by Jacob G. HornbergerJuly 22, 2016

Glenn Greenwald asks a provocative question: Would Turkey be justified in assassinating or kidnapping a Turkish citizen named Fethullah Gulen, who resides in Pennsylvania. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen of being a terrorist who helped orchestrate the recent military coup attempt in Turkey.

What causes Greenwald to ask such a question? The situation is strikingly similar to the events leading up the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, a brutal occupation that has taken the lives of countless Afghan citizens and that continues to this day, 15 years later.

Let's recall what happened back then because while most U.S. officials now concede that the U.S. war on Iraq was a "mistake," many of them continue to maintain that the U.S. war on Afghanistan was a "good" war — a justified war.

Their rationale? They say that since the Afghan government was "harboring" Osama bin Laden, who U.S. officials suspected had helped orchestrate the 9/11 attacks, it was entirely justifiable for the U.S. government to invade and occupy the country.