US troops in Afganistan

The United States of America has many troops located in Afganistan, which affects the life of many normal Afganis. Considering we have 68,000 plus troops who live there, eat there, fight there, and try to ensure no riots or terrorist attacks happen it affects the life of the people group. How the US is perceived in Afganistan by the common people will go a long way to determine our future relationship with the entire region. Many people blame policies of the past for the deep US resentment in the region.

One of the political realities President Obama faces is this is a very unpopular war. In a resent New York Times article the war in Afganistan waas compared to Vietnam. This will affect the policys made because there will be heavy resistince made on any effort that is not pulling our troops out. Many of his own supporters, according to Marie Cocco, who supported his decision in his campaign to pull troops from Iraq and concentrate efforts in Afganistan, are now weary of war and want our troops out altogether. Yet, there are many of his own supporters who believe that the precense of US troops in Afganistan is absolutely essential to win the war on terror. An ardent support of Obama, Marie Cocco states, "They forget why we are in Afganistan-that it was here in this faraway land of poverty, tribal animosities, and historical hostility toward outsiders that a sophisticated terrorist network was allowed to take root, to flourish and plot the spectacular attack. (9/11) Afganistan today is once again such a couldron" Clearly President Obama is facing a difficult decision on what to do with US troops.