Will the Date of Withdrawal of U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Boost the Morale of Insurgency Groups?

With over 3,000 lives lost during the September 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center, the U.S. and its allies wasted no time in trying to eradicate a growing problem. Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda were directly blamed for the incident and are now highly considered a threat to the peace and security of every country. And thus, Operation Enduring Freedom was launched on October 7, 2001 to hunt down and destroy terrorist groups and their training grounds. Along with other NATO countries, the U.S. armed forces have been facing strong resistance from Al Qaeda and from the Taliban Insurgency.

With every American solder getting killed in Afghanistan, the lower the confidence and trust of the American people in pursuing the war. For years, the armed forces have not only faced armed resistance but also harsh criticisms from several politicians, lawmakers and citizens themselves. It is evident that more and more people have lost their patience with the armed forces indicating that the war itself isn’t winnable at all.

After over 9 years in combat and with almost 8,000 allied casualty, the U.S. has finally decided to end the war by bring back home their troops. U.S. President Barack Obama’s announced that the U.S. will begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. With suicide attacks increasing every day, the troop withdrawal is good news to all the families of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan. Some said that it will help prevent any further bloodshed and save more American lives.

But retiring marine General James Conway said that the announcement by Pres. Obama is just going to boost the morale of insurgency groups. It is good to note that the Taliban Insurgency has been mainly responsible for the recent attacks on allied bases which are constantly claiming the lives of many allied soldiers. Conway believes that the insurgency can now wait till the last U.S. soldier leaves Afghanistan in order to reclaim the land back.

While the argument of Conway may be partly true, it is still reasonable to withdraw those troops as the war has been going on for over 9 years without any significant results. More and more U.S. servicemen are losing their lives in foreign soil on a war that is perceived as unwinnable. Many people believed that the moment the U.S. armed forces step foot in Afghanistan was already a big mistake. With the insurgency not going any weaker, it is best to withdraw those troops to save lives and be reasonable enough. Also, with the economic recession depleting the federal budget very rapidly, ending combat operations in Afghanistan will save a lot of federal money which can be used to create jobs instead.

The War in Iraq is Not Yet Over

After 8 years of hearing suicide attacks, scud missiles and coordinated drone bombings, the U.S. armed forces has finally called on the withdrawal of its troops in Iraq. Standing firm on his decision to end the highly controversial and chaotic war, Pres. Obama implemented an August 31 deadline to cut its troops to below 50,000. For the past few weeks, the armed forces have been busy with the withdrawal of 90,000 troops, 40,000 vehicles and 1.5 million pieces of military hardware. This move was highly praised by the international community and the American majority as well.

Considering the number of U.S. servicemen who either lost their lives or lost a limb trying to fight for a war that isn’t anymore progressing as it used to be, the troop withdrawal will save thousands of lives and save the American taxpayer’s money too. During the course of the war, more than 4,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed and thousands more were injured. But despite of the massive troop withdrawals, there is no clear guarantee on whether or not the war will be over and will the U.S. lost more of its troops in the ground.

Amazingly, all indications point to the continuation of the war with more U.S. troops under constant threat of an attack from rebel positions. Just in case you didn’t know, there will be over 50,000 troops which will be left in Iraq taking on an advisory role. They will help train and assist the Iraqi police and military to be self-sufficient in protecting their nation against internal and external threats. With the growing strength of the insurgency, there might still be huge possibility that the U.S. will again be involved in a combat role to fight these rebel activists.

The Iraqi armed forces may not be capable enough to handle the different of their country. The recent suicide bomb attack in an army recruitment center which killed at least 58 people is a testament to the growing concern of insurgency and the incompetence that the Iraqi forces have been showing. There may also be a possibility that the remaining U.S. troops will be attacked forcing them to switch back to their combat role.

Despite of the wonderful and flowering promise by Pres. Obama, it is no doubt that it is just a deception as the war continues. As long as there are U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq, the war will continue and the lives of these Americans will constantly be at risk. The War in Iraq will serve as a grim reminder to the suffering felt by thousands of Americans and Iraqis too.

The U.S. Leaves a Legacy in Iraq: Torture, Corruption and Civil War

Going to war and invading another country is certainly a serious and very complicated task done only with the best and brilliant minds. On March 20, 2003, the U.S. armed forces initiated a military campaign against Iraq with the aim of disrupting the terror network and seizing weapons of terror and mass destruction. It was a well-coordinated and well-planned attack that saw the use of modern high precision military hardware and effective military tactics. With the world watching in awe, the world’s only remaining superpower showed the very reason for its dominance.

And now after 8 grueling months of intense battle and dramatic scenes, the last batch of U.S. troops that faithfully served the war is finally leaving the country. Many questions still remain especially with regards to the reasonability of the war and the success it has done. With over 4000 U.S. personnel deaths, 31, 827 wounded in action and an ever growing insurgency, many are still convinced that the U.S. fought an unwinnable and irrational war. Facts show us that the insurgency today is more willing and more determined to kill compared to the insurgency faced by the invasion forces.

But perhaps the most destructive stain the U.S. has brought to Iraq is the plague of Al Qaeda. The invasion caused a massive civil war which explains the existence of mercenaries and insurgent groups threatening to create havoc and bloodshed all across the country. Almost every day, there is at least an Iraqi or an allied soldier who gets killed by attacks from insurgency. It also resulted in widespread corruption with government funds going unaccounted. And worst of all, the number of human rights violation soared so high that torture became a norm for punishment.

It is also good to take note that America is leaving 50,000 troops to teach and train the Iraqi army. These troops will definitely be attacked and be forced to also defend themselves. Just recently, a suicide bomber blew himself just outside an army recruiting center killing over 60 Iraqi recruits. It clearly shows the danger faced by those troops and the degree of civil unrest that U.S. forces left in Iraq. It is also quite disheartening that there are now over 1 million Iraqi’s who lost their life since the conflict started.

The U.S. fully believed that they have achieved victory in this war. What they don’t know is that millions more are suffering because of their wrongdoings. The legacy left by U.S. forces in Iraq is not really honor but torture, corruption and civil war instead.

The Master Plan to Cut Unnecessary Defense Spending

The United States of America is famous for the having the distinction of having the most technologically advanced armed forces in the whole world. The reason for such is that the U.S. also spends about 46.5% of the total defense spending of the whole world. According to the Department of Defense, the total budget for fiscal year 2010 is pegged at $663.8 billion. The nearest highest spender is China which spends about $98 billion for its military. If you compare both figures, you will notice the huge difference especially at this time where there is really no major world war going on.

In this time of severe economic downfall, any form of unnecessary spending is condemned and the government is desperately finding ways to save more money. Of all places to look at, the U.S. defense spending is probably the best thing to consider in cutting unnecessary expenses and generating more funds for other needed services. Just recently, U.S. Department of Defense secretary Robert Gates introduced a master plan that will significantly cut the defense spending but will still preserve the combat effectiveness of its troops.

The plan is projected to save around $100 billion which will be used for other important needs. There were several points that Sec. Gates mentioned. First, is by removing useless private contractors who is not really of good use to the army. Figures showed that about 39% of the entire defense department workforce was private contractors. Removing these unneeded personnel will certainly save more money. He also mentioned the removal of numerous Generals, Admirals and Senior Civilians. The increase in the number of higher positions was motivated by prestige for a particular service rather than the actual need for a particular mission.

Next, he also wanted to remove the Joint Forces Command which basically had more private contractors over government employees. Today, the USJFCOM is really fully utilized and that the money spent for the military command isn’t worthy enough. Sec. Gates also stated the plan to remove several IT offices of the military that was perceived to be redundant and having duplicate missions. And finally, the expensive studies conducted by the Defense Department which isn’t really giving useful inputs shall be stopped.

For years, a lot of opportunistic private contractors have cost the U.S. government millions or even billions of dollars. It is a sad fact that not all military personnel are doing their job right and yet are still receiving a fat paycheck. It is now time to determine who should leave and who to stay. The Defense Budget should never be used to only serve a particular group’s interest but instead be used to protect and defend the entire nation from chaos and unrest. At a time when the government needs all the money it can have, cutting unnecessary defense spending can really be a huge boost.

U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq: The End of Their Combatant Role

After almost 8 years in combat against the Islamic forces of Iraq, Al-Qaeda based in Iraq, Baath Party loyalists and other insurgents, the U.S. armed forces are now ready to give up their combatant role in Iraq. U.S. Commander Ray Odierno stated that Iraq is now ready and capable to run its own government and take internal and external affairs into its own hand. Iraqi people have also taken the challenge in pursuing a stronger government to rule the oil-rich nation.

It was in March 30, 2003 when the first military operations began in Iraq. The world witnessed one of the most systematic, most sophisticated and most advanced aerial bombardments ever done. One of the main highlights of the war was the fall of Baghdad the capital city and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Hussein would eventually be executed because of massive list of crimes he committed against the Iraqi people. But just as the U.S. thought that the war will end, insurgents resulted to unconventional tactics such as roadside and suicide bombing.

It is horrifying to note that at least 1 allied serviceman died in Iraq each week. It is estimated that over 4 thousand U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq. There were also international debates with regards to the validity and reasonability of the invasion. According to various surveys, about 82-87% of the Iraqi population opposed the U.S. occupation and with 53% saying that the Iraqi government is better strengthened without the presence of U.S. forces.

It is no doubt that the U.S. has spent a more money in this war compared to the GDP’s of other nations. It has been reported that the U.S. alone has spent $845 billion including foreign aid to Iraq. The total cost of the war will most likely reach $3 trillion. Considering the internal problems such as economic recession and unemployment that the American nation is facing, it is very welcoming to hear that the U.S. has finally decided to end the war and leave the responsibilities to the Iraqi people.

The insurgency will only grow stronger as long as the U.S. forces stayed in Iraq. With the departure of the U.S. forces, Iraqi’s now take full responsibility on taking care of their nation. General Odierno emphasized that it is very important to establish a stable government as fears of civil war might arise. But he further mentioned that he believes the Iraqis are now willing and capable of running their own country. With this, the U.S. will now only function as an adviser role and give full authority to Iraqi politicians. This will not only save a huge amount of American taxpayer’s money but also save the life every American military serviceman.