Don't ignore Afghanistan | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

What is it with the war in Afghanistan, which began a month after the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001?

America's longest conflict — 11 years this October — reached an ominous milestone last month: the 2,000th death of an American soldier. Army Specialist James A. Justice died from injuries that were caused by small-arms fire in Wardak province, Afghanistan.

There is an interesting reality to our casualties: They're escalating.

The 1,000th American death did not occur until the war was nine years old. The 2=,000th death took place only 27 months later.

Given this reality, it is incumbent on our presidential candidates to make the war in Afghanistan a policy priority.

We need to hear a reasoned debate on one of the most tragic issues of our time. It should not be ignored.

Louis Borgenicht

Salt Lake City