Withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan: The idea that all our troops would be pulled out by 2015 is not necessarily true. What President Obama did say was that 10,000 troops would be pulled out immediately, 23,000 additional troops would be pulled out by the end of Summer 2012 (Holla!), and then, at a steady pace, troops would be pulled out as Afghan forces slowly started taking over those roles. Also, the President never set an actual end date for the war. With his plan, Obama would not be pulling out all the troops at once. When he took office there was about 34,000 troops. He added about 66,000 troops. With his plan, it would take the number down to about 68,000-- reducing the number of troops by 33,000. Just because we are pulling out our troops does not mean that we will be leaving like that.
It's hard, having family members fighting over seas. It's hard, finding out that a loved one died fighting in a far away country. It's hard, not knowing if your mom, your dad, your brother, sister, son or daughter will come home. But, it's also a source of pride, knowing that that individual is fighting for something bigger than themselves. They're fighting for the good of others. And, while it's hard not seeing them everyday, it would be even harder to bring them all back at once. It would be a careless mistake that would ultimately make their time over seas mean nothing.
They are fighting to strengthen and renew a country that has seen so much, been through so much, and suffered so much. They are fighting to keep our country, our home safe from those who might try and use that country for something so bad. They are fighting to give others the same sense of freedom and pride that we feel every day.
For that reason, we cannot pull out all the troops at once. We cannot leave these people on their own with a snap of our fingers. We cannot cast them aside like a half finished project; we cannot do that and we won't.
Little by little we can pull our troops out, steadily adding to the responsibility of Afghanistan's new government. Little by little, President Obama's plan will bring our loved ones home, and at the same time, he will strengthen a country that was once so volatile. His plan may be a little lengthy, but if you look at it the way he does, it makes sense.
If we pull out all at once, the country may fall back into bad hands. It may stumble back into a darker time. It may become our enemy once more and our country, our home, will be at stake. It's not only about helping another country, it's about helping our own. By securing the freedom and safety of other countries, we secure our own.
http://countdowntodrawdown.org/facts.php
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