U.S. President Barack Obama made a trip this week to the West Coast, visiting Arizona and California. While in California, the President visited Marines at Camp Pendleton, south of Los Angeles. In his speech, President Obama thanked the Marines for their service and declared that by the end of next year "our war in Afghanistan will be over." He acknowledged that some Marines at the base were actually scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan soon, and stated that the core of al-Qaida is on the path to defeat. "We are going to make sure that Afghanistan is never again a source of attacks against our country", he said. Currently, there are over 2,500 Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton serving in Afghanistan.
Polls have indicated that for the past few years, Americans' disapproval over continuing the war in Afghanistan has continued to rise. A recent ABC poll showed that Afghan war fatigue has hit a new high, and 66 percent of Americans believed that the war in Afghanistan has not been worth its cost in blood and treasure. However, American's opinions fall neatly along party lines--Republicans believe that the war has made the country more secure, while a majority of Democrats and independents believe otherwise.
While the U.S. and its allies quickly drove the Taliban from power in 2001, there has been rising instability in the country and the Taliban's power and influence seems to be growing again. The U.S. has been in talks with the Taliban, and the Associated Press reported that the Taliban has held secret talks with President Karzai's representatives as well. Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, said that he wants good relations with the rest of the world, supports a modern education system, and will respect other religions and ethnicities in Afghanistan.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes.
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Photo Friday: President Obama Tells Troops that Afghan War Nearing Its End
August 9, 2013
U.S. President Barack Obama made a trip this week to the West Coast, visiting Arizona and California. While in California, the President visited Marines at Camp Pendleton, south of Los Angeles. In his speech, President Obama thanked the Marines for their service and declared that by the end of next year "our war in Afghanistan will be over." He acknowledged that some Marines at the base were actually scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan soon, and stated that the core of al-Qaida is on the path to defeat. "We are going to make sure that Afghanistan is never again a source of attacks against our country", he said. Currently, there are over 2,500 Marines and sailors from Camp Pendleton serving in Afghanistan.
Polls have indicated that for the past few years, Americans' disapproval over continuing the war in Afghanistan has continued to rise. A recent ABC poll showed that Afghan war fatigue has hit a new high, and 66 percent of Americans believed that the war in Afghanistan has not been worth its cost in blood and treasure. However, American's opinions fall neatly along party lines--Republicans believe that the war has made the country more secure, while a majority of Democrats and independents believe otherwise.
While the U.S. and its allies quickly drove the Taliban from power in 2001, there has been rising instability in the country and the Taliban's power and influence seems to be growing again. The U.S. has been in talks with the Taliban, and the Associated Press reported that the Taliban has held secret talks with President Karzai's representatives as well. Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, said that he wants good relations with the rest of the world, supports a modern education system, and will respect other religions and ethnicities in Afghanistan.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes.
