Afghanistan, Is it time for the United States to leave?

March 16th 2012 The Florida Patriot

The War in Afghanistan started for the United States in October 2001 as the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom along with our allies. The primary motivation for the war in Afghanistan was the September 11th 2001 attacks which left thousands of Americans dead including 343 firefighters trying to rescue as many as they could from the burning World Trade Center. The goal was to dismantle the al-Queda terrorist organization that had been using Afghanistan as a base. The United States also planned to remove the Taliban from power and bring in a democratic state. A decade later we continue to battle a widespread Taliban that has expanded into Pakistan (who the US still gives Billions of dollars in foreign aid to even after finding out they were hiding Osama Bin Laden) and have even had attacks on US soil by those supportive of their efforts.

I remember cheering the day that American Forces attacked Afghanistan seeking out those that caused the 9/11 attacks and hoping that we would indeed kill Osama Bin Laden and stop terrorism in it’s tracks. Approval ratings among Americans for this attack was indeed very high as benefit after benefit was held for the victims of 9/11’s families. This article is not meant to question President Bush’s decision to invade and fight terrorism, it is meant to ask the question “Is it time for US to leave”? The Afghanistan War is now the second longest only the Vietnam War lasted longer. According to icasualties.org the US total in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war is now 1912 American Soldiers killed in action. Add to that the Billions of US tax dollars supporting a war that has taken so many lives.

On June 22, 2011, President Obama announced that 10,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn by the end of 2011. An additional 23,000 troops will leave the country by the summer of 2012. After the withdrawal of 10,000 U.S. troops, 80,000 are left participating in the war . President Obama and Congress due to their inability to perform their jobs of balancing the budget and reducing the national deficit of 15 trillion dollars will be cutting defense spending by 450 billion dollars. Right now we are spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan, while our own bridges and infrastructure crumble. Under the current plan 80,000 troops will be left in Afghanistan, however, our United States/Mexico border goes unprotected with the amount of drug cartel murders in the United States rises. The serious question needs to be asked “Is it time for the United States to leave Afghanistan”?

The Florida Patriot salutes our active duty and retired military and hopes to see more corporations pledge to hire more of our returning veterans.

Tagged 9/11, Afghanistan, firefighters, National Debt, Osama Bin Laden, President Bush, President Obama, US Military