Check out what Defense Secretary Robert Gates had to say about the passing of Rep. Charlie Wilson, Gates’ partner during the anti-Soviet Afghanistan jihad. Note how quickly this statement becomes a pledge of administration policy intent:
“I had the unforgettable experience of knowing Congressman Wilson when I was at CIA and he was working tirelessly on behalf of the Afghan resistance fighting the Soviets. As the world now knows, his efforts and exploits helped repel an invader, liberate a people, and bring the Cold War to a close. After the Soviets left, Charlie kept fighting for the Afghan people and warned against abandoning that traumatized country to its fate — a warning we should have heeded then, and should remember today.
“America has lost an extraordinary patriot whose life showed, once more, that one brave and determined person can alter the course of history. My condolences to Barbara and the rest of the Wilson family.”
My emphasis. It’s nothing particularly new for the administration, just what I gather to be a poignant moment for reflection on Wilson’s legacy and how it hangs over the current Afghanistan debate.