President Barack Obama addressed the crowd at West Point Military Academy and the nation Tuesday, outlining his plan for the future of the Afghan War.
“It’s important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place,” the President said in the address (here’s the White House transcript). ”We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station.”
The President went on to mention Afghanistan-based terrorist groups al Qaida and the Taliban as the culprits of the attacks, and the Congressional authorization of the use of force against the groups, which continues to this day.
“Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011,” Obama went on.
“When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. And that’s why, shortly after taking office, I approved a longstanding request for more troops.”
The President remarked that although many lead figures of al Qaida and the Taliban have been overthrown and killed, and the Taliban was unable to overthrow the albeit flawed election in Afghanistan, more progress is necessary.
“Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There’s no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. … And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population. … In short: The status quo is not sustainable.”
The President continued, and dropped the bomb of his address: “And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.”
“I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war now for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources,” said President Obama.
The rest of his address outlined the 18-month plan to “keep pressure on al Qaida,” including a three-prong approach.
“First … a military strategy that will break the Taliban’s momentum and increase Afghanistan’s capacity over the next 18 months.” (from the White House blog) ”Second, we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy,” and ”third … our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.”
The President ended his address with this: ”And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering.”
For more info, the White House also released a fact sheet pertaining to the President’s address and plan in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
