Foreign Policy Question

JALU3 · 04-09-09, 06:43 AM

During the 2008 US Presidential Campaign the OEF-A/ISAF operations were touted as "the Good/Just War", where as Iraq was described as the mistake, the detour, and so on. Our current President ran on such rehtorric. However, now with the announced draw down of US forces in Iraq, and a shift to Afghanistan as the main AO within the CentCom region, I have started to hear calls of Afghanistan not being a just war, that it's one that we need to get out of, and that we cannot succeed. I am sure there might have been calls of that in the past, but to me it seems to be a slowly increasing drumbeat from those on the opposite aisle from myself on the plitical spectrum. Is this the case, or am I mistaken? If this is the case, why?
Does the US and NATO plan to succeed in Afghanistan? If so, how? If so, why are some nations not willing to commit the forces and resources to achieve said success?

Platapus · 04-09-09, 08:20 PM

There will always be people bitching about any war. There has never been (and I doubt will ever be) a war that everyone agrees on. We even had bunches of people against WWII.

I do have some questions I would really like to have President Obama answer.

1. What exactly is our goal in AF?
2. What are the measurables for that goal?
3. How will we measure our progress to determine "success" with respect to the goal?
4. What is our exit criteria/decision point?

These are questions any CINC needs to know before embarking on military action.

Starting a war is easy
Ending a war is not so easy.

04-09-09, 06:43 AM	#1
JALU3 Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2007 Location: 11SMS 98896 10565 Posts: 756 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Foreign Policy Question During the 2008 US Presidential Campaign the OEF-A/ISAF operations were touted as "the Good/Just War", where as Iraq was described as the mistake, the detour, and so on. Our current President ran on such rehtorric. However, now with the announced draw down of US forces in Iraq, and a shift to Afghanistan as the main AO within the CentCom region, I have started to hear calls of Afghanistan not being a just war, that it's one that we need to get out of, and that we cannot succeed. I am sure there might have been calls of that in the past, but to me it seems to be a slowly increasing drumbeat from those on the opposite aisle from myself on the plitical spectrum. Is this the case, or am I mistaken? If this is the case, why? Does the US and NATO plan to succeed in Afghanistan? If so, how? If so, why are some nations not willing to commit the forces and resources to achieve said success? __________________ "The Federation needs men like you, doctor. Men of conscience. Men of principle. Men who can sleep at night... You're also the reason Section Thirty-one exists -- someone has to protect men like you from a universe that doesn't share your sense of right and wrong." -Sloan, Section Thirty-One

04-09-09, 08:20 PM	#2
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,360 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	There will always be people bitching about any war. There has never been (and I doubt will ever be) a war that everyone agrees on. We even had bunches of people against WWII. I do have some questions I would really like to have President Obama answer. 1. What exactly is our goal in AF? 2. What are the measurables for that goal? 3. How will we measure our progress to determine "success" with respect to the goal? 4. What is our exit criteria/decision point? These are questions any CINC needs to know before embarking on military action. Starting a war is easy Ending a war is not so easy. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.