11/26/2009 - West Side Leader
     

Guest Editorial — Betty Sutton

Dear Friends,

The U.S. is currently at a crossroads with our Afghanistan strategy. We face tough choices with no perfect options. The tragic attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, combined with the Taliban’s refusal to deny sanctuary to Al-Qaeda extremists, necessitated the U.S., with its NATO allies, to launch Operation Enduring Freedom.

More than eight years later, we are asking tough questions about our continued involvement in Afghanistan. In evaluating the situation, we face a wide range of opinions and voices arguing the merits of different goals and the different strategies by which we should achieve them. While there are no easy answers in this debate, we must start by delineating between our uncompromising core goal of eliminating threats to U.S. domestic security from any secondary goals we may have. My decision regarding whether to send more troops to Afghanistan hinges upon whether or not increasing troop numbers is vital to our core goal of national security. As I make this important decision, I am taking into account the recommendations of the Administration and our military, the concerns of my constituents and the interests of our service members.

Due to the nature of their position, our military leaders limit their examination of potential solutions to the use of force. Gen. [Stanley] McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, has suggested that victory could require 40,000 additional troops. John Nagl, co-author of the military’s counterinsurgency field manual, has stated that victory could require up to 600,000 U.S. and Afghan security forces and a commitment of at least five years. Some assert that our time commitment would need to extend beyond five years.

Meanwhile, others argue that a military solution is not the answer and that the U.S. should no longer expend our blood and resources on this war in a country where we are not wanted. Evidence indicates that much of the increasing violence and insurgent activity in Afghanistan is directed at the continued U.S. military presence. Expert witnesses before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee testified that the Al-Qaeda organization has been operationally weakened and its ability to attack the American homeland greatly compromised. These factors, coupled with the ongoing loss of troops and resources, must lead us to consider responsibly deploying troops out of Afghanistan, while retaining a smaller counterinsurgency force focused on preventing Al-Qaeda’s return.

We must also be mindful that U.S. values require consideration of the plight of the millions of innocent Afghans who have long been plagued by poor governance, corruption and human rights abuses. As Nicholas Kristoff of the New York Times recently pointed out, we could build 20 schools in Afghanistan for the cost of stationing a single additional soldier there for one year. However, any successful efforts to engage in nation-building require effective and active partners within the Afghan government as well as assistance from other nations that share our concerns. It is my opinion that the U.S. should be wary of committing further resources without receiving concrete assurances from Afghan leadership and support from our allies.

Many of our soldiers have been deployed over and over again in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Nine hundred and nineteen American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan and 4,363 have been killed in Iraq. Twenty-six brave soldiers from Ohio have been killed in Afghanistan and 182 have been killed in Iraq. As these numbers continue to rise, I feel strongly that we cannot simply have an open-ended war without a clear strategy and achievable objectives. For this reason, I am a cosponsor of legislation calling for a clearly defined responsible strategy for Afghanistan.

Our soldiers and their families bear the true brunt of our continued military operations, and I am committed to pursuing policies worthy of their tremendous sacrifice. This includes making sure they are fairly compensated. Since 2001, more than 180,000 men and women have had their service extended by the Pentagon beyond their contract term for additional deployments through a policy called “stop loss.” I successfully sponsored a measure to provide stop-loss compensation for these brave soldiers — many who served in Afghanistan. As I push for a responsible, timely end to U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, I will continue to champion the needs of our service members and their families.

We are in a time of war. With so many lives on the line, it is incumbent upon Congress and the Administration to critically examine all possible courses of action. It is incumbent upon us to make well-informed, responsible decisions for the good of our great nation and our troops. The options we have before us are not great, but making the best decision requires that we engage in a reasoned and realistic debate.

Betty Sutton is the Democratic representative to Congress for the 13th District of Ohio.

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