Afghanistan

Abstract

Abstract With casualties mounting among U.S. and allied forces and a dramatic increase in attacks by the Taliban, the president has been under mounting pressure to define a new strategy for a war now in its eighth year. The debate over strategy started with at least three different approaches. The first, reportedly espoused by Vice President Joseph Biden, urges a reduction in the American military footprint in Afghanistan, combined with an increase in targeted attacks against suspected Al Qaeda bases in neighboring Pakistan. The second, believed to be supported by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, advocates continued military commitment to ensuring security and stability in Afghanistan at about the present troop levels. The third approach is that of General Stanley McChrystal, named by President Obama to command U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. McChrystal has been seeking a massive increase in the number of U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan with the aim of implementing a “seize-and-hold” counterinsurgency strategy. The debate is far from over, for an increasing number of Americans are beginning to ask: Why are we there at all?