KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - It was once President Barack Obama's "war of necessity." Now, it's America's forgotten war.
The Afghan conflict generates barely a whisper on the U.S. presidential campaign trail. It's not a hot topic at the office water cooler or in the halls of Congress - even though more than 80,000 American troops are still fighting here and dying at a rate of one a day.
Americans show more interest in the economy and taxes than the latest suicide bombings in a different, distant land. They're more tuned in to the political ad war playing out on television than the deadly fight still raging against the Taliban. Earlier this month, protesters at the Iowa State Fair chanted "Stop the war!" They were referring to one purportedly being waged against the middle class.
By the time voters go to the polls Nov. 6 to choose between Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney, the war will be in its 12th year. For most Americans, that's long enough.
Public opinion remains largely negative toward the war, with 66 percent opposed to it and just 27 percent in favor in a May AP-GfK poll. More recently, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 60 percent of registered voters felt the U.S. should no longer be involved in Afghanistan. Just 31 percent said the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting there now.
Not since the Korean War of the early 1950s - a much shorter but more intense fight - has an armed conflict involving America's sons and daughters captured so little public attention.
NATO accepts Obama timetable to end war in Afghanistan by 2014
NATO leaders signed off Monday on President Barack Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan that calls for an end to combat operations next year and the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international military force by the end of 2014.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
NATO accepts Obama timetable to end war in Afghanistan by 2014
NATO leaders signed off Monday on President Barack Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan that calls for an end to combat operations next year and the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international military force by the end of 2014.
So our objective will be reached by 2014? What was the objective, and how do we know it will be attained by 2014? Will that end the "war on terror"? With Bin Laden dead, and Afghanistan and Iraq wars over, then FINALLY we can say "mission accomplished".
LOL...You believe that, I have a bridge to sell ya. Even if we are pulled out by 2014, we will surely be engaged in another conflict in the region. That isn't a conspiracy but a prediction based on the historical U.S. trends.
Good thing we got NATO's approval of what we're going to do with our troops. I mean, really, keeping the rest of the world (or at least the North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations) happy with us is really the most important thing, not actually following our Constitution and keeping our troops safe at home.
Good thing we got NATO's approval of what we're going to do with our troops. I mean, really, keeping the rest of the world (or at least the North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations) happy with us is really the most important thing, not actually following our Constitution and keeping our troops safe at home.
OH NO!!! An offended Conservative! NATO was involved in Daddy Bush's first Gulf War. He didn't get their "APPROVAL" but they DID approve of his plan since they were involved.
Just as NATO is involved in the war in Afghanistan and Obama didn't need their "APPROVAL" to attempt to end the war, but they DID approve of his plan since they are involved.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
OH NO!!! An offended Conservative! NATO was involved in Daddy Bush's first Gulf War. He didn't get their "APPROVAL" but they DID approve of his plan since they were involved.
Just as NATO is involved in the war in Afghanistan and Obama didn't need their "APPROVAL" to attempt to end the war, but they DID approve of his plan since they are involved.
Why the straw men box? You keep looking in that rearview mirror lately. That argument is useless against people that opposed both Bush's use of NATO and UN to send our military off to war spending our blood and treasure.
Box, you seem to justify Obama's actions looking backward and pointing out that his policies are the SAME as the Bush's...Don't you remember the Obama campaign slogan? HOPE-CHANGE-FORWARD!
I truly think that Iran is spoiling for a war in the middle east in order to take control of the whole area and eliminate Israel from the face of the earth.
I truly think that Iran is spoiling for a war in the middle east in order to take control of the whole area and eliminate Israel from the face of the earth.
I think America and Isreal is spoiling for a war in Iran so they can install a central bank.
I truly think that Iran is spoiling for a war in the middle east in order to take control of the whole area and eliminate Israel from the face of the earth.
Hey Shadow... do you know why Iran wasn't such a big threat until recently??? Because our buddy Saddam Hussein was always there to help us keep Iran in check. When G Worst Bush took out Saddam in his little Oil War... He set Iran free on the rest of the world.
The true victor in the Iraq Oil war was Iran. Iran won with out losing a man or firing a shot.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
NATO accepts Obama timetable to end war in Afghanistan by 2014
NATO leaders signed off Monday on President Barack Obama's exit strategy from Afghanistan that calls for an end to combat operations next year and the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international military force by the end of 2014.
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