By ANNE GEARAN , Associated Press
From the Star/Tribune- The situation in Afghanistan is serious and growing worse and without more boots on the ground the United States risks failure in a war it's been waging since shortly after the terror attacks of September 2001, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, says in a confidential report. "Resources will not win this war, but under-resourcing could lose it," McChrystal wrote in a five-page Commander's Summary. His 66-page report, sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Aug. 30, is now under review by President Barack Obama.
"Although considerable effort and sacrifice have resulted in some progress, many indicators suggest the overall effort is deteriorating," McChrystal said of the war's progress.
While asserting that more troops are needed, McChrystal also pointed out an "urgent need" to significantly revise strategy. The U.S. needs to interact better with the Afghan people, McChrystal said, and better organize its efforts with NATO allies. "We run the risk of strategic defeat by pursuing tactical wins that cause civilian casualties or unnecessary collateral damage. The insurgents cannot defeat us militarily; but we can defeat ourselves," he wrote.
In his blunt assessment of the tenacious Taliban insurgency, McChrystal warned that unless the U.S. and its allies gain the initiative and reverse the momentum of the militants within the next year the U.S. "risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible"
In Congress, the war has taken on a highly partisan edge. Senate Republicans are demanding more forces to turn around a war that soon will enter its ninth year, while members of Obama's own Democratic Party are trying to put on the brakes.
Obama said in the Sunday interviews that he will not allow politics to govern his decision. "The only thing I've said to my folks is, 'A, I want an unvarnished assessment, but, B, I don't want to put the resource question before the strategy question,'" Obama said. "Because there is a natural inclination to say, 'If I get more, then I can do more.'"
Nick C. 208
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the U.S. should send more tropps to Afghanistan. I think that because the U.S. says how much money wars cost and the U.S. is in debt so i dont see where they are going to get money for it. I think that the U.S. has been over there so long and that if they haven't won yet they might not and that they shouldn't need anymore troops to win the war.
I personally don't believe that this war has anything to do with "winning". I don't think that there's a need for a war at all. But having troops there is a good idea. Not to start fights or anything, but to act as a sort of law enforcement. Like a police officer. I don't think they need MORE troops, they just need a stable amount to help keep things under control. I think they would just need to find a way to make good relations with the people in Afghanistan. Army boots and big guns don't solve everything.
ReplyDelete-Hailey F2
We should listen to what General McChrystal requests and send more troops to Afghanistan. Although it will be a burden economically, we cannot afford to allow any more terrorist attacks against the United States. If we decide not to send more troops to Afghanistan, then we might as well bring all the troops there back home. We would surely lose the war without more troops. Any causualties would be in vain.
ReplyDeleteNo, I disagree with Justin. Our economy should be our first and formost worry at this time. If the United States flops economically then the entire world will go off the deep end. We should just keep a steady amount of people in these war zones and pull out of the war as soon as we can.
ReplyDeleteI agree with justin in some ways such as we do need more troops in order to win the war but i also think that if we are going to put more troops in Afganistan we need to do it and get out of there isntead of taking another 8 years to figure it out
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ReplyDeleteI think that war is a stupid idea..and that we need to stop the war but it is also a good idea because is is hhelping us become more of a free country. so..we should send more to help out the people there..and also no because many pepole are loseing there live.
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ReplyDeleteOf course we need to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, but only when it is safe. Also, if we keep a steady amount of troops in Afghanistan, meaning we continue to replace those who have fallen, what will we gain from that? The only thing we will have is a never-ending war and an increasingly large number of troops dying. The only way we can bring about an end to this war is if we do what McChrystal requests.
ReplyDeletei agree with ross, we should send more troops to afghanistan so we can finish this war. If we do send more troops it will bring us father into debt but it will help us take control of this war and get out of there.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Ross. We should not just get out of Iraq as soon as possible. It is important for us to finish the war. If we do not finish the war, other countries may think we are weak. That could result in other countries launching nuclear weapons at us. Also, as Justin said we can not afford any more terroist attacks. That would cause more lives lost then sending more troops to Afghanistan.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with both Justin and Ross, our economy should be a big worry at this time, but we should also listen to the General. I personally think that we should send the troops over to Iraq and end the war as soon as we can. We have been there for several years and I don't see any progress in the last few months. We need to help the people set up a police force of somesort and get all of our troops back home.
ReplyDeleteHayden T5
I think we should send as many troops over as possible and get it over with. But don't do anything that would make other countries mad and launch other terrorist attacks on us. After we get all the stuff done with we should maybe setup a better government and all that stuff.
ReplyDeleteI think we should get out of there a soon as possible.I think if we are trying to get our economy back together we should stop wasting time and money over there.With all the money that we have spent over in Afghanistan we wouldn't be in a resesion right now.
ReplyDeleteI personally think we need to get out of there soon, but if sending more troops in to get out safely, then I think we need to do that. They don't want us there so I think we should just leave and quit trying to help. We have lost to many lives already from this, we don't need anymore. Obama should just listen to what the General says, it's his job, so he should know what he is talking about. We should be worrying more about our own Nation than someone else's.
ReplyDelete-Tori L2
I agree with Ross that the economy is more important than the war. Since we are in a recession, we should be focusing on getting out of that before we focus on helping other countries.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can think of anything more pointless or annoying as wars. All they do is; cost money, time, and lives. Not to mention if you attack some people chances are some other people we say "Hey what the heck?" and then attack you. In wars there are no winners or losers, only the dead, dieing, the people who lost friends while in the field and wish they where dead, and the living. That is simply how I see it. Wouldn't it be great if everyone just sit down and talk in stead on yelling and shooting?
ReplyDeletei think we should send more troops to afganistan to get peace there and prove a point that america is still the most powerful nation in the world. it may be expensive but we can get peace in that country with out damaging our reputation. but at the same time its costing us way to much money and lives. so i think we should pull out of iraq and go all out in afganistan and finish it there and be done there.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we need to stay in afghanistan because we cant just pull all our troops out at once. But we need to stop invading countrys before we make to many enemies. We're fighting two wars in two different countrys. We cant just be patrolling around like we're the police of the country. But i kind of agree because we cant just sit there when people threaten nuclear bombs.
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