Presidential Address With Changing Strategy

Dear Friends & Neighbors,

(Please click on red links & note magenta)
Some of the main points covered in President Trump’s presidential address of August 21, 2017:
- We must stop the re-emergence of safe-havens
- Afghans will secure and defend their own country
- We can’t repeat in Afghanistan the mistake made in Iraq
- America’s enemies must never know our plans
- Changing how U.S. would deal with Pakistan
- New strategy for the American’s longest war (16 years of war in Afghanistan already): changing from time-based to condition-based approach
- We are not nation building again, we are killing terrorists
- Micromanagement from Washington D.C. is not effective in real war time
- U.S. wants India to help with situation with Afghanistan
- Using mineral wealth of Afghanistan to defray the cost of the war
- Our support to Afghanistan is not a blank check
- Military power alone won’t bring peace to Afghanistan
- We have no tolerance for hate (with regard to Charlottesville incident)
Although I do agree with some of his points, such as “no tolerance for hate”, “America’s enemies must never know our plans”, etc., there are some important issues that need to be addressed.
Obviously, President Trump is not fulfilling his campaign promise to those who voted for him. Donald Trump was clearly the one who wanted to end the war in Afghanistan during his campaign, at least that was what he said at the time. But in this presidential address, it appears that Trump has reversed his promise and will instead send in more American troops into Afghanistan rather than pulling them out.
President Trump had managed to openly insult Pakistan and to ask India to get involved (both of these nations are equipped with nuclear weapons), instead of handling the situation diplomatically. Perhaps this is one of the effects of dramatic budget reduction of the State Department or perhaps diplomacy had not been sufficiently effective in the past. Diplomacy is certainly not the chosen strategy in this case.
With regard to his comment on: “We are not nation building again, we are killing terrorists”, since American bridges and highways are seriously in need of repair and maintenance and our environment in need of more protection, we do need to build our nation far more than we needing any more wars.
Furthermore, “using mineral wealth of Afghanistan to defray the cost of the war” sounds like having the intent of looting another country. As an American citizen, I am ashamed that our leader would have such intention. This is not the cost effective way to obtain minerals, while providing extremists more weapon for recruitment.
At this point, I would like to also remind or introduce you to Barbara Lee of California, who was alone in her foresight even back in 2001 and had persisted for 16 years to try to end the state of perpetual wars: please refer to our earlier post on Welcomed Amendment Offered By Dem. Rep. Barbara Lee of CA To End Perpetual Wars. If you feel strongly about this issue, please feel free to contact your respective Congress-persons to help expedite the passing of this amendment. This amendment has received support from both Democrats and Republicans.
More on this in Rachel Maddow Show
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
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