Whoa, slow down people. You are taking it out of context!
This is a case of a sensational headline knee jerk "out of context" reactions. The meaning of the statement is alluded to further down the
article.
It appears highly unlikely Obama will offer a specific troop withdrawal timetable, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president
would stress that the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan was not open-ended.
"We are in year nine of our efforts in Afghanistan. We are not going to be there another eight or nine years," Gibbs told reporters. "Our time
there will be limited and that is important for people to understand," he said.
Reuters
What they are really trying to emphasize with that poorly worded statement is that there
IS a timetable and that we
WILL NOT be mired
there forever.
They are
NOT saying that we will be there for eight more years. It is an expression. "We've been there for 8 years and we won't be there for
8 more." Surely no one expects them to publicly announce an exit date at this time, but I would bet you that they have a rough target.
I for one very much support a troop surge for several reasons.
1 - Recently the Taliban have re-taken large areas and grow increasingly bold as they prove to themselves time and time again that American troops are
not at sufficient levels to repel them.
2 - The troop surge in Iraq was hugely successful and paid for itself several times over in the rapidly diminishing violence, and just as rapidly
increasing stability there. In fact it can easily be debated that the surge in Iraq had a direct and significant impact in our now being able to "see
the end" there.
3 - If we were to pull out, or "surrender" in Afghanistan, the entire region, including Pakistans nukes will become so destabilized that the
potential threat to U.S. interests will be at unacceptably high levels.
4- In the article it states that the troop surge will primarily be used to regain control and support an increased pace to get the Aghan army trained
up to sufficient numbers to maintain order on their own.
Whether or not you agree with the U.S. being in Afghanistan is not really the issue. We are there, and to leave the country in the state they are
currently in would be disastrous. Based on the success in Iraq, a troop surge can logically be considered the fastest way to stabilize Afghanistan so
that we
CAN leave them in relative stability.
alright, whatever you say.
