President Announces Troop Surge To Afghanistan In Address To Nation

President Obama has a difficult time tomorrow night in convincing the nation of his planned troop surge into Afghanistan. During the Campaign last year President Obama spoke of Afghanistan in the most dire situation and how the real conflict was in Afghanistan not Iraq. Throughout the campaign he stated that when he becomes President he would increase troop levels, unfortunately since he has been president his rhetoric has not matched his promises from the campaign.

From the beginning of his administration the only time that the President has spoken to the American people regarding Afghanistan was during his announcement in March of a comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan, then briefly in August to a veterans group. Other than a few occasions, the president hasn’t spoken to the American people on why we should be involved in Afghanistan.

Often individuals when they find out that I have served in Afghanistan and well read on the situation ask me point blank questions regarding why are we still there? These questions point o a growing lack of clarity from this administration to the American people on our continued presence in Afghanistan.

Tomorrow when the president addresses the nation at the West Point Military Academy, he will be addressing four audiences. The first one is clear convincing the American people on our continued commitment and what it means to the security of this nation. Next he must convince members of his own party who are resisting any troop increase to Afghanistan. He then has to convince our NATO allies of our commitment and staying power as they will be asked to contribute additional forces that will supplement our own. Finally the Afghan people will want to know what are intentions are? Are we going to stay the course or will we abandon them like we have done so many times in the past!

Politics will play an enormous part in this equation, but if the president begins to plays partisan politics with this decision with the eye on the mid-term elections or how it will affect his re-election then it will have disastrous results.

This decision should be based on what is best for the nation’s security and nothing else!