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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat’s Wrong With Obama’s Decision to Keep Troops in Afghanistan
Whats Wrong With Obamas Decision to Keep Troops in AfghanistanThe Nation
Barbara Lee has always had the clearest vision when it comes to the US role in Afghanistan. In 2001, the California representative cast the only vote in Congress against the Authorization for Use of Military Force resolution in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Lee did not oppose responding
in appropriate and necessary ways to genuine threats to the United States, but she feared that the open-ended AUMF would become a blank check for endless war.
President Obama proved her right when, in mid-October, he suspended the planned withdrawal of the remaining US forces in Afghanistan. Instead, current troop levels of roughly 10,000along with the full capacity for air strikes, like the one on October 3 that devastated the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduzwill remain through 2016. Obamas decision effectively guarantees that the United States will remain deeply involved in Afghanistan until after he leaves office.
Its hard to imagine how US interests are advanced by propping up such a government. But its not hard to imagine the price. This war has already cost our nation too much, Lee said in early October. It has sacrificed the lives of 2,350 of our brave servicemen and women, including six in the first seven days of this month. Additionally, this war has taken the lives of thousands of Afghans and servicemen and women from our coalition and NATO partners. Lee also noted that the war, totaling more than $715 billion, continues to undermine our national security and prevents investments in important domestic priorities. In fact, every hour this war costs taxpayers $4 million.
President Obama proved her right when, in mid-October, he suspended the planned withdrawal of the remaining US forces in Afghanistan. Instead, current troop levels of roughly 10,000along with the full capacity for air strikes, like the one on October 3 that devastated the Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduzwill remain through 2016. Obamas decision effectively guarantees that the United States will remain deeply involved in Afghanistan until after he leaves office.
Its hard to imagine how US interests are advanced by propping up such a government. But its not hard to imagine the price. This war has already cost our nation too much, Lee said in early October. It has sacrificed the lives of 2,350 of our brave servicemen and women, including six in the first seven days of this month. Additionally, this war has taken the lives of thousands of Afghans and servicemen and women from our coalition and NATO partners. Lee also noted that the war, totaling more than $715 billion, continues to undermine our national security and prevents investments in important domestic priorities. In fact, every hour this war costs taxpayers $4 million.
It's really not clear what the goal is in Afghanistan. Are we going to continue to occupy it for fifty years like we did with the Philippines? How long will it take to create a nation we find agreeable? What gives us the right?
At this point I believe all the democratic candidates have supported this. I'm not sure what the right course of action is here but I wish there was more discussion.
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What’s Wrong With Obama’s Decision to Keep Troops in Afghanistan (Original Post)
portlander23
Oct 2015
OP
malthaussen
(17,065 posts)1. Try it this way:
Think of what rational reasons there could be, as opposed to ones merely political, for US forces remaining in Afghanistan. There may be an answer to your question in that.
-- Mal
JayhawkSD
(3,163 posts)2. It seems like a really odd decision.
We are staying in order to teach them how to defeat the Taliban, but...
1. How can we teach them how to do what we have been unable to do ourselves?
2. What can we teach in the next 2 years that we didn't teach them in the last 12 years?
I really do not get why we cannot ask ourselves these simple questions.