The Pentagon announced this week that more Marines will be heading to Afghanistan to help maintain momentum there as Obama continues with his surge policy with the long-term goal of withdrawing American forces:
The United States will send more than 1,000 additional Marines to Afghanistan this month to try to solidify progress in the south before troop reductions begin in July, American military officials said Thursday. The majority of the forces will be sent to Helmand Province, where 20,000 Marines have made gains against the Taliban but where fighting remains intense in insurgent strongholds like Sangin. […] Currently there are about 100,000 United States troops in Afghanistan. In December 2009, President Obama announced that he was sending 30,000 additional troops there and at the same time said the United States would begin to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in July 2011.
This troop increase comes at a time when the American public is growing increasingly pessimistic about the war. According to a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports:
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that just 19% of Likely U.S. Voters think the situation in Afghanistan will get better in the next six months. Forty-one percent (41%) now expect the war in Afghanistan to get worse over the next six months while 28% predict it will stay about the same. A month ago, 18% expected things to get better, tying the lowest level of confidence measured in 2010. Voter confidence in the outcome of the war fell to a new low last month. Just 34% now believe it is possible for the United States to win the war in Afghanistan.
Long-time observers of U.S. foreign policy recognize the difficulties of trying to successfully wage a politically unpopular war. As concerned as I am about that, I’m also troubled by the idea that a counter-insurgency strategy is not compatible with an announced withdrawal deadline and I’m increasingly worried about our long-term prospects. In “5 Ways to Win the War in Afghanistan” Andrew Exum, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a veteran who served in Afghanistan, offers an optimistic appraisal including a surprising suggestion: decrease funding for the war. Well, maybe, Secretary Gates is in a cost-cutting mood after all.
Photo Credit: AFP