the war in Afghanistan, such as the increase in women’s rights and the formation of a fragile but functioning democracy.
“I do think there is a re-thinking among the veterans' community on the value of the war, and on really why we need to stay there,” Sennott said. “I would say to the veterans, and I do say to the ones I know, I think the service was valuable. That’s my analysis from on the ground. In Iraq, it’s a different equation. I don’t think it was a necessary war.”
