Tracing the Afghanistan and Iraq drawdown debate; Politicians and Public Divided
Mary Kaszynski
Afghanistan Study Group Blogger
In the heated debates surrounding the drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of who stands where. The past week was no exception.
Rick Perry kicked off an inter-party dispute during the GOP debate, when he seemed to side with Jon Huntsman in calling for a withdrawal from Afghanistan. ”I think the entire conversation about how do we deliver our aid to those countries, and is it best spent with 100,000 military who have the target on their back in Afghanistan. I don’t think so at this particular point in time,” Perry said. “I think the best way for us to be able to impact that country is to make a transition to where that country’s military is going to be taking care of their people, bring our young men and women home.”
Perry later clarified his position (“a precipitous withdrawal is not what he’s recommending”) but Huntsman has stuck to his guns. “We need to send a clear message to the world that we understand the asymmetrical threat we face and will respond with counter terror forces, intelligence gathering, and a limited number of troops to train Afghan forces,” his foreign policy advisor said. “This does not require 100,000 boots on the ground in Afghanistan. We need to bring those troops home.”
Huntsman’s (and Perry’s) views don’t sit well with other Republicans. Senator Lindsay Graham, a consistent and vocal supporter of maintaining a strong presence in both countries, confessed to being “disappointed” with calls for a drawdown.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney feels the same. In a CNN interview, Cheney argued that “both Afghanistan and Iraq are extraordinarily important,” and warned against a leaving too soon: “And I think that would be tragic if in fact it led to a resumption of the kinds of problems that both those nations faced when we went in.”
Given Graham’s consistent support for the wars, and Cheney’s involvement in the them, their position on the drawdown is hardly surprising. But it’s also out of step with what the American public wants.
A quick glance at the comments on the Cheney article shows how the argument for staying in Afghanistan completely misses the mark for most readers. “‘both Afghanistan and Iraq are extraordinarily important’ Why??” One asked. “”When you recognize you are in a quagmire with no end, it is time to make an end,” another said.
This is far from a public opinion poll, but it certainly tallies with recent polls. 58% of respondents in a Quinnipiac University Poll agreed that the US should not be involved in Afghanistan right now. In this poll from Pew, 56% said that US troops should be brought home as soon as possible. And 59% said that the US has accomplished its mission and should bring its troops home, according to this Gallup poll.
Perry’s first statement was probably more in line with what the majority of Americans wants. Maybe he should have stuck with that it.
