Can we afford more?

Three weeks ago on Dec. 1, President Barack Obama announced the new plan for Afghanistan. A troop surge of 30,000 into Afghanistan is a strategy that many disagree with. Many people call this a lost cause, and talk about pulling out the troops and sending less because there is no need for more. However, before an opinion is to be formed it must first be informed.

 

Going back to the terrible events of 9/11, the United States acted upon the North Atlantic Treaty Organization article 5 and received an endorsement from the United Nations Security Council to respond to the 9/11 attacks as necessary. Being in this war, that was once justifiable by public perception, for eight years now has cost this country a great deal in lives and resources. With 128,000 less troops in Afghanistan than Iraq at the changing of a presidential administration Obama requested General McChrystal give a report of the war efforts. McChrystal issued his report with an unexpected severity stating the “status quo is not sustainable.”

 

Looking into what has worked in the Middle East, since we have been there, a troop surge in Iraq in 2007 could be a possible example of what could be expected in Afghanistan. After an extraordinary amount of American tax dollars going into the war in Iraq, things are coming to what Obama calls a “responsible end.” The plan is to have all the troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011. For that to be paralleled in Afghanistan, things need to change in the administration of this war.

 

With some important background laid about this war, an unbiased or unskewed opinion can be formed. Before we talk of how this is an ill-advised surge, look at things like this. We went into their country and eight years later people are ready to leave. If we leave now our purpose for being there in the first place would be in vain and all the soldiers that have died would have died for nothing. We have an obligation to the fallen and the people of Afghanistan to right what ever wrong we have caused or adopted when we intervened. The best possible way for us to leave Afghanistan is when our mission is complete and we have done things right. The plan is to enable the Afghans to govern and protect themselves and by sending in a great deal of troops in a short amount of time to do that is like taking a whole football team and having them clean out the equipment room as fast and efficiently as possible.

 

It was described to me by a friend as “you break it you by it,” meaning that you can’t just occupy a counrty for eight years then up and leave. Since we went into Afghanistan we have the moral obligation to fix what we have messed with and fix it right. Many may disagree with this view. However, the important thing is that we have a decision and we must make it work regardless.