the Informer

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, President Barack Obama addressed the war in Afghanistan at West Point in New York. In this address, the President spoke about the initial reasons for entering Afghanistan, and the support received by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations Security Council to use all of the necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. After the deployment of U.S. troops to Afghanistan, al Qaeda began to disband as many of its operatives and leaders were killed, and for the first time in several decades the people of Afghanistan were able to sleep soundly.

Since 2003, the United States waged a second war in Iraq. Obama stated, "It is enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy and our national attention – and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world."

The President went on to say that the U.S. is now looking to bring the Iraq War to a "responsible end" and that "we will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011."

He pointed out that while the end of the war in Iraq will eventually allow for the success of the Iraqi people, Obama also expressed concern for the work left in Afghanistan.

Citing the Taliban's imminent collaboration with al Qaeda in Pakistan, Obama does not believe the Afghanistan government is safe from these terrorist organizations just yet. Because of this uncertainty and in response to a plea for more military support, Obama has approved the deployment of 30,000 U.S. troops of Afghanistan beginning in January of 2010.

Troops will be in Afghanistan for 18 months, at which time a troop recall will begin and soldiers will start to come home. Troops stationed in Afghanistan during this time will help secure the country's borders and "[build] the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition" out of Afghanistan.

President Obama went on to assure that this decision was not made lightly and was finalized only after several months of careful consideration, stating, "I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan, [the] epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda." He then reported on the presence of nuclear arms at the border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan and stated his beliefs that these terrorist organizations are not afraid to utilize these weapons.

The President outlined three objectives for a successful exit from Afghanistan: "First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban's momentum and increase Afghanistan's capacity. [S]econd, we will work with our partners. to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.[T]hird, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan." Obama spoke with conviction as he committed to a strong partnership with Pakistan that is rooted in mutual interest, respect and trust.

Obama went on to address the prominent concerns of the American people about the troop surge. He explained that Afghanistan is not another Vietnam and that we entered Afghanistan only after the U.S. was attacked, and that as a country, we are joined by the support of the United Nations. He also clarified that without a troop surge, Afghanistan would remain in its current state and would even deteriorate. In defense of a time frame, he explained that the absence of a time frame would "deny us any sense of urgency."

The President ended his speech with a confidence in the U.S. Government and the American people, the strength of the troops overseas and the assurance that we are forging a safer America, a secure global plane and a hopeful future.