Afghanistan: A War of Necessity?

Abstract

Abstract : Nine Years have passed since Coalition forces removed the Taliban from power, yet a persistent conflict continues, and insurgents are still present and in some cases control various parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many U.S citizens, however, continue to question the necessity of winning the war in Afghanistan and whether it's vital to our national interests. Afghanistan continues to be central to the war on terrorism and the United States and allies cannot withdraw until the country is secure. In the wake of 9/11, invading Afghanistan was a war of necessity. Due to the severe training shortfalls, Afghan security forces currently cannot offer the required protection to the people. Governance is still appalling and corruption is rampant. Only the United States has the resources to fix it. The United States needed to act in self-defense to defeat al Qaeda, and minimize the chance of a terrorist attack on American citizens. Henry Kissinger worries that a bad result in Afghanistan will create a big bang, but not a good one. This begs the question, Is Afghanistan truly a war of necessity?