Thousands of New Yorkers ran frantically through the streets as smoke filled the air. Millions of people watched the events taking place in disbelief. Roughly an hour after two commercial airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, both plummeted to the ground. The actions that took place on September 11, 2001 forever changed the mentality of the United States and its citizens. Americans, who once felt safe flying across the country or leaving for jobs, lost the sense of security previously taken for granted. They quickly became aware of groups and individuals posing serious threats to their rights as U.S. citizens. The Taliban, Al Qaeda, and Osama bin Laden soon became household names. In the span of only a few days, a once powerful nation appeared weak and easily susceptible to attack.
At this time of vulnerability, rather than crumbling, the country rallied together for one common purpose. No longer would we allow terrorist organizations to put fear in the hearts of Americans. Under the leadership of President George W. Bush, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom beginning October 7, 2001 in the Middle East. With the intentions of bringing justice to those who took the lives of thousands of people and becoming the aggressors in the war against terrorism, military forces remain in the Afghanistan region today. However, after over eight years of combat, the majority of Americans no longer share the same beliefs regarding the war. Rather than viewing the big picture, they view it as a burden on both the economy and families of soldiers deployed. In order to achieve victory against terrorist organizations in Afghanistan and the remainder of the Middle East, it remains imperative for the United States to continue fighting in the region.
Many reasons justify the continuation of fighting in Afghanistan. Following the invasion of Afghanistan nearly a decade ago, millions of Afghans put their faith in the United States government to provide them with a better life. A nation once with little hope now anticipated a life with all fundamental liberties, as they fought alongside Americans. Although that goal still remains unfinished, the likelihood of it occurring increases greatly with our assistance. As Thomas Barnett discusses in “Why We Should Stay in Afghanistan,” the departure of United States military units would return Afghanistan to the civil war it faced the past several decades. Innocent Afghans would become defenseless against brutal attacks of the Taliban regime. As contemplated by Barnett, the Taliban already has much of the offensive advantage in the region; imagine the departure of U.S. troops (1-2). Eventually, the United States government would be forced to choose sides in the war, contributing to an even greater conflict than what the U.S. faces today.
Jerry Guo also mentions another important fact supporting the War in Afghanistan in his article “Optimism in a War Zone.” At a time when an increasing number of Americans view the war in a pessimistic manner, the percentage of Afghan people supporting the actions occurring in the area continues to increase. Although increasing only four percent, the survey still provides support that withdrawing forces now would wash away all progress made over several years of hard work. Another striking feature Guo points out compares the morale of Afghanistan to the remainder of the world. While most nations see the war as a lost cause, the people surrounded by the fighting every day remain optimistic. Why should we withdraw troops when those with a close perspective see encouraging signs?
In her article “Should We Still Be in Afghanistan?” Anne Applebaum examines key opposing points to the War in Afghanistan. As Applebaum says, the absence of a clear, realistic goal prevents many people from supporting the effort. For those with information easily accessible, the objective seems clear, but much of the world remains clueless to the reasons for fighting. For most it’s simply been “the good war,” as opposed to “the bad war,” according to Applebaum (1). The loss of loved ones also stops many from supporting the war efforts. They argue that fighting for a country several thousand miles away does not justify the deaths of thousands of U.S. soldiers. The fact that these troops volunteered to serve their country often goes forgotten. They knew the risks they faced, including the possibility of leaving their home and never coming back, from the moment they signed the dotted line. For this reason, those choosing to risk their lives and serve in combat will forever be remembered as heroes. The impact of war on the economy also influences many individual’s beliefs regarding the War in Afghanistan. According to many experts, the billions of dollars poured into war efforts in the Middle East remains far too much for fighting to continue. These people face a choice regarding the order of their priorities. Is the economic well being of the nation or millions of defenseless lives more important to them?
Throughout humanity, war is described as a “necessary evil.” In an ideal world, people would coexist despite opposing backgrounds and opinions, with conflicts and violent warfare becoming nonexistent. The fact remains, however, that these differing beliefs contribute to great struggles for power in areas like the Middle East. As one of the strongest nations in the world, America must continue to fight for the defenseless and protect those in greatest need. Americans should not selfishly reject the aid of the Afghan people, but rather embrace their role as defenders. No one ever described the job in the Afghanistan as an easy task. As in any war, difficult times face all those fighting. For the United States to succeed in the area, however, U.S. citizens must be willing to fight through the difficult stretches and once again unite for the same purpose.
Works Cited
Applebaum, Anne. “Should We Still Be in Afghanistan?” Slate. NewsBank, 8 Sep. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2009
I was able to borrow some information regarding arguments against the War in Afghanistan. Although she was not necessarily condoning or condemning the war, she did offer several views of why many oppose it.
Barnett, Thomas P.M. “Why We Should Stay in Afghanistan.” Thomas P.M. Barnett::Weblog, 21 Sep. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2009
This expert provided detailed information about the affects withdrawing American forces would have on the country of Afghanistan. As he described, it would launch the nation into civil war, and make it nearly impossible for peace.
Guo, Jerry. “Optimism in a War Zone.” Newsweek. NewsBank, 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2009
This recently released article provided surprising information about the attitudes of the Afghan people. While most have given up on the war, their signs of encouragement provided me with another reason why we should continue to support the war.
I like your view point on the war. It really explains how the war is neccessary. I especially like how you say soldiers know what they are signing up for and that is a great point. Your view point is strong and i like it.
I really like your paper!! I agree with your viewon the war, and everyone should be willing to come back together forthe same cause. I liked the points you made about the afghanistans needing our help. I really enjoyed your opinion!!
I may not agree with your view about the war, but I enjoyed reading your paper. However, yes the men and women knew what they were getting into when they signed the papers, but also there is no need to keep them over there if nothing is changing. I may be ignorant when it comes to the war, but over these past few years I’ve seen nothing change. Your paper was well put together and informative, good job!