President Barack Obama announced the deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan on Tuesday night at West Point Military Academy in front of the cadets fated to fulfill his orders.
The prime time nationally-televised address outlined a three-part strategy that, with international support, will enable U.S. forces to begin departure from Afghanistan by July 2011.
Senior Qais Faqiri, a Ball State University journalism major and Afghanistan citizen, watched from his Muncie house as Obama presented the case for a larger U.S. military presence.
"This number of troops is a hope, maybe a last resort," Faqiri said. "We have to remember we're not talking about Iraq, Korea or Vietnam. This is Afghanistan. It's like quicksand. Obama is trying to just get it right and I hope he does."
Obama said the surge in troops will begin in early 2010 and will be based on three objectives: stopping Al-Qaeda from building a safe haven, not allowing the Taliban to overthrow Afghanistan's government and strengthening Afghanistan's Security Forces and government.
Obama said the new military strategy, a more effective civilian strategy with the Afghan people and the recognition that success in Afghanistan will lead to a better relationship with Pakistan are key to completing the objectives.
The newest influx will result in about 100,000 troops occupying the country.
With health care reform and the economy spearheading the Obama administration's social agenda, the new military policy could prove a tough sell. Experts say public opinion against the war is growing and even some Democratic support could wane if the issue is important for the 2010 midterm elections.
Recognizing the possible political problem, Obama tried to justify his decision.
"If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow.
"So no, I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by Al-Qaeda," Obama said.
Faqiri said one of the military's most difficult tasks is winning over the Afghan people. He said the people are "skeptical" of the American forces because they have forgotten about the country in the past and are waiting for it to possibly happen again.
"It's not that they don't want the U.S. there, but they are standing by and watching, asking ‘How long are you going to stay there? Ten years? Twenty years?,'" Faqiri said. "It's the Taliban's backyard. Their children will be there in 1,000 years. We have to understand that."
After the speech, Faqiri was left with more questions than answers. He said Obama didn't address any new points and lacked concrete solutions.
"He talked about working with governors and local officials. How he is going to do that? Is he going to put pressure on [President Hamid] Karzai to give more power to local officials? He had the idea of creating a middleman in Afghanistan who would run the government, like a prime minister, he didn't mention that at all," Faqiri said.
He also said Obama was rude when he looked into the camera to address the Afghanistan people.
"He can order his army, but he cannot dictate his points to the people of Afghanistan. Words cannot deliver anything — if he wants the people of Afghanistan to understand him, he has to deliver on his words," Faqiri added.
The thought of American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan is a far-fetched idea right now, Faqiri said. After occupying his country for eight years, he said the troops have to stay until the Afghan government and police force is ready to take over. Otherwise, there's not much of a point in staying there, he said.
"There's 68,000 American soldiers already there," Faqiri said. "For their lives, for their protection, I hope they can get out of there, even if its not from winning the war. Because right now they can't really leave. Withdraw American soldiers from Afghanistan? That's a dream. That will not come true unless the Afghanistan people can stand on their own two feet."
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