On Dec. 1 2009, President Obama gave a speech at West Point about the future of the war in Afghanistan. President Obama said he will be sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan by the summer, and within 18 months they will start to come home. The first wave of troops will go in to target the Taliban in Afghanistan and the border of Pakistan. They will go to push back the Taliban's progress that has been gained over the last few years. They hope to establish a bigger security force in Afghanistan, so when they leave, the Afghanistan army and security force can defend their country for themselves.
I thought the President's speech was extraordinary because he talked about the history of the war from the beginning, most of which I had forgotten or had not known. He also directed part of his speech toward the people of Afghanistan. Talking to them directly, he explained we were not there to take their country but to end terrorism. Lastly when he was done he shook most of the hands of the 2010 graduates of West Point, who will most likely be going to Afghanistan when they graduate. I thought that his speech was most inspiring to the cadets.
If you want to see the whole speech, here's a link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/12/01/new-way-forward-presidents-address
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Dear Spencer, Thank you so much for your report - I am so interested to hear your thoughts about President Obama's speech and about the war in Afghanistan. A very timely post - great job.
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Mrs. Prentice