Homeward Bound: Journey From Afghanistan

In the two previous installment of Homeward Bound: Journey From Afghanistan, I further discussed the reasons for the decline of American support for the war in Afghanistan. In the first installment, I discussed the role that time played in the decline of support for the war. In the second installment, I explained the role war controversy, such as war crimes, played in America’s decline in support. However, these are not the only reasons for decline in support. Another pressing issue, which affects support for the war is the recent state of the economy. With the United States continuing to fund a war in the midst of a recession, American support continues to drop. Many Americans would rather stimulate the economy as opposed to funding the war in Afghanistan.

Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget, Amy Belasco, presents the total figures for the war to the date of September 2, 2010 in a report entitled The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11. From September 11, 2001 until September 2, 2010 the United States government has spent a cumulative $336 billion to fund the war in Afghanistan. Though this total is not as larger as the $751 billion spent over the same time period on the war in Iraq, it does raise the question as to whether this money could be put to better use at this time.

As the United States is suffering from one of its worse recessions, the need for government funding is great. According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, national unemployment, as of September 2010, was 9.6% a figure which insures that millions of Americans are out of work. That being the case, the money that is being pumped into the war in Afghanistan could very well be used to help the millions of Americans who have lost jobs as a result of the sluggish economy. Therefore, many Americans want the war to end and the troops to come home in order to help the economy get back on its feet.

To bring the war in Afghanistan to an end would mean less divisions of government spending. The U.S. government would be able to help more jobless Americans and even boost the economy. While many Americans want the war in Afghanistan to come to an end, the reasons why vary. Some believe that the war has been going on for far to long; others fear the dark possibilities that can come from remaining at war; and many more consider the war effort a strain on the economy. For these many reasons, Americans want United States soldiers to come back home. The time is now.

Homeward Bound: Journey from Afghanistan

In a previous blog post entitled Homeward Bound: Journey form Afghanistan, I discussed the decline of American support for the war in Afghanistan in relation to the collective time that the troops have been deployed. One reader, however, expressed concern as to why American’s support for the war would shift. There are a number of reasons. As stated in last weeks post, one of these reasons is the unexpectedly long time period that soldiers have been overseas. Another reason is the media’s continued outpour of controversy involved with the war efforts. The most recent of such controversy being accusations that U.S. soldiers have made sport of murdering Afghan-civilians.

The controversy first came to light after one of the five murder suspects, Adam Winfield, reported the incidents to authorities. According to Winfield, as recounted by David Griffin of CNN in the article entitled Army may have known in February about Afghan murder, the murders committed had been premeditated and were even bragged about after the fact. Griffin’s article also provides a video of Winfield’s Army interrogation in which he communicates the happenings of the murders to the interrogating officer. Since then, there has been increased media coverage on the topic and hearings to determine whether the suspects will go to trial have begun.

Jeremy Morlock is the first of the murder suspects to have had a hearing. In Hearing begins in alleged plot to murder Afghans, an article by the associated press, the proceedings of Morlock’s hearing are chronicled. The associated press puts forth more information about the case in statements that “members of the platoon mutilated Afghan corpses and even collected fingers and other body parts, and that some posed for photos with Afghan corpses.” This being said, how could Americans continue to support this war.

As Americans we trust our military to protect us from foreign threats, and build strong ties with others. We do not expect to be that foreign threat, that malicious entity that commits war crimes against innocent individuals. If war crimes like those stated previously are taking place at a time when we expect our troops to be helping Afghan civilians, then how can we continue to support the idea of soldiers remaining in Afghanistan. There is a line in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Night which reads, "Either you die the hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Americans don’t want to be the villain of the world; therefore, support for the war in Afghanistan is waning.

Homeward Bound: Journey from Afghanistan

Nine years ago on September 11, 2001, the United States suffered a number of attacks from an Afghan-terrorist group known as Al Qaeda. This devastating occurrence resulted in an immense number of casualties as well as the destruction of the World Trade Center (specifically the Twin Towers). Following this mindless attack, the U.S. quickly responded with the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops on October 7, 2001, less than one month after the attack.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that when the United States went to war with Afghanistan in 2001, Americans had a great level of support for the endeavor. The recent devastation that U.S. citizens had faced was assertive to Americans’ uncontrollable desire for revenge; the nation needed answers and the war served as just that: an answer. However, as the years continue to pass and United States’ troops remain at war, America’s support has declined greatly. Poll: Waning support for Obama on wars, an article written by Richard Wolf of USA Today, expresses the recent decline in President Obama’s approval rating in relation to his handling of the war efforts. The article conveys the message that Americans are collectively becoming more and more favorable to the retraction of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Wolf states, “Support for Obama's management of the war fell to 36%, down from 48% in a February [2010] poll.”

The reason is mainly due to what Thomas Nagorski chronicles in his article, Editor's Notebook: Afghan War Now Country's Longest. Nagorski explains the change in support for the war, presenting that this war is the longest war the United States has ever been involved in. This long and drawn out war effort has increased American’s desire for the troops to come home, since it was never expected for the war to last this long. Nagorski states, “Surely, it seemed, this would be a brief campaign…And yet here we are, nearly a decade since that October Sunday, and the end of this often-tabbed "Other War" is hard to see, or fathom.”

With this war lasting what seems like an eternity and the wound from September 11, 2001 becoming an old scar, it is time for the U.S. government to begin implementing a plan that will bring this war to a close. America wants their sons and daughters to come home. Husbands miss their wives; wives miss their husbands, and most importantly children need their parents.