Pulling Out of Afghanistan

The Current Plan for Afghanistan
by Evan Delgado, staff writer
On December 1, 2009, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Barack Obama unveiled his administration’s new policy in Afghanistan. The previous administration had ordered an invasion of Afghanistan after the attack on the trade towers and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and removed from power the Taliban, who the Bush administration accused of providing a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. At the time of the speech at the military academy, the United States had 68,000 troops. President Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops by the summer of this year, but that he would then begin withdrawing troops a year later. The reason for the increase in troops, the president said, was, “to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat at Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government” to take responsibility for their country’s security and future.
The announcement came at a time that support for the war in the U.S. was dissipating. The estimated price tag of $30 billion, did not make the decision any more popular, despite support from important members of the Republican Party. Obama also mentioned that the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground; something that worried opponents of the war. Complicating matters for the administration are recent comments by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, criticizing the United States and threatening actions detrimental to the U.S.’s policy in the region. Despite the complications, it became clear that if the U.S. was to pull out, certain conditions would have to be met. "We should withdraw from Afghanistan once it is certain that the Taliban has been damaged to a large enough degree that it's rivals and the Afghan Government can control them without foreign aid. We should stay until this is accomplished, because allowing the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan will have made the entire war pointless" said freshman Scott Mathog, echoing the administrations views.
Asked whether he believes that U.S. troops will be pulled out as the president announced, University of La Verne political science professor Dr. Jason Neidleman said, “We will pull out as planned, but maybe not right on time, and we may have to go back in if the Taliban are resurgent.” He expressed concerns about the Afghani government’s ability to maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of U.S. and international troops. In response to the same question, Professor of sociology Dr. Hector L. Delgado said, “It's hard to say …But there will be a lot of pressure on Obama to keep to the timetable as U.S. casualties start to mount and if people see little improvement in the situation there.” Neither believed the war would have a major impact on the 2010 congressional races and the 2012 presidential race, unless conditions changed dramatically. Voters are more likely to be focused on jobs and the health of the overall economy.

On December 1, 2009, [Dec. 1, 2009,] in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Barack Obama unveiled his administration’s new policy in Afghanistan. The previous administration had ordered an invasion of Afghanistan after the attack on the trade towers and Pentagon on September 11, 2001,[Sept. 11, 2001] and removed from power the Taliban, who the Bush administration accused of providing a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. At the time of the speech at the military academy, the United States had 68,000 troops. President Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops by the summer of this year, but that he would then begin withdrawing troops a year later. The reason for the increase in troops, the president said, was, “to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat at Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government” to take responsibility for their country’s security and future.
The announcement came at a time that support for the war in the U.S. was dissipating. The estimated price tag of $30 billion, did not make the decision any more popular, despite support from important members of the Republican Party. [President] Obama also mentioned that the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground; something that worried opponents of the war. Complicating matters for the administration are recent comments by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, criticizing the United States and threatening actions detrimental to the U.S.’s [United States; spell out when used as a noun] policy in the region. Despite the complications, it became clear that if the U.S. [United States] was to pull out, certain conditions would have to be met. "We should withdraw from Afghanistan once it is certain that the Taliban has been damaged to a large enough degree that it's rivals and the Afghan Government [government] can control them without foreign aid. We should stay until this is accomplished, because allowing the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan will have made the entire war pointless[,]" said freshman Scott Mathog, echoing the administrations views.
Asked whether he believes that U.S. troops will be pulled out as the president announced, University of La Verne political science professor Dr. [delete "Dr"; do not use salutations for people outside of AHS, only use titles] Jason Neidleman said, “We will pull out as planned, but maybe not right on time, and we may have to go back in if the Taliban are resurgent.” He expressed concerns about the Afghani [Afghan] government’s ability to maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of U.S. [the United States] and international troops. In response to the same question, Professor of sociology Dr. [only title, no salutation] Hector L. Delgado said, “It's hard to say …But there will be a lot of pressure on Obama to keep to the timetable as U.S. casualties start to mount and if people see little improvement in the situation there.” Neither believed the war would have a major impact on the 2010 congressional races and the 2012 presidential race, unless conditions changed dramatically. Voters are more likely to be focused on jobs and the health of the overall economy.

On Dec. 1, 2009, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Barack Obama unveiled his administration’s new policy in Afghanistan. The previous administration had ordered an invasion of Afghanistan after the attack on the trade towers and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 and removed from power the Taliban, who the Bush administration accused of providing a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. At the time of the speech at the military academy, the United States had 68,000 troops. President Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops by the summer of this year, but that he would then begin withdrawing troops a year later. The reason for the increase in troops, the president said, was, “to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat at Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government” to take responsibility for their country’s security and future.
The announcement came at a time that support for the war in the U.S. was dissipating. The estimated price tag of $30 billion, did not make the decision any more popular, despite support from important members of the Republican Party. President Obama also mentioned that the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground; something that worried opponents of the war. Complicating matters for the administration are recent comments by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, criticizing the United States and threatening actions detrimental to the United States policy in the region. Despite the complications, it became clear that if the U.S. United States was to pull out, certain conditions would have to be met. "We should withdraw from Afghanistan once it is certain that the Taliban has been damaged to a large enough degree that it's rivals and the Afghan government can control them without foreign aid. We should stay until this is accomplished, because allowing the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan will have made the entire war pointless," said freshman Scott Mathog, echoing the administrations views.
Asked whether he believes that U.S. troops will be pulled out as the president announced, University of La Verne political science professor Jason Neidleman said, “We will pull out as planned, but maybe not right on time, and we may have to go back in if the Taliban are resurgent.” He expressed concerns about the Afghan government’s ability to maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of the United States and international troops. In response to the same question, Professor of sociology Hector L. Delgado said, “It's hard to say …But there will be a lot of pressure on Obama to keep to the timetable as U.S. casualties start to mount and if people see little improvement in the situation there.” Neither believed the war would have a major impact on the 2010 congressional races and the 2012 presidential race, unless conditions changed dramatically. Voters are more likely to be focused on jobs and the health of the overall economy.

The Current Plan for Afghanistan
By Evan Delgado
On Dec. 1, 2009, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Barack Obama unveiled his administration’s new policy in Afghanistan. The previous administration had ordered an invasion of Afghanistan after the attack on the trade towers and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 and removed from power the Taliban, who the Bush administration accused of providing a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. At the time of the speech at the military academy, the United States had 68,000 troops. President Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops by the summer of this year, but that he would then begin withdrawing troops a year later. The reason for the increase in troops, the president said, was, “to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat at Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government” to take responsibility for their country’s security and future.
The announcement came at a time that support for the war in the U.S. was dissipating. The estimated price tag of $30 billion, did not make the decision any more popular, despite support from important members of the Republican Party. President Obama also mentioned that the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground; something that worried opponents of the war. Complicating matters for the administration are recent comments by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, criticizing the United States and threatening actions detrimental to the United States policy in the region. Despite the complications, it became clear that if the U.S. United States was to pull out, certain conditions would have to be met. "We should withdraw from Afghanistan once it is certain that the Taliban has been damaged to a large enough degree that it's rivals and the Afghan government can control them without foreign aid. We should stay until this is accomplished, because allowing the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan will have made the entire war pointless," said freshman Scott Mathog, echoing the administrations views.
Asked whether he believes that U.S. troops will be pulled out as the president announced, University of La Verne political science professor Jason Neidleman said, “We will pull out as planned, but maybe not right on time, and we may have to go back in if the Taliban are resurgent.” He expressed concerns about the Afghan government’s ability to maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of the United States and international troops. In response to the same question, Professor of sociology Hector L. Delgado said, “It's hard to say …But there will be a lot of pressure on Obama to keep to the timetable as U.S. casualties start to mount and if people see little improvement in the situation there.” Neither believed the war would have a major impact on the 2010 congressional races and the 2012 presidential race, unless conditions changed dramatically. Voters are more likely to be focused on jobs and the health of the overall economy.
Nine years involved in the conflict with the Middle East, and the whole situation still seems chaotic and dangerous. A subject of controversy in the United States, the issue of what we were doing over there in the first place as well as whether we should remain involved have split the public in two. The Obama administration is planning and for the drastic step regardless, and the results of this decision remain uncertain. Whether the new government will remain on its feet or fall to the many threats that surround will decide whether the United States is truly done in the Graveyard of Empires.

Edit 2

On Dec. 1, 2009, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Barack Obama unveiled his administration’s new policy in Afghanistan. The previous administration had ordered an invasion of Afghanistan after the attack on the trade towers and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 and removed from power the Taliban, who the Bush administration accused of providing a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. At the time of the speech at the military academy, the United States had 68,000 troops. President Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops by the summer of this year, but that he would then begin withdrawing troops a year later. The reason for the increase in troops, the president said, was, “to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat at Qaeda [Al Qaeda?] in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government” to take responsibility for their country’s security and future.
The announcement came at a time that support for the war in the U.S. [United States] was dissipating. The estimated price tag of $30 billion, did not make the decision any more popular, despite support from important members of the Republican Party. President Obama also mentioned that the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground; something that worried opponents of the war. Complicating matters for the administration are recent comments by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, criticizing the United States and threatening actions detrimental to the United States policy in the region. Despite the complications, it became clear that if the U.S. [delete] United States was to pull out, certain conditions would have to be met. "We should withdraw from Afghanistan once it is certain that the Taliban has been damaged to a large enough degree that it's [its] rivals and the Afghan government can control them without foreign aid. We should stay until this is accomplished, because allowing the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan will have made the entire war pointless," said freshman Scott Mathog, echoing the administrations views.
Asked whether he believes that U.S. troops will be pulled out as the president announced, University of La Verne political science professor Jason Neidleman said, “We will pull out as planned, but maybe not right on time, and we may have to go back in if the Taliban are resurgent.” He expressed concerns about the Afghan government’s ability to maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of the United States and international troops. In response to the same question, Professor of sociology Hector L. Delgado said, “It's hard to say …But there will be a lot of pressure on Obama to keep to the timetable as U.S. casualties start to mount and if people see little improvement in the situation there.” Neither believed the war would have a major impact on the 2010 congressional races and the 2012 presidential race, unless conditions changed dramatically. Voters are more likely to be focused on jobs and the health of the overall economy.
Nine years involved in the conflict with the Middle East, and the whole situation still seems chaotic and dangerous. A subject of controversy in the United States, the issue of what we were doing over there in the first place as well as whether we should remain involved[,] have [has] split the public in two. The Obama administration is planning and [delete "and"] for the drastic step regardless, and the results of this decision remain uncertain. Whether the new government will remain on its feet or fall to the many threats that surround will decide whether the United States is truly done in the Graveyard of Empires.

The Current Plan for Afghanistan
by Evan Delgado, staff writer
On Dec. 1, 2009, in a speech at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, President Barack Obama unveiled his administration’s new policy in Afghanistan. The previous administration had ordered an invasion of Afghanistan after the attack on the trade towers and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001 and removed from power the Taliban, who the Bush administration accused of providing a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. At the time of the speech at the military academy, the United States had 68,000 troops. President Obama announced that he would send an additional 30,000 troops by the summer of this year, but that he would then begin withdrawing troops a year later. The reason for the increase in troops, the president said, was, “to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan” and “to strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s security forces and government” to take responsibility for their country’s security and future.

The announcement came at a time that support for the war in the United States was dissipating. The estimated price tag of $30 billion, did not make the decision any more popular, despite support from important members of the Republican Party. President Obama also mentioned that the withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground; something that worried opponents of the war. Complicating matters for the administration are recent comments by Afghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, criticizing the United States and threatening actions detrimental to the United States policy in the region. Despite the complications, it became clear that if the United States was to pull out, certain conditions would have to be met. "We should withdraw from Afghanistan once it is certain that the Taliban has been damaged to a large enough degree that its rivals and the Afghan government can control them without foreign aid. We should stay until this is accomplished, because allowing the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan will have made the entire war pointless," said freshman Scott Mathog, echoing the administrations views.

Asked whether he believes that U.S. troops will be pulled out as the president announced, University of La Verne political science professor Jason Neidleman said, “We will pull out as planned, but maybe not right on time, and we may have to go back in if the Taliban are resurgent.” He expressed concerns about the Afghan government’s ability to maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of the United States and international troops. In response to the same question, Professor of sociology Hector L. Delgado said, “It's hard to say …But there will be a lot of pressure on Obama to keep to the timetable as U.S. casualties start to mount and if people see little improvement in the situation there.” Neither believed the war would have a major impact on the 2010 congressional races and the 2012 presidential race, unless conditions changed dramatically. Voters are more likely to be focused on jobs and the health of the overall economy.

Nine years involved in the conflict with the Middle East, and the whole situation still seems chaotic and dangerous. A subject of controversy in the United States, the issue of what we were doing over there in the first place as well as whether we should remain involved, has split the public in two. The Obama administration is planning the drastic step regardless, and the results of this decision remain uncertain. Whether the new government will remain on its feet or fall to the many threats that surround will decide whether the United States is truly done in the Graveyard of Empires.