Question: "Mr. President, do we have any reason to keep our troops in Afghanistan?" n/t

[TygrBright]

[Autumn]

1. No reason at all.

It's time to bring them home.

[yurbud]

2. whatever reason is given will now fall on deaf ears with the public.

[tekisui]

3. Yeah, support for the the war should plummet even lower than it is.

[chowder66]

4. Escalation in attacks could delay efforts....

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/02/taliban-threaten-us-pakistan-over-bin-laden/

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/02/al-qaeda-may-seek-vengeance-for-bin-laden-u-s/

The draw down in Afghanistan could be delayed because of this. The military will see this as an important opportunity to keep deflating anti-western extremists on the tail of OBL's death.

Doesn't sound nice but it is logical - at least for a short time, which "may" produce results close to the timeline to draw down or it may not.

[yurbud]

5. if we were determined to keep our troops there, peace would be no deterrent

If the country was pacified, we would say it is safe for our troops to stay. If the country was still violent, we'd say the troops need to stay to pacify it.

Peace hasn't made us pull out of Japan, Korea, Germany, or anywhere else, and we only pulled out of the Philippines when they kicked us out.

[chowder66]

6. I hear ya'

but what I feel about a situation is not always connected to how I understand it or how it is presented, whether it is logical or practical or something else.
I am just sayin'.

I do not stop or start Wars nor have the power to, I can only try to understand strategy, cause and effect. Quote from anonymous

[yurbud]

7. Also, if the country was pacified, most Americans would not care or even notice troops

still being there.