Sarah+M.+--Afghan+Wa

Home Small Wars Project Perspectives on Afganistan Midterm Assignment Student Recommendations - Position Essays

TASK II: Write and Post a POSITION ESSAY to the wiki. Due Thursday, December 15th. Write an essay that advances a well-supported position on the question below and post it on: Student Recommendations wiki **How should the United States proceed in Afghanistan? ** Position Essay RUBRIC: A quality will essay will •open by setting up a context for the question--briefly explain why the unites States is fighting a war in Afghanistan, •develop a position or specific answer to the question that precisely states how the United States should proceed in Afghanistan, •use two criteria of the Just War Theory to analyze to what extent the U.S.'s involvement in Afghanistan is a Just War, •use three Perspectives to support your explanation of why our involvement in the war benefits or harms AFGHANIS, •use three different Perspectives to support your explanation of why the war benefits or harms AMERICANS, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•draw supporting information from the articles studied in class which are posted on Moodle, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•wrap up the essay by restating the key reasons why your position is the best way for the U.S. to proceed in Afghanistan. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•organize your ideas in extended power paragraphs, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•establish the credibility of sources, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•cite sources internally and in a Works Cited, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•edit language errors from writing, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px;">•post the essay on <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Student Recommendations

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">Sarah Mikac <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px;">American Studies: 7, 8 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;">Buchholtz/Sidor-Position Essay <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;">15 Dec. 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;">Position Essay <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">In 2001 the Taliban was giving the terrorist group, Al Qaeda, and their leader Osama Bin Laden a safe-haven inAfghanistan. Bin Laden’s terrorist group launched attacks on many different countries, on September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda attacked theUnited States. Two American planes were flown into theWorldTradeCenterbuildings, killing many innocent lives and effecting millions of people. This event triggered theU.S.and they decided something had to be done. This event triggered theU.S.and they decided something had to be done. We have now been all around the Middle East, inPakistan,Iraqand currently inAfghanistanin an attempt to solve their government and economic problems for the benefit of not onlyAfghanistanand the United States, but to help many other countries around the world.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">I believe that the United States should leave Afghanistan, An article in the New York Times, written by Karl F. Inderfurth, assistant U.S. secretary of state for Asian affairs from 1997 to 2007, and Theodore L. Eliot Jr., U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 1973 to 1978, wrote that "87% [of Afghans] say the army is helping to improve the security in the country,"(Afghans in Transition). The Afghan citizens are even noticing a change in their countries military. All that was needed to do was better theAfghanistan government, for a better economy, and increase their military, so they will be ready if the Taliban tries to regain control. It has been said that the United States should be completely clear fromAfghanistan by 2014; this should give us enough time to wrap up what we are doing there, and achieve our goals.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">The United States involvement in Afghanistan has been to stop"Afghanistan “[from becoming] a safe haven for terrorists," (Mitchell Nini, Perspective Assignment). Building up the Afghan military will prevent this from occurring. The U.S. is also doing many other things that are beneficial to Afghanistan, the Americans are trying to "help stabilize the Afghan government," (Stacy Gibson, Perspective Assignment), and we are also increasing the Afghanistan security. "'[The goal is] to give the clear signal to Afghanistan, and also to the world,' that the country would not be abandoned when western troops leave," (Alex Kern, Perspective Assignment). The United States want to assure everyone, the Afghans and other country's, that when our troops leave they should not worry, and we want to make sure there are no future worries about Afghanistan and the Taliban.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">This war has not been beneficial to Americans, President Obama shared “his opinion on the war stating that it’s ‘a war which started in vain, a war which was never won and a war which never brought the Americans safety’, (qtd. Miller, Ismail Salami).America’s economy has been in horrible shape since the war inAfghanistan started; now being in a recession and with many unemployed citizens. Representative Ron Paul a Republican Congressmen “believes that theU.S.’s economy is weak because of our military interest in settling on other countries,”(qtd. Sencio, Rep. Ron Paul). Ambassador Peter W. Galbraith, who was the U.S. Ambassador toCroatia, has said that “The billions that have been spent to build up a national police have been almost entirely wasted because while you can teach the recruits to be policemen, they haven't been very successful at that,” (qtd. Infante, Ambassador Peter W. Galbraith). Galbraith says our efforts have been wasted, and so we, therefore, should not spend any more time inAfghanistan. We should finish what we came there for and leave.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">I believe that leavingAfghanistanas soon as possible is best for both Americans and Afghan citizens. We will help the Afghan government and military, and we will get our economy back on track whileAfghanistangets theirs. This War has put our country in a recession and left many homeless and jobless, the sooner we leaveAfghanistan, the better.Americashould be able to leaveAfghanistanby 2014 having accomplished the goals we set there for.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> A quality will essay will <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •open by setting up a context for the question--briefly explain why the unites States is fighting a war in Afghanistan, clearly done <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •develop a position or specific answer to the question that precisely states how the United States should proceed in Afghanistan, clearly done <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •use two criteria of the Just War Theory to analyze to what extent the U.S.'s involvement in Afghanistan is a Just War, not specifically addressed <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •use three Perspectives to support your explanation of why our involvement in the war benefits or harms Afghanis, three perspectives referenced <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •use three different Perspectives to support your explanation of why the war benefits or harms Americans three perspectives referenced <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •draw supporting information from the articles studied in class which are posted on Moodle, some articles referenced <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •wrap up the essay by restating the key reasons why your position is the best way for the U.S. to proceed in Afghanistan. Summary made <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> • organize your ideas in extended power paragraphs, competently done <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •establish the credibility of sources, most sources credited <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •cite sources internally and in a Works Cited, NInternal citations have minor errors; WC should be alphabetical and has minor omissions <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •edit language errors from writing, minor spelling, grammar and other language usage errors <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> •post the essay on Student Recommendations done <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">**Works Cited:**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Inderforth, Karl F., and Theodore L. Eliot Jr. "Afghans in Transition." The New York Times 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"><http://www.NYTimes.com>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Mitchell Nini. Leon Panette, Perspectives on Afghanistan, Buchholtz/Sidor American Studies, 14, Dec 2011.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Alex Kern. Guido Westerwelle, Perspectives on Afghanistan, Buchholtz/Sidor American Studies, 14 Dec. 2011

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Stacy Gibson. Ryan Crocker, Perspectives on Afghanistan, Buchholtz/Sidor American Studies, 14 Dec. 2011

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Lucas Sencio. Rep. Ron Paul, Perspectives on Afghanistan, Buchholtz/Sidor American Studies, 15 Dec. 2011

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Arat Infante. Ambassador Peter W. Galbraith, Perspectives on Afghanistan, Buchholtz/Sidor American Studies, 15 Dec. 2011