Next Gen Journal

Middle Eastern nation where I.S.A.F troops are currently deployed in the Global War on Terror

By Brandon Lopez

Just a while ago, the one international topic that was sure to provoke  spirited opinions was the quagmire known as Iraq. Huge debates would arise about a proper strategy to deal with the conflict in the Middle-Eastern nation. Now however, the public debate over Iraq barely scratches the surface in terms of news coverage; it has been replaced by the new discussion over the strategy in the ongoing war in Afghanistan (formally known as Operation Enduring Freedom) .

Even clear party/ideological lines are not safe from this increasingly hostile debate as “switching sides” has become more popular. President Barack Obama  has stood firm with his decision to keep boots on the ground even though it means siding with his Republican foes and straying from his Democratic base. Most recently, the elite conservative columnist George Will called for an utter withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, seemingly betraying his conservative American allies. He said in his Washington Post Op/Ed piece:

“So, instead, forces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy: America should do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, airstrikes and small, potent Special Forces units, concentrating on the porous 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, a nation that actually matters. Genius, said de Gaulle, recalling Bismarck’s decision to halt German forces short of Paris in 1870, sometimes consists of knowing when to stop ”

So let’s get your take:

Do you think that the United States should continue to increase its current troop levels in Afghanistan or should it follow the advice of George Will and withdraw completely?