Obama’s War, by Jack Melamed

On Sept. 11, 2001, our great nation was attacked by terrorists in what could only be described as an act of ultimate cowardice. In response, our nation, along with the support of the world, attacked the nation that harbored these terrorists and served as the training camp for those that attacked us on that fateful day. Now, eight years later, we have reached a crossroad in the Afghan war. President Barack Obama has essentially three choices: end the war and withdraw our troops, continue the war with the current strategy, or change strategy and increase troop levels.

My view on Afghanistan is similar to that of many if not most Americans: I was extremely supportive of the war but, over the past several years, have become somewhat confused about our objectives and goals in Afghanistan, and what victory actually means. I have also become weary of war, both in terms of the human cost in lives and the financial cost in the midst of an economic crisis.

While a part of me wanted to hear the president say that the Afghan war would end and our troops would be brought home now, the time is not right to end the war. First, the president did not just accept the initial request of the military generals in Afghanistan, but instead deliberated over the course of several months with all of his advisors. While former vice president Dick Cheney, Senator John McCain and several other prominent Republicans criticized the President for “dithering” on his decision to consider all of the options in Afghanistan, this was the best and most prudent process to follow. These are critical decisions for our country and its future, and engaging in a deliberative and thoughtful process involving all of the relevant considerations certainly is the correct approach — and perhaps if our leaders had deliberated over the best course of action during the past eight years, we wouldn’t be in our current position.

The troop increases are unfortunately the best choice as a response to our recent lack of attention to Afghanistan. The war in Iraq distracted our leaders from achieving our goals in Afghanistan. We devoted most of our resources, troops and attention to Iraq, and as a result the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly during the past five years. In order to reverse this trend and to compensate for neglecting the Afghan effort, we must now devote more troops and resources to have any chance of succeeding in Afghanistan.

Most would agree that there are no good options for dealing with the mess in Afghanistan. The critical question, however, is “what is the best decision we can make for Afghanistan at this point?” To leave Afghanistan immediately, causing the Taliban to not only seize control of the devastated nation but to also be further emboldened to engage in mischief in Pakistan, would be the worst of all options. To maintain the status quo likewise does not make. It seems clear that we do not have sufficient troop levels to achieve our objective and would needlessly be putting our existing troops in harm’s way. The only decision that makes sense is to increase our troop levels to the point necessary to accomplish our objectives, and then, in short order, withdraw and leave the security of Afghanistan to the Afghan army.

I was particularly pleased that Obama had a thoughtful strategy that included addressing the tribal areas in Pakistan. It is well-documented that many of the terrorists we are fighting are harbored in these lawless regions in Pakistan. The Pakistani government has begun fighting Taliban members in response to being attacked, but they simply don’t have the resources to mount an offensive. To ensure success in Afghanistan, we must secure the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Finally, I am thrilled that Obama identified a troop withdrawal date. I, along with many Americans, do not want to have a completely open-ended troop insurgence and be fighting in Afghanistan for the next 10 years. By having a withdrawal date, Obama has secured my support for the troop increases. He also has now put pressure on both the Afghani citizens and government to become more involved in their nation’s rebuilding simply because America will not be a crutch forever.

All and all, Obama’s policy seems to be the best choice under the circumstances, and he deserves credit for making these difficult decisions in a thoughtful manner.

Jack Melamed is a sophomore in Newcomb-Tulane College. He can be reached for comment at jmelamed@tulane.edu.