No one's talking?
The Pres announced troop draw-down in Afghanistan. 10,000 troops pulled by the end of this year. Another 33,000 next year and promise to change our mission from combat to support by 2014.
Is it enough? Too much?
Will we be able to plant an effective, honest, productive government in Afghanistan by 2014...or ever? Does it matter?
We're supporting a ton of peeps over there right now - over 200,000. Presumably those numbers are what it takes to keep the Taliban from being organized enough to breed effective terrorist groups.
The bleeding-heart part of me would like to see our military insuring an on-going infrastructure than can cure this sick nation. Afghanistan hovers around in the top 5 countries for worst mortality rates - > infants, kids under 5 and women giving birth don't have a great chance at life. Thus far though those dollars that have been targeted to building supportive communities have ended up mostly in the pockets of corrupt quasi-ruling men.
The peace-lover in me simply says we should pull out all our military and go home. Being there, being in war there, is not making us safer here at home.
Anyways here are the transcripts of last nights speech.