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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? ** Leaving Afghanistan In 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, U.S. troops were sent in to Afghanistan in Search of Osama bin Laden, leader of Al-Queda and responsible for the attacks. Then the U.S. had no idea they were involving themselves in one of the most expensive and the longest war in U.S. history. Since then, after defeating Al-Queda, we have set our new goal as stabilizing Afghanistan and freeing them from the Taliban, another clan of violent extremist. The new goal is not in the interest or budget of Afghans and Americans, because of this the U.S. should leave as soon as possible.

The Afghanistan war is not just unwanted, it is also unjust. Our actions and reasons for involvement in the war have broken Right intention and Distinction. After we killed Osama Bin Laden we further directed our interest toward defeating the Taliban and building Afghanistan. We changed our reason for entering the war breaking Right Intention which states” Force may be used only in a truly just case and solely for that purpose.”(Criteria for Just War) Also throughout the war we have used bombs and killed more civilians than soldiers. Distinction says that “acts of war should be directed towards enemy combatants, and not towards non-combatants”(Criteria for Just War), so by using bombs and killing citizens, this is clearly broken. Therefore because of our destruction manipulation in involvement of the war, Afghanistan is not just. It is in the interest of Afghans lives if the U.S. withdrawals from Afghanistan.They believe that civilian and women’s lives would be safer and are able to maintain safe. Women “experience violence from both enemies and friends masculinity becomes more aggressive.. Their bodies become part of the battle field” according to Madeleine Bunting a English journalist in the Guardian and writes on a wide range of subject including women issues. When we are in Afghanistan women receive more abuse, so it is in their best interest if we leave. Also according to a survey done by Karl Inderfurth, a New York times journalist, Afghans” saying the country is moving in the wrong direction have increased by 8 percent over the past year“ Also Fariba Nawa, award winning Afghan-American journalist believes we should get out as soon as possible and Afghanistan “is a bigger mess now than it was before and if we hadn‘t gotten involved before, it would have been fine“. Since, Afghans believe the country is moving in the wrong direction while the U.S, leaving would be in their choice. The Afghan was has killed “12,500 Afghan civilians”. The U.S. ending the war would decrease and possible stop the large amount of deaths. If the U.S. ended the war Afghans would feel and be safer from abuse, death and the wrong future.

Leaving Afghanistan is in the interest of Americans as well. Loss of money and soldiers lives has made retreating a smarter choice. The U.S. is in a huge dept crisis, and the according to the Economist “440 billion dollars spent in Afghanistan since 2001” is not helping. Ismail Salami, an Iran journalist states America has gone “hell bell on waging war but not trying to put on end to Americas poverty”. If we retreated from Afghanistan, that money could be spent on our own soil, helping our own citizens. Also according to Veterans Rethinking Afghanistan “officially over 1,000 troops have been killed in Afghanistan officially surpassing the death toll in Iraq… The blood of American troops is on the line.” It is not ones interest for our soldiers to be risking their lives and dieing. Besides the money and deaths, Afghanistan is a bigger problem than we can handle according to Richard C. Holbroke, who takes part in the Obama Administration. He believes “ There are too many problems, Corrupt government, fragile economies, nuclear weapons and etc.”. Since Afghanistan is taking our money, soldier lives and is too big of a problem, Americans interest are in leaving.

It would be in Americas and Afghans favor if the U.S. was to evacuate Afghanistan as soon as they can. The war is hurting Afghans women, taking lives of citizens and many believe they would be better off without the U.S. there. America are tackling a bigger problem than it can handle and on the way is loosing money and soldiers. By leaving Afghanistan lives would be happier and safer for both countries. 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, clearly done •develop a position or specific answer to the question that precisely states how the United States should proceed in Afghanistan, clearly done •use two criteria of the Just War Theory to analyze to what extent the U.S.'s involvement in Afghanistan is a Just War, clearly done •use three Perspectives to support your explanation of why our involvement in the war benefits or harms Afghanis, three perspectives referenced •use three different Perspectives to support your explanation of why the war benefits or harms Americans three perspectives referenced •draw supporting information from the articles studied in class which are posted on Moodle, some articles referenced •wrap up the essay by restating the key reasons why your position is the best way for the U.S. to proceed in Afghanistan. Focused summary made • organize your ideas in extended power paragraphs, competently done •establish the credibility of sources, sources credited •cite sources internally and in a Works Cited, internal citations not done; WC is correct •edit language errors from writing, few language usage errors •post the essay on Student Recommendations done

Citation INDERFURTH, KARL. "Afghans in Transition." //New York Times// [New York] 14 Nov. 2011, The Opinion Pages ed.: n. pag. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. [].

Bunting, Madeleine. "The Afghan war and the myth of women's rights." //The Hindu// 4 Oct. 2011, OP-ED ed.: n. pag. //www.thehindu.com//. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. [].

"Afghanistans Post War Economy." //The Economist//. N.p., 26 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. [].

M, Emily. "Ismail Salami." //BuchholtzSidorAmericanStudies//. Wikispaces, Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. http://buchholtzsidoramericanstudies.wikispaces.com/ Ismail+Salami . S, John. "Richard Holbrooke." //BuchholtzSidorAmericanStudies//. Wikipsaces, Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. http://buchholtzsidoramericanstudies.wikispaces.com/ Richard+C.+Holbrooke.

VW, Katie. "Fariba Nawa." //BuchholtzSidorAmericanStudies//. Wikispaces, Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. http://buchholtzsidoramericanstudies.wikispaces.com/ Fariba+Nawa.