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Some commentary on the speech:
William Kristol "A War President"
Washington Post Editorial "A Courageous Decision"
Reactions From Europe
Afghanistan and Pakistan Rattled by Plan for Drawdown
Democratic Divisions - Pres. Obama will not draw much support from the left of the Democratic Party, as viewed here.
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Angry Ed!
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
From Across the Aisle
Kissinger Responds
McCain Responds on The Hannity Show
The response question is pretty straight forward. Are we on the right track in Afghanistan?
I will be checking Monday am.
79 comments:
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. We needed to put more troops in order to keep all the soldiers already there safe. If we pulled out of Afghanistan we would just be surrendering to the insurgents. We have to finish what we started in order for us to do any good there. The insurgents will just regain a hold of the country and bring it back to its corrupted way. I don’t believe the plan to start pulling troops out of Afghanistan in eighteen months is very likely but it is good that they want to get them out of there as quickly as possible. We are on the right track on our war in Afghanistan and we need to stay strong.
I believe that we are getting back on the right track in our choice to send more troops to Afghanistan. I feel that by sending more troops, we as a country will be able to get things done quicker, and as a result will be able to send our troops home sooner. There is still much work that needs to be done in Afghanistan, and even though I am anti-war, I feel that by sending 30,000 more troops, that the problems with security may be banished sooner with more help. When the president gave his speech, he said something about pulling our troops out of Afghanistan in 18 months, however, no one can truly predict such an action. I am a strong believer that the countrys decision to send more troops to Afgahnistan may not be what everyone would have wanted, but will ultimately get our job there done sooner, and allow each troop to come home for good.
I believe that we are getting back on the right track in the war in Afghanistan. If we were to pull troops out now, the Taliban who is already rebuilding will eventually take power again and all the progress the Afghanistan people have made would be ruined. If we kept the same amount of troops there, then we will make no progress and will not be able to further supply Afghan troops with the knowledge to protect their people and government. Our troops will suffer more if we don't send in more to help them. By sending 300,000 more troops into Afghanistan, we will be able to destroy the Taliban and help the people to build a stronger government. Once these tasks are met, our troops will be able to come home because they Afghanistan troops will be able to support and defend themselves.
I believe we are on our way back to the right track with Obama’s recent plan to send more troops to Afghanistan. If we don’t send more troops, or bring the troops back, not a lot of progress will be made and this war would continue to go on. If we bring more troops to Afghanistan we can possibly accomplish our goal sooner, so we can bring our troops home and know we are safe from the Taliban. The goal the U.S. has is to bring the troops home, but to make sure we finish our task in Afghanistan, making sure our country will be safe before the troops come home. Adding many more troops will allow us to finish our job faster. Another reason why this plan is getting us back on track, is because if we don’t add anymore force, and eventually we bring home our troops without accomplishing our goal, these lasts 8 years would have been wasted. By adding more troops hopefully we can achieve our goals and send our troops home safely.
I believe that President Obama is getting us on the right track in Afghanistan. Putting more troops there will help us get things done faster. If we were to pull out now then that taliban would just take over again and all of our work there would be no good. When President Obama said that he is going to start to pull troops out in 18 months i did not believe him, nobody can predict when we are going to be able to do that. Adding 30,000 more troops will surely get us on the right track in Afghanistan and get us out sooner.
I believe, along with many other people that we are finally on the right track. Sending more troops into Afghanistan will be keeping the soldiers that are already stationed there safe, and also help the Afghanistan governement. If troops left right away, the country would go back to its corrupted ways, and the U.S would have to go back over in some amount of time. The fact that President Obama wants to get out of there as quickly as possiable is reassuring, even if it doesnt happen in the 18 month time slot.
Erica Meister-
I believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. I believe that we do need to send more troops in order to maintain the safety and security of our soldiers, our country, and many other aspects affected by the war. By sending more troops, we will be able to defeat the Al Qaeda and the Taliban. If we got out now, the United States and the innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be in fear of more attacks. Our country's security could be at stake. Everything would become corrupt and all of the efforts would have been useless if we pulled out of the war now.
Sending 300,000 more troops will lead us into a more successful path. The time frame that President Obama gave us in his speech seems like a short amount of time to accomplish everything we plan to do but it is only an estimated time. After eighteen months is when our troops are suppose to start to return home. At least the government wants all of our troops to return safely home. With the additional number of troops, we will be able to get the job done faster in Afghanistan and we are reassured that they will come home as quickly as possible after the estimated time frame. I believe that we are on the right track with President Obama's plan for the war.
After hearing President Obama’s speech on the war in Afghanistan and the steps he plans on taking, I believe that we are on the right track to end the war. Currently we have troops over there who are trying to help secure the area from the Taliban taking over again, but we are not making much progress. If we were to give up now and pull our troops out this would give the Taliban a chance to gain control of Afghanistan. Thus all the lives lost in this war and effort put into making the area safe would have gone to waste. By adding 300,000 troops to will allow them to accomplish more, faster, ultimately allowing us to end what we have started over there and get out. I know that this estimated plan will cost a lot of money, but I feel that this may be a price we need to pay in order to make sure that we are able to successful complete the war we have started. If we do not fix the problem now, and just pull out, people in Afghanistan will continue to struggle. This could cause us to maybe have to face another war there in the future. However I feel that in order to reach the goal of taking all troops out in eighteen months, other countries who already have troops there will need to send additional troops as well. With this new serge of troops more will be able to get accomplished faster so then everyone can get out of Afghanistan and they will be able to support themselves.
Based on the speech given by Pres. Obama concerning the state and direction of the war in Afghanistan, I believe we have a semblance of the right direction for Afghanistan. As Pres. Obama stated in his speech, Afghanistan was put on the backburner when we invaded Iraq. With only about one or two divisions worth of men trying to police a very mountainous country suffering from terrorist uprisings and guerrilla attacks. Now that Iraq is drawing to a close, we need to shift our men and support to Afghanistan. A troop surge there would most likely give the same results as it did for Iraq: increased stability in the regions we control and to regain control of regions we lost, or never completely dominated.
However, just bringing in troops won't help our standing with locals. Things like bringing about the end of government corruption and making sure their government KNOWS that we will leave unless they combat the problems plaguing their government. This will ensure that the citizens of Afghanistan will appreciate our presence, and be more likely to assist Coalition forces in weeding out extremist individuals that pose a threat to their security.
I believe that if we keep going the way we are in Afghanistan that it will end up like another Vietnam. In Afghanistan we keep sending troops and I think that’s because neither president wanted to be known as the president that allowed Al Qaeda to find a place where we won’t try and find them, but I think that Obama should just suck it up and be that president. I also think that if we pull out too fast Al Qaeda will feel empowered and cause more attacks. So I think that we should pull out but try and keep it discreet so it doesn’t cause too big of a fuss.
President Obamas speech made me feel that we are slowly getting on track in Afghanistan. If we send more troops to Afghanistan, we will be able to accomplish so much more. With more troops, we will have more man power and we might stand a chance against insurgents. I also feel that if we pulled out now, everything that we worked for, and all the progress we have made will be wasted. Our efforts will have ment nothing. Although i dont agree that President Obama should have promised that he would pull troops out instead of sending more, because that is only going to upset people and now he is going to come off as a President that cant keep his promises. However, i feel he is making the right decisions for Afghani
I believe we are somewhat on the right track in Afghanistan. I am kind of on both sides. First of all President Obama has made the decision that 30,000 troops are going to be sent to Afghanistan. I do not know if that will make a difference to the war in Afghanistan. For the last eight years we have been in war at Afghanistan fighting against the Taliban and AlQuaeda. I think that more than 30,000 troops were sent for the last eight years and still war is going on in Afghanistan. After sending 30,000 more troops I think that we will be still at war and who guarantees what will happen in the next eighteen months that was stated in President Obama's speech. If more troops are sent, only more soldiers will die. President Obama is putting more thought on the war but also he should also put in more thought about our country, like what is going on with the economy for example. Lastly I would like to say that President Obama had made a promise to the nation that he would withdraw troops but as seen he is doing the opposite by sending troops to Afghanistan. More people might think that he is not carrying out his promise that he made to the nation.
I do not even think Obama's speech proposed a new plan for Afghanistan. Obama basically said that he is going to send more troops to Afghanistan then pull them out when the time is right. To me, this doesn't really sound like a plan. I have mixed feelings about the war in Afghanistan. One side of me feels like the cause for terrorism is American involvement with world issues. However, another side of me argues that pulling the troops out of Afghanistan will backfire. In general my opinion towards Obama's new "plan" is opaque.
President Obama is on the right track by keeping our troops in Afghanistan. Pulling out our troops in the middle of this war would cause more harm to our goal of American safety. Not only would we be surrendering to the insurgents who plunder the villages in Afghanistan. We have to finish what we started to do any good there. If we pull the troops out now the insurgents will corrupt the country once again and the cycle will start all over again. If we do keep the troops in and provide what is necessary to win, we can end this war sooner than later. I don’t believe that the war will be over in eighteen months but it is smart to ensure America’s safety.
I am slightly divided on if we are on the right track in Afghanistan. The plan, if you can call it that, which President Obama outlined was to send additional troops to Afghanistan, and then possibly start pulling them out in 18 months. However the 18 months timeline is for a “best case scenario,” so that means it could really be any time. That is the main issue I have with the “plan” that was outlined. I feel like this plan is not set in stone at all, and will end up being like what has happened for the past 8 years. With a “we will see how it goes” type attitude, troops could end up staying in Afghanistan for many more years. We need a more concrete and solid plan. At some point there comes a time when we have to count our losses and get out, otherwise we will never end up bringing our troops home. I do however agree with the fact that if the do plan on staying in Afghanistan, though I do not want them to, it is smart to send more troops to make sure the troops that are there are safe. If they have to be there, we need to give them the best chance to survive and help the Afghani people.
I definitely think we are on the right track in Afghanistan. President Obama made the right decision to send more troops to this unstable war. Although it is less than ideal to have to pull out troops from Iraq while it is still so unstable, the war in Afghanistan is much more pertinent to the benefit of America. Iraq has been cleared of their ruler Saddam Hussein, which was essentially the goal of send troops there, however Afghanistan is still in shambles and is full of Al Qaeda members who hate America and want to see its destruction. Therefore, it is much more important to send troops there. Sending more soldiers to Afghanistan, while devastating for their friends and family, is the best, no only, solution to this essential and potentially lethal conflict.
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. We need to focus on the war there and stopping the new surge of insurgents that has just recently come about. We need to keep our troops safe, so if that means we need to send more in then we need to do so to win the war. If we were to pull out now then we wouldn’t have finished what we started and all would be lost. The insurgents would just regain the country and the country would just be as depressed as it was before we got there.
I believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. By Obama sending over more troops it ensures more saftey to our troops that are already over there. Also with sending over more troops it will help us get things done quicker and send our troops home sooner. If we were to pull out now then all our work that we put in would be useless because it's very likley that the Taliban would take over. I think that it would be very smart to send more troops over and try to get them out in 18 months, although thats not very likly. Anything however to get our troops out quicker puts us on the right track. We are deffinantly on the right track in Afghanistan and i hope that our troops can come home soon and saftely.
I believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Although Obama is sending in more troops, he realizes that we need to finish what we started. If we were to pull out now, all of the sacrifices that the men and women of our Armed Forces made would just go to waste. Also, if we were to pull out then the Taliban would start building up again and come back into control. However, I don't believe that the troops will only be there for 18 months but atleast it shows Obama wants to get this done quickly.
I believe we have no track in Afghanistan. The Taliban will do what they did at the beginning of the war when the U.S. first invaded and go into the mountains and regroup and plan out attacks in other countries or cross the border into Pakistan and wait for orders on what to do next. The only way to take out the Taliban save haven is to attack them in Pakistan no matter what the Pakistan government says we can do. This would hurt the Taliban greatly because they would have no ware save to go and then the U.S. troops can go and hunt them down in the mountains
I believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. If we brought back all the troops now the Taliban would gain back all their power and all our work would have been for nothing. Although sending so many more troops over there is unfortunate it is the only way we will make progress so that the people of Afghanistan can build their government and get rid of the Taliban forever. Then we can start bringing the troops home. Doing this in such a short time is unfortunately unlikely but hopefully within time all of our troops will be home and we will have actually made a difference for the Afghanistan people.
After this address, I would really like to feel as though we are headed on the right track in Afghanistan. BUT in my opinion, sending 30,000 more troops will equivalate to more and more deaths. In the last year, we have seen some of the bloodiest months on record. It is sad to me that after so many years in this war we are not headed towards a concrete solution. I do feel that we are headed on the right track, in order to gain some success we have to send more troops but there needs to be some sort of resolution in the future or we are going to be fighting an endless war. With such a large addition of troops it increases the United States success but on the other hand will heighten the death tolls that so many U.S Troops have added to. I am strongly anti-war, pro-peace and it kills me to see so many young lives lost. I do hope though that Barack Obama's latest speech will spark a fire in Americans and troops to come closer to ending this long and deadly war.
The current situation with Afghanistan is very awkward for President Obama so I can’t say that I fully disagree with his decision. This is an extremely difficult time for Obama to be president, due to the seemingly irreversible mess that Bush left, so a decision had to be made. Although I personally feel that we should have gotten out of Iraq as soon as no weapons of mass destruction were found and that efforts should have been put towards helping Afghanistan, that’s not how it worked out so now Obama is left to deal with that. I feel that training the Afghanistan army is critical for not only Afghanistan’s safety but also world safety yet we have had troops in there for a long time and not much has been accomplished. We can’t go around trying to help every country, it’s just not logical, we need to work to support our own country, especially during this recession. For the most part, I do not support war, and in this case I do not support sending 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan WITH a deadline of 18 months because that is unreasonable. But I do understand that if Obama pulled out troops immediately that not only would that cause an uproar with the conservative republicans but it also may be sacrificing Afghanistan’s safety. I can’t give a straight answer because I know that either way problems will arise.
I believe that Obama’s plan on adding more troops is a good idea and it will keep the U.S on track in Afghanistan. I strongly believe the U.S needs to finish what they started in the first place. If they stop now, the Taliban will keep on coming back, and the terrorist attacks will never stop. Obama’s decision on adding more troops is a hard one to make, but in the end it’s the right choice because if the U.S stops now and gives up, it will show the Taliban that we’re weak and they could easily take over. Therefore, I think Obama’s choice in sending more troops to Afghanistan is the right decision and ensures that the U.S is in track with the war in Afghanistan overall.
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Even though i believe that the war needs to end and has been going on for way to long, I don't think Obama had any other choice than to send more troops there. If we pulled out of Afghanistan now, then all the work and fighting we have already done over there would have been for nothing. If we were to keep the number of troops the same as it is now, then we wouldn't make any more progress and eventually be taken over by the taliban and suffer far more losses of our troops. Now that Obama is working on pulling out troops in Iraq and putting more in Afghanistan, I believe we will be able to defeat the taliban, stablalize Afghanistan's government, and help the citizens to feel safe in their own country without feeling the pressure of this radical group that have controlled through fear.
We are on the right track in Afghanistan. Putting more troops into Afghanistan keeps the troops already in Afghanistan better protected, and decreases the amount of time that the US will need to occupy it. We cannot simply leave Afghanistan whether it was right or not to go in the first place, because if we left we would lose all progress we had made and radicals would most likely retake the country.
I do believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Many of the republicans wanted to continue sending more troops. They felt that if we didn't send more troops we would be giving up and letting ourselves loose. I think it was smart Obama chose to send more troops however i feel it is very hypocritical of him. He was always against the war and said during his campaign that one of the first things he wanted to do if he got elected was to end the war. However, he now decides to send more troops.
I think this goes to show that we are doing something right in Afganistan and that by pulling our troops out we would be ending something that we may have potential with.
i find it very ironic that when President Bush wanted to continue sending more troops, people would hate him more and more and say this war is never going to end. However, now that Obama decides to send more troops everyone thinks he is getting us on the right track. Supporters of Obama were in favor of him because he was going to "end the war". Now that he is sending more troops goes to show it is easier said than done.
I think that we are on the right path in Afghanistan now. I believe that putting in more troops in we will better gain control of the situation over there. If we were to pull all of the troops out now nothing would have been accomplished and the Taliban would gain control again. We need to send more men to accomplish our mission in Afghanistan. I am not sure that this can be fully accomplished in 18 months but this shows that President Obama wants to get troops out as soon as possible. Now we need to bring in more troops to finish what we started.
Are we on the right track in Afghanistan? There are various tracks in Afghanistan, all with their own speed bumps and potholes.
Basically, Obama's plan is to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and hopefully pull out in 18 months. While those troops are there, he wants a few things accomplished. He wants to train Afghan and Pakistani troops to fight and fend for themselves. This seems logical since we can't give them a fish every time they are hungry.
Obama also wants to ensure that terrorists, namely the Taliban, don't establish a "safe haven". He wants to make sure they are either eliminated or seized. Although I think this is a great goal, it's rather hard to achieve and if it does succeed, it will come at a hefty price.
Lastly, Obama wants to make sure that we have a safe way to pull out and that it will not be done in the middle of a battle. This might be an implied way of saying that the troops will be in combat for longer than mentioned, which would be unfortunate.
I support this plan in parts because I believe the Afghan and Pakistani troops need to be able to fend for themselves and that the Taliban need to be withstood, but sending more troops into harm's way isn't too convincing of a way to achieve this. However, it is one of the only ways.
I definitely believe that we are on the right track in the war in Afghanistan. Sending more troops in will result in quicker positive changes.
Although while listening to his speech, i noticed that he said "I" in almost every sentence. This furthers my belief that he is very full of himself and his presidency, what i would call a megalomaniac. This speech is supposed to be about "us and the troops."
Although saying that the troops will start being pulled out of Afghanistan in 18 months is a ridiculous thing to say to the world. Time and time again he promises dates that are completely off the wall. I suspect in the next 5 years the troops will be out of Afghanistan. You simply cannot put a date on something like this, you just have to wait and see what happens.
Currently, people are debating back and forth about if it is right or wrong for the American troops to be in Afghanistan. Rather we are justified for our position overseas, we are still there and the only thing that we can do is try to get out as soon as possible. Overall, I do think that we are on the right track. Obama made the decision to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. With more troops in Afghanistan, America’s involvement in their country will be over sooner than if there were fewer troops present. By adding 30,000 more troops overseas, we will be able to accomplish our initial goal at a quicker pace. If Obama just decided to withdraw all of the American troops from Afghanistan, then all of the time and effort already spent would be a waste, and no progress would have been made. With his recent decision, the American troops can hopefully work together to accomplish the goals of defeating the Taliban, creating a safer country for the citizens and stabilize the Afghan government. Having a greater number of troops will increase the chances of successfully completing these tasks. Hopefully Obama is right and the American troops can safely return home shortly.
I also think that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. By sending 300,000 more troops we will be able to protect soldiers already stationed there, as well as, capture the Taliban and rebuild the Government. All of this couldn't have been accomplished with out sending more troops to help out. By backing out of the war we would be essentially surrending, so by sending more troops we are on the right track. I think that pulling troops out in 18 months is a good idea, but only if everything has been accomplished. Hopefully the new troops will be successful in aiding the troops already there, and we will be able to get them all home safely very soon.
Eric Ploch
We are on the right track in Afghanistan. Even though it may seem like we have been a presence over there for seemingly a long time, it is more important for us to be there and to keep working. If there is a decrease in security over there then I think it is important for us to send over more troops. We can't just give up on that country because then that is weakness on our part. If we were to leave that country they would fall shortly after we left. I think as long as it takes to take care of business over there and as ling as we stay over there is a sign of being on the right track.
I feel as though Barack Obama is on the right track by sending these addition 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. It was clear that we needed to either evacuate our troops from the area or send even more. Sending more seems to be the wise decision and will hopefully lead to progress in Afghanistan. I think the timeline Obama gave America is a great idea. The fact that he gave us hope of the troops being back in 18 months is excellent because we can finally see an end to this war and a light in him as a President. This timeline concept seems to be a precedent because the only information America was given while Bush was in office was that 'we are making progress in Iraq and Afghanistan.' This statement turned out to be a complete exaggeration and overuse of the word progress. I believe Obama when he said the troops will be back in 18 months because it is clear that if there isn't progress by 2011 that this is a not a battle we are going to win.
I think that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. By sending in more troops we are able to keep the insurgents out and allow the rebuilding of the nation. We need to make sure that we have finished what we started there and that we didnt leave anything undone. As for taking the troops out of the country in eighteen months may be too soon, at that time we should have a re-evaluation. Based upon the evaluation we should decide what it is best for us to do.
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. With sending more troops in hopefully the plan President Obama will work. I don’t agree with putting in a defined date of departure form the country. If the training of the Afghani army isn’t complete or the Taliban still has a larger presence then they should if we just leave after 18 months and we really shouldn’t leave then all that time, money and lives that are inevitably going to be lost will be wasted. Pulling the troops out now would not be smart the Taliban would continue to terrorize and any progress that has been made in Afghanistan would all have gone to waste.
Obama’s plan is definitely the right way to go in Afghanistan. Obviously, most realize by this point that Bush bit off far more than he could chew, yet Obama is left with two options, choke or chew harder. Leaving the metaphorical references behind, the 30000 troops originally in place were failing at holding back the Taliban from regaining power. With the addition of another 30000 or so troops, the Taliban will once again have to struggle to maintain power. The addition of even more troops, with the cooperation of allied countries, will allow the Afghan government the stability they need to regain power in their own state. The more support we give them, the faster the mission can be accomplished. In that scenario, the mission will, in the end, lead to success, whereas maintaining the status quo will do nothing other than provide America with a slow and costly defeat.
I do not believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. I think we should end this "track" altogether. Clearly, as our last nine years occupying this country have shown, success will take years and drain the U.S. of vast amounts of money.
Seeing as we are now in a position of economic instability, I see this continuance of the war as a problem. You should only pick a fight when you are strong enough to be confident in a victory. Right now, our available resources are not as high as when we started, and we seem to have one arm tied behind our back. Our ability has been hindered by our present conditions. Sending more troops seems to be a gamble that we should not be taking.
This war has been bloody. There is no way around this fact. To me, sending more troops to a war that has already been so deadly is wrong. It is adding fuel to the fire. More troops will instigate more violence, and more attacks that will end in more deaths. Violent resistence will not occur as readily if we do not provide them with a force to fight against, and to hate. Our presence has caused more violence, even though some progress has been made.
I see that President Obama is in a difficult position. But, at the same time, I would think that one way to prevent becoming more inundated with controversy would be to avoid making such specific promises that may not be fulfilled. He promised an eighteen-month-only tour for some of our troops, then starting the evacuation. But, to me, this seems unwise: there is no way to know if we will be ready by then.
It is hard to say that we should stop fighting to stabilize Afghanistan, and to provide freedom. It seems that this is our job as a nation. However, when this means the inevitable deaths of countless young soldiers and innocent citizens of Afghanistan, along with the draining of our own country of the resources needed to win the war, this doesn't seem justified. When some of our own people are not strong enough to stand on their own, this war is not what we should focus on.
There is such a thing as a cause worth fighting for. But nine years have showed this cause is not working out.
I believe that President Obama is doing the right thing by putting more troops in Afghanistan. Putting more troops in will defintiely help get things back on track. If we pulled out many of our troops, i believe that the afghans would rebuild and rise up with more power, and much of the work we've done already will go to waste. I do not think that obama should start to pull troops out in 18 months though, i think it will just be an opportunity for terrorist to take advanage. Also, how can he know what we might be dealing with in 18 months, we might just need the opposite and need more troops in 18 months. We need to stay on track and keep sending in more troops.
i believe that we are doing theright hting by spending in troops to Afghanistan now. If we were to pull troops out now, the Taliban will take over what we have helped to rebuild and all the progress that helped afghanistan in the eight year would be for nothing. If we kept the same amount of troops there, then we will make no progress and will keep losing the lives of our soldiers there. And if would pull out our troops it would risk our homeland and our security. Our troops will suffer more if we don't send in more to help them. By sending 300,000 more troops into Afghanistan, we will be able to destroy the Taliban and help the people to build a stronger government. Once these tasks are met, our troops will be able to come home because they Afghanistan troops will be able to support and defend themselves.
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan, and that the Presidents call for 30,000 troops is a move that will allow us to succeed in eliminating the threat of the Taliban. I feel that the threat in Afghanistan is too dangerous to ignore, and that with Pakistan neighboring a country nearly being run by the Taliban the threat has to be dealt with. If the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan they would have no reason not to invade Pakistan and seize their nuclear weapons. This is why we need to help set stability to the region so that no nuclear weapons fall into the wrong hands and so that Afghanistan can remain in control by honest, understanding diplomats. With this new call for troops it shows our dedication to the right fight and it clearly increases our chance of success in the Afghanistan region. The one problem is the predicted pullout deadline of 18 months, I don’t think we should set a predetermined time to pull out because there is no way all the issues that may occur can be predicted. Overall I believe this move is one step in the right direction and hopefully is the beginning of the end of our fighting in the Middle East.
Obama’s speech regarding Afghanistan left me feeling unsure. I can’t decide weather or not sending more troops overseas would be beneficial. On one hand, sending more troops would offer safety and more support for troops already there, and could speed up what’s trying to be accomplished. It would provide stronger forces against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and better the life for many citizens. However, looking at the situation from another perspective, I think this is most likely to turn into a never ending process. The “plan” he put forth says that the troops would be pulled out in eighteen months, but that’s only in a best case scenario situation, which is not likely. I understand why he is sending more troops over, but I guess I’m hesitant to trust this plan, considering when he was campaigning he claimed he’d bring our troops back—and I’m still waiting for that plan to fall through.
I believe that by increasing the soldiers in Afghanistan we are moving in the right direction. We have already put so much effort into stabalizing Afghanistan's government and if we were to just stop and pull our troops out things will just go back to the corrupted way they were if not worse. Obama's plan to end this conflict after two years seems to be a familiar plan we've already heard and I think that we will end up taking a longer time. I think that since we are already there we should put as many soldiers as we need to secure Afghanistan of the Taliban or corruption of any kind. We are trying to end the control of these insurgents and are moving in the right direction.
I would disagree with Obama and say that we are not on the right path with the war in Afghanistan. I think that the U.S. had two options, to send more troops into Afghanistan like we are going to do now with the additional 30,000 more going, or we could slowly start pulling troops out which I think is definitely the better option. I base this decision because if there was a draft and I was chosen to go I would absolutely not want to because I truly don’t believe we should still be over there. With every day we are losing more men, and not really gaining any progress. Obama made some promises that I feel he shouldn’t have made in his speech as well. If the troops don’t come home in 18 months then he is going to be ridiculed and harassed for lying to the public. I agree something needs to be done in Afghanistan we cannot just continue with what we are doing now, but I don’t think the additional troops was the right choice.
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. President Obama’s plan of sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan seems right now to be the right thing to do. In order to defeat Al-Qaeda we got to focus more on Afghanistan and have the man power to secure it. These extra troops will help finish what we started in the beginning much faster. At the moment to most people it may seem stupid, but I think that in the end everyone will be happy with the results of this decision. So for now I believe we are on the right track, but only the future can tell if I’m right.
Even though I may not approve of violence, after watching President Obama's Afghan War Address, I feel confident that America is finally on the right path to winning the conflict in Afghanistan. By sending an additional 30,000 U.S. troops, as well as asking other NATO countries to commit more resources to the war effort, we can ensure a much swifter victory. Not only can we now pursue a more offensive strategy, instead of just barely hanging on to key territories, but we can also ensure that our men and women serving overseas are kept safer and will be brought home sooner. Not only will our soldiers be kept safer, but the additional troops will help to keep al Qaeda out of Pakistan, ultimately benefiting the entire world. A failed state in Pakistan, a country with nuclear arms, could lead to nuclear war were it ever to fall into the hands of a radical group such as al Qaeda. By sending the additional soldiers to Afghanistan, President Obama is fulfilling his duty as Commander and Chief to keep his soldiers and his country safe, and I wholeheartedly approve.
After watching President Obama's speech on the war in Afghanistan and the reactions to it, I have to feel we are doing the right thing by sending 30,000 more troops into the country. We are obviously struggling with the amount of men we have in Afghanistan and reinforcements are needed. Al Queda and the Taliban need to be stopped. I feel the only way to accomplish this is to add more support, like the president is planning on doing. I also feel that the conflict in Iraq is a little more stablized than Afghanistan. It seems as if, in the past few years, the war in Afghanistan has been overlooked due to Iraq. However, the focus needs to be in Afghanistan because he are not winning.
Another reason why I support Obama's decision is the fact that we haven't caught the infamous Osama bin Laden yet. He is truly the reason we are in Afghanistan in the first place. It has been eight years and we still have no sign of catching him. If we pull troops out, it would look like we were giving up on our exploration for him. He cannot let this man get away with killing over 3,000 people on 9/11. Its unacceptable. So, in turn, I do agree with what President Obama is planning for the war in Afghanistan.
I believe that we are getting back on track in Afghanistan. I feel that if we were to back out now that more chaos would happen. Our troops can't do that much more, but by sending more troops in will greatly help the safety of the other soliders and will help gain more control. We have to finish what we went there to do, and then the soliders can be able to come home to their families. Though, Obama now comes off as sort of a liar to me because he said he was going to pull out all the troops, I do think what he is doing will help.
Are we on the right track in Afghanistan?
In my opinion, the route our Commander in Chief is pursuing in Afghanistan is the correct one. The idea of a failed state in Pakistan, a country who’s nuclear weapons are well known, would lead to nothing but danger. While the announcement of another 30,000 troops being sent overseas may anger some families, I believe such action is necessary if our presence in Afghanistan is planning on being successful. The option of taking no action, is in fact, not an option. Something needed to be done, and I stand being President Obama’s choice, hopefully it proves to be the wiser one.
I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. I feel that by sending more troops, we as a country will be able to get things done quicker, and as a result will be able to send our troops home sooner. If we were to pull troops out now, the Taliban who is already rebuilding will eventually take power again and all the progress the Afghanistan people have made would be ruined. The goal the U.S. has is to bring the troops home, but also to make sure we finish our task in Afghanistan, making sure our country will be safe before the troops come home. And besides, before we are able to bring them home, we need more over there to make sure they get safely home. This whole "pulling out" scenario will have to be in blocks since there are just too many troops over there to pull out at one time. So it will take longer anyways. I am tired of people saying that we need to bring the troops home as quick as we can. With the world we are living in today, it would be too dangerous of a feat to conquer. Would you rather not have the fighting taking place over there then over here?
I personally know many guys that are over in Afghanistan right now, and they agree with obama to some extent. Yes, to win in Afghanistan we need more troops, but more than 30,000 and we need them there longer than 18 months. The situation in Afghanistan is a bad one, it is a region that has never been united under one ruler and Obama expects about 100,000 of the finest men in the world to do it in 18 months, while restricting them with absurd Rules of Engagement. If we want to win this war we need to put in a lot of troops and be prepared to stay in there for a long time and we need to start taking the offensive and get rid of these ridiculous Rules of Engagement. Wars are always bad things, but the objective of war is to accomplish the objective with the fewest amount of American casualties possible. As General Patton said, “The goal of war is not to die for your country, but to make some other poor bastard die for their country.” The Soldiers and Marines we are sending over there and that are over there now are fighters, not peace keepers. We train these men to fight and kill and be damned good at it, so let them do their job.
I do believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Although i do think the war should end i feel as if Obama had no other choice. If we wanted to end the war the only way to end it was to send more troops out there to finish what we started. If we just surrender i think this whole war would have been a waste of our time and money. I feel if we did not send anymore troops no progress would be made wasting more of our money. I think by 2011 alot of progress would be made but not enough to bring home our troops. If a little more time is given I do think this will be a successful plan.
I think that we are on the right track in Afghanistan with President Obama's speech. I think that it is a good idea to send troops in, but then slowly remove them until we are 100% out of Afghanistan. Many people are against this because they think that this specified time restriction on the soldiers is a bad idea. They are wondering what are we going to do if we don't solve the problem in that time. I believe that if we haven't solved the problem in that chunk of time, we haven't made enough progress to keep our troops over there. Why should we risk their lives if we are only making others angry and not helping their nation? We need to think of the families at home that are getting letters informing them of their child's death. We can't let this continue.
I believe that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. I believe that sending more troops into Afghanistan is the best way to fight terrorism in the region. In order to achieve victory in Afghanistan, we as a country cannot let up. We must fight for complete victory, because if we pull out of the country before we have achieved our goals, the Taliban will inevitably rise to power in Afghanistan. This will make all of our work in the region and all of the sacrifices paid by U.S. soldiers in the past eight years pointless. In sending more troops, we should hopefully attain victory more quickly and get our troops home. It is difficult to predict how long it will take to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan; President Obama thinks it will be 18 months. But if we stay on this track we have a good chance in winning the war in Afghanistan.
We are not in the Right Track in Afghanistan. We are losing more troops every year. We are loosing right now and mostt likely in the future. We are sending too many troops, and using too much money. Sending 30,000 troops is too much. More and more troops will die, and if we loose too many troops than a draft might be started. I would not fight or don't want to fight in a war. I would like Obama to try to evacuate troops out of their faster. We have not accomplished anything in Afghanistan, and we might not. Afghanistan is the only country that has never been conqured for thousands of years.
After watching President Obama's Afghan War Address, I believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. By sending an additional 30,000 soldiers our chances of gaining control in Afghanistan and ultimately winning the war will increase significantly. Although it costs a large amount of money to send more troops it's a sacrifice we are going to have to make. We have already invested billions of dollars in our war effort. If we pulled out of the war now the U.S. investment would be an enormous waste. But by winning the war all the money the U.S. invested and the effort the soldiers put in would have been worth it.
Personally, I truly feel that the surge was an excellenent decision, and that it will help secure an allied victory and defeat terrorism in the region. For the past eight years, we have slowly been losing this war. It is important to finish what we have started, and it finally end this conflict and disorganization in afghanistan and the surrounding region. With this troop surge announcement, I now have a new found respect for president Obama. After his election, I was concerned about his military experience, topped with a very liberal agenda. Fortuneatley, Obama has listened to the generals he has appointed, and has made the right decision. Obama has moved toward the middle after this decision, and I feel that many more americans appreciate him as their president.
In my opinion I think that it is right that we are sending more troops into Afghanistan because we are not just helping the people but we are helping our troops that are already there. If we pulled out now then this war would have just been a waste of lives and money, but if we stay until the job is concluded, then we know that all the lives lost were not in vain. President Obama's plan to take the troops out in eighteen months is going to probably take longer. I think that they will hit stop signs on the way which may alter and lengthen our stay.
I strongly believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Deploying more troops in Afghanistan only increases our chances in making progress in Afghanistan. By not deploying more troops we decrease our chances in making any progress in defeating the insurgency. Pulling out of Afghanistan may seem like the best decision for our country to make it, but it is the worst one we could possibly make. By leaving Afghanistan, we would only be surrendering to the Taliban and giving our country a bad rep showing weakness. Our country can't just quit on another country and give into the insurgency just so they could bring Afghanistan back to its corrupted way of life. We need to deploy more troops so we can finish the war sooner so we get all our troops home sooner and establish a peaceful and stable government in Afghanistan.
I have mixed feelings about whether we are on the right track in Afghanistan or not. I feel that our troops have spent way to much time over there and haven't accomplished anything of great significance. When Obama called for 30,000 troops to move into Afghanistan I didn't know how to react. Although I don't want our troops to be over there, it is probably for the best. Bringing in those 30,000 troops will hopefully allow us to succeed in decreasing the threat of the Taliban. We've already been there for a while, it would be pointless to pull out troops now because then we went there and lost our men for basically nothing. Hopefully this 18 month deadline will actually be accurate and we'll end our fighting for good. I don't believe this will only go on for 18 months though. I don't see us leaving Afghanistan for a long time, there are many problems to be fixed but with these 30,000 troops, maybe that will be possible in such a short time span.
I think we are on the right track. we need more troops in order to help Afghanistan and to eliminate the threat of terrorism. I think the amount of troops that are being sent is appropriate. However i do not believe that the time line that Obama set is realistic. I highly doubt in 18 months that all the troops will be pulled out. I think we are on the right track to keep our country safe and Afghanistan as well.
I feel like we are on track. Many people expect us to pull out just because Obama had said so earlier in his campaign. But pulling out is not as easy as one might imagine. If we were to pull out suddenly, the order that we had built for the past 8 years will disintegrate and the state of the country will resort back to its anarchistic lifestyle as before. It takes time to create something solid. In addition, setting a timeline will also help us keep our focus on the troops. We now have a goal and I believe Obama is creating an easier path for all of us to take.
It is hard to say whether or not we are on the right track in terms of Afghanistan. Depending on our goal in Afghanistan, the answer to that question can change. However, I feel that President Obama's compromise does not put us on the right track. If our goal is to win the war as quickly as possible, than sending fewer troops than General McCrystal calls for does not put us on the right track. If our goal is to leave Afghanistan in the near future, than we are not on the right track. It is important that we understand that when we as a nation are at war, we must put the full force of our efforts into winning the war. If a nation lacks the will to fight the war, the reason for fighting must be examined. Sending less troops than is called for locks the U.S. into more years of fighting with less results. I do not have a strong opinion on either course, but I feel the action taken by President Obama was not the right choice.
I think we are on the right track in Afghanistan, finally. The soldiers are safe where they are and sending more troops in, will get a lot of things done quicker. About eighteen months ago, when Obama said he wanted to pull all the troops out, I thought he was nuts! There is no way that pulling all of the troops out would be safe, plus, the government would go back to its corrupt ways. It wasn't a good idea to tell America that he was going to pull them all out, when he is no sending 30,000 more in. However, I believe that sending more troops in, is a smart idea, and that it will put us on the right track.
I think we're on the right track in Afghanistan. Obama sending over more troops gives more saftey to our troops that are already there. If we send more troops now the war will be over sooner than if we only had the amount of troops there already. If we took out all the troops there now then all our work that we put in would be useless. I think that it would be very smart to send more troops over and try to get them out in 18 months. Steps to get our troops home quicker are essential to ending the war. I think Obama's plan is very logical and will make progress in Afghanistan.
I personally do not feel that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Over the years there have been countless discussions about what to do with the soldiers overseas. Whether or not they should be returned to the U.S. or if they should stay there. More recently there have been talks about adding more troops, but also devising an exit strategy to take place within the next 18 months. To me these actions are moving in two different directions. For one, adding troops is sending the message that the U.S. believes that this war can be won, and that there is a stronger initiative to win this war now more than ever. At the same time though, there is also the idea that enough is enough and the troops should return home. The United States government needs to be able to focus on one clear decision, because this war will more than likely not be settled within the next two years. There have always been talks of coming up with an exit strategy, just like there have been talks of sending more troops. Things are moving slowly right now, and will continue to move slowly unless the United States commits to one side or the other. There are too many compromises right now, and though it may be the only way to get things passed in the government, it is not what is needed to end this war once and for all.
After listening to Obama's plans about what to do with the troops is a good one. I think by sending more troops to Afghanistan, it will lessen the time needed to stay there. Things will get done quicker than if we were not to send any troops. A couple of months ago, when Obama stated that he wanted to pull all of the troops out, I was worried. In order for us to finish what we've started we needed these additional troops. I believe that the plan to bring home the troops in 18 months is unrealistic, yet it is hopeful. American troops are doing a great job in keeping a positive attitude and need to continue in doing so.
I believe that we are on the partially correct track in Afghanistan. It is important that we finish the job in a positive manner and help a country which is in a state of chaos. Pulling our troops out now would cause damage to the political situation in the country as well as tarnish the fragile ties we have with many countries. We were a cause of many of the problems and we must solve them before we are able to leave and the country would be self sustainable. Putting more troops into Afghanistan will help keep our plans on track and maintain an efficient schedule. While I personally would like to see our troops come home and be safe, the country of afghanistan still needs help so it will one day be a successful, self sustaining body. We caused the mess, so we must help fix it before we can leave them be.
I do not think that we are on the right track in Afghanistan. By only sending 30,000 troops to the front, we are only sending just enough to reinforce the NATO forces, and not enough to make a significant impact on turning the tides of the war. If we are going to send more troops, we need to do it the right way. That is, sending enough troops so that we can defeat Al Queda and exterminate the Taliban from that region of the world. As well, we need to make this happen in a reasonable time span, which would also not happen with only 30,000 troops.
I believe that we are for the most part on the right track in Afghanistan. I think that leaving now would make these past years a waste and would put all the fallen soldiers to shame for their hard work. I think that they would want this country to finish the job they started and if sending more troops is what we have to do then so be it. It is something that the United States has to do to accomplish victory. With the amount of troops we have in Afghanistan now there is just no way we can defeat Al Queda. This is why I feel like sending more troops in is the right thing to do.
I believe the move to put forth more troops in iraq was a good idea. Putting more troops could benifit how long it will take until we can call the work we have done in Afghanistan a success. As of now even military oficers have said we are not doing much of anything unless we get more troops envolved in afghanistan. Moving troops out of iraq and sending forth over 30,000 troops should be a big boost. With that said i believe we are on the right track in Afghanistan. Although when barack said he would pull troops out in the summer of 2011 aka 18 months that is not something I see happening.
I think that Obama is helping us get back on track with the war with his plan of actions. There is no way that we would be able to have had a successful ending to the war with just pulling out the soldiers now and letting that be the end of it. All that would do is just lead us to more destruction with other foreign countries. In my opinion Obama is doing the right thing by planning on sending more troops over seas to finish up what has to be done and then if everything goes as plan, bringing everyone back home by the end of year 2011.
I personally believe that while sending more troops to Afghanistan may ensure a sense of strength, sending more troops may add to the current conflict. I feel that the temporary insertion of troops may strengthen the well being and success in rebuilding Afghanistan with a centralized government. I do feel that eventually the U.S. will have to begin to remove troops in order to focus on other issues and attempt to end this conflict.
I personally believe we are on the right path to fighting this war in Afganistan. We have been there for 8 years now so I for one believe we should finish what we started. By sending more troops in we will have the edge in restoring peace in the middle east. This will also help out Pakistan who needs our help to restore their country. I also believe that 18 months is a good goal for us to be out of Afganistan. This ensure this US citizens it will all be over soon
I believe we are on the right track because of the amount of troops in Afghanistan. President Obama is put into a rough position because of the holiday times and troops will still be separated from their family. He did the right thing because there needs to be some sort of control in Afghanistan. Sending more troops into Afghanistan will allow the control to happen much quicker and allow the troops to come home to their family. But I do think it's time for the troops to come home in the next couple years because there has been no progress. It was said by Bush during his time in office. "We are making progress." Who actually believed that?
I think what Obama is trying to do is a good start. I think we do need to send more troops in to make sure it will be a safe procedure. And I strongly agree with Obama pulling out troops in eighteen months because I think we should make the troops leave as soon as possible.
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Although I am not for the war in Afghanistan I feel that we are not going to get anywhere unless some action is taken. This is why I agree with Obama’s tactic which would be sending in more troops and then in 18 months begin to bring them home. I believe that as a country we need to finish what we started. I also feel that sending more troops to Afghanistan would unify the troops already there and create a better sense of support and encourage hopefulness.
I feel that Obama is helping us get back to the way America was before the troops were put in Afghanistan. He has promised to pull out troops and I believe he said the war would be over by next year. He means well and everything he is doing so far convinces me that he is doing his best to keep the people of America happy and making his best effort to doing what's right at the same time. No one knows for sure what will come of us pulling the troops out of the war on terror, hopefully America will go back to a better America without terrorism occurring. One thing that is certain is ending the war the easiest way without causing more trouble, would be best. -- Jason Bailin
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