Riley Nagle Should we still be worried?

Position synthesis paper November 20, 2013

We have all seen those Americans out protesting the war efforts in the Middle East some have even resorted to such extremes as picketing United States soldier funerals. Though I feel I have a hard time sa ing we should continue to provide militar aid to a region that seems to !e hell !ent on self destruction" as of late I have noticed a rise in terrorist attacks against local militar forces as we start to see the withdrawal of troops from areas like Afghanistan. As much as we all hate to admit it if attacks continue to amass in num!ers it will !e hard for a nation coming out of such a damning past to stand on its own against such a large insurgent force.

Man anti war activists I have spoken to tried to tell me that there was no reason for us to care !ecause the #fact$ is that Americans need not care !ecause the attacks against us have come to an end. What he or she reall means is the have managed to sta relativel well uniformed and missed the truck !om!ing that shook the ground outside the US consulate in Afghanistan or the gun !attle to fallow %ust this Septem!er on the thirteenth. &uckil no one sustained an fatal wounds %ust minor in%uries from the explosion it self. The associated press said later that da in their evening news report that #with a !oom heard miles awa and a window shattering ear drum rupturing !last a suicidal truck !om!er drove into the US consulate in Afghanistan and detonated his deadl message$ that sentence more than an thing else I read in the research I did for this paper summed up wh this is such in important issue and something we cant %ust put on the !ack !urner or leave for someone else '().

M most recent *uestion though is should we reall still !e worried or not+ The Tali!an in astonishment to most of the world has agreed to !egin peace talks with the Afghan government ',)- .owever this agreement did take place a!out three month !efore the consulate !om!ing" and an attack that occurred %ust nine da s later against Afghan police forces attempting to apprehend a suspect '/).Though the police had intended to go in to the village and retrieve %ust one suspect peacea!l the ended up taking over (0 casualties and the Tali!an fighters in the area have reported having as man as twelve more police officials captured '/). In a stud conducted %ust this fall ! 1on 2oland a foreign correspondent for the 2ew 3ork Times he can !e *uoted sa ing #with a di44 ing rise with the num!er of Tali!an attacks against 2AT5 and Afghan forces with the Afghanis taking the !runt of the attacks one starts to wonder a!out the fait of a nation in such disrepair$. Whose to sa that if we with draw completel that Afghanistan wont go the wa of 6ietnam where we went we fought and then we had on choice !ut to pull out and leave south 6ietnam on its own. I reall wonder if we can !e done over there for the time !eing or not personall I am rather skeptical in light of recent events.

I as much as an one else would love to see our friends" famil mem!ers" and loved ones return from their deplo ments as soon as possi!le !ut I would hate even more if for those who have gone and those who have given their lives for what the !elieve in to have !een all for not. 7ar too little attention gets paid to our veterans in this countr !ut what the do makes this great nation possi!le.

The speculation over how long this war will go on for has carried on sense it first !egan. In the earl ears of the war former director of the central intelligence agenc

8avid 9atreuos can !e *uoted sa ing #&et me know how this ends$ when referring directl to the situation in Afghanistan ',). The director implies that America is not onl at war with the Tali!an now !ut will continue to !e for an foreseea!le future ultimatel ending in some sort of ugl wa . With the num!er of attacks on the rise and the Tali!an !reaking peace talks I don:t find his thesis hard to !u into ! an means. .ow ever I will sa that with so man differing opinions on this touch and ver delicate topic it is rather hard to whole heartedl leap into one and hope ou were right.

Though I fear for man reasons that we will get sucked into sta ing in Afghanistan to help our wounded all recover I fear this perhaps most of all !ecause of the de!it that is piling up in !ewildering amounts !eing spent to keep the fight going. The largest portion of the United States annual !udget goes toward national deafens" in other words pa ing our soldiers" !u ing new e*uipment" and maintaining that which we alread have. .ow ever at a certain point ou have to ask our self when did our national defense forces !ecome the %ustice league of America rushing from place to place as needed keeping evil doers at !a +

I reali4e I have !een rather indecisive throughout this whole paper so let me take a minute to clarif m position. I do agree with man Americans that the peace talk with the Tali!an and Afghanistan are the right direction however it deepl saddens me that %ust one month into the talks afghani militants set off a car !om! in a consulate compound. I do feel it is ver important to get our troops home safe and sound !ut at what cost to the people in Afghanistan who have !een helping us fight the last twelve ears" when the Tali!an comes !ack out of hiding who will protect their wives and children. I reall feel we need to %ust find some method to get Afghanistan on its feet again and to the point where it is a safe environment for people to live long happ lives.

If I had things m wa we would have a small force from each coalition sta !ehind to help support and train the Afghan forces. With a small group of speciali4ed men we could effectivel train the afghan arm and police forces up to a level where the would !e capa!le of com!ating such a terrif ing and strong threat as the one the now face.

So once again wh should we Americans !e concerned at all with the goings on of a terrorist organi4ation in another nation+ Well its fairl simple honestl if ou think of the Tali!an as a dog who %ust !it ou" if ou let him get awa with it he is going to do it again and again and harder and deeper testing our limits until finall chewed up there is nothing left for ou to do. ou are so

In summation I personall don:t wish to see us extend the time we spend in the Middle East an more than an one else how ever I do feel that this is a threat that can not !e ignored" swept under the rug or covered up and kept out of sight !ecause its ugl an longer I think it is o!vious we must sta in Afghanistan.