When he ran in 2008, president Obama told the nation that Afghanistan was the "good" war while Iraq was the "bad" one. If elected, Obama said he would end Iraq and put the fight into Afghanistan to win that war. Well Obama won and he followed through to a certain extent. In Iraq, Obama rushed to get all American troops out of that country after they had won a major victory over al Qaeda and the Sunni insurgents. The total power vacuum Obama created by his sudden and total withdrawal led both to the growth of ISIS and the hegemony of Iran over Iraq. In Afghanistan, Obama surged US forces in that nation. Obama roughly tripled our troop strength in Afghanistan and stepped up attacks. Close to 80% of all American casualties in Afghanistan came after Obama took office. Then Obama decided to take our forces out of that country. As a result, the Taliban have made a major comeback and ISIS has gotten a foothold in the country as well. Now there is chaos in Afghanistan.
Today, there is an attack on the American University in Kabul. We still don't know the extent of the attack, but initial reports say there are heavy casualties. Certain areas of Afghanistan are under near total control of the Taliban. Indeed, the Taliban control more of the country than was the case when Obama first ordered additional troops to Afghanistan.
The Obama policy in Afghanistan was one to which Hillary Clinton contributed. She was in one the decision to surge our forces there. She was also in on the decision to take the forces out, although the details of the withdrawal were reached after Clinton left the State Department. I mention that because I think it important that Clinton get full "credit" for her part in yet another Obama foreign policy disaster. The Obama/Clinton team managed to take a country where violence was mostly low level and to turn it into a killing field for Americans and Afghans alike, only to see control of the country move steadily towards our enemies.
Today, there is an attack on the American University in Kabul. We still don't know the extent of the attack, but initial reports say there are heavy casualties. Certain areas of Afghanistan are under near total control of the Taliban. Indeed, the Taliban control more of the country than was the case when Obama first ordered additional troops to Afghanistan.
The Obama policy in Afghanistan was one to which Hillary Clinton contributed. She was in one the decision to surge our forces there. She was also in on the decision to take the forces out, although the details of the withdrawal were reached after Clinton left the State Department. I mention that because I think it important that Clinton get full "credit" for her part in yet another Obama foreign policy disaster. The Obama/Clinton team managed to take a country where violence was mostly low level and to turn it into a killing field for Americans and Afghans alike, only to see control of the country move steadily towards our enemies.
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