Bring Troops Home For Good

Nearly 10 years after ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ started the war in Afghanistan, about 33,000 United States troops still remain in the war-torn land even after Osama Bin Laden was killed. 


Supporters of continued military action say the U.S. is defeating Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and withdrawing troops would be a setback to the war on terrorism. They say that continued U.S. presence there is necessary to make sure the democratic government in Afghanistan will continue.

‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ was the product of previous U.S. President George Bush as a vehicle to take down the Taliban.  While the ultimate goal was realized with the killing of Bin Laden, the violence against the troops in Afghanistan is escalating instead of receding.


Even though ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ was put into effect to fight the Taliban, our country leaders have run into a standstill, resorting to strained negotiations with the very terrorist group that the troops went there to fight.  According to an interview on the website TheRealNews.com, with Sonali Kolhatkar, co-director of the Afghan Women’s Mission, Afghan women do not want any power sharing deal with the Taliban, but also want the US to completely pull out of their country.


With more than 1,965 American service men and women killed in the Afghan war and the cost at $527 billion and growing, many Americans feel that the time has come to bring our troops home.  According to an AP-GfK Poll conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications from May 3-7, 2012, 66 percent of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan.


With all the arguing in Washington amongst politicians about cutting spending and decreasing the deficit, it would make perfect sense to save some of the nation’s money and bring our troops home for good.