According to a Reuters article on July 30, 2003: “When Afghan leaders ruefully suggested that the war in Iraq might have diverted U.S. resources away from Afghanistan, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, seemed to be one remove away from reality in his answer: ‘I don’t think the war in Iraq has taken any of the resources away from the fight against international terrorism, especially al Qaeda. In fact I think the effort in Iraq has been very complementary. What we’re doing here in Afghanistan and what we’re doing in Iraq is in many cases the same thing.’ ”
– Ahmed Rashid, Descent Into Chaos, Page 248