President Obama has just made the decision to send 30,000 additional troops to the front in Afghanistan. This decision obviously comes with heavy heart, however the President believes it is necessary in order to withdraw by 2011. "I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force" quoted Obama in his speech today at Westpoint Military Academy.
President Obama believes the Taliban has gained "momentum" and that it is necessary to increase troops because at the moment we will not be able to sustain conditions.
This worries many who have already doubted the President's withdrawal plan for 2011.
An article with a video:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/01/obama.afghanistan/index.html
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President Obama has promised to begin withdrawing troops 18 months after the new surge begins. While this is perhaps the most feasible plan given the precarious balance between domestic political concerns at home and national security concerns abroad, even under the best of scenarios it is unlikely that a troop surge over such a short span of time will have lasting effects on prospects for a flourishing democracy in Afghanistan. It seems the most we can hope for is a temporary lull in instability, followed by the familiar workings of a corrupt third world government propped up by elections fraud, strong-arm tactics, and aid from Western Allies trying to win the war on terror at the expense of legitimate self-government.
ReplyDeleteBut then again, any choice Obama made would have been met with severe and legitimate criticism.
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