What Vital National Interest Does the President See at Stake in Afghanistan and How Does Our Involvement Support That Interest?

Based upon the attached remarks by the President in the “Address to the Nation” on the Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan, what vital national interest does the President see at stake in Afghanistan and how does our involvement support that interest? Explain and support your point of view using specific examples from official U.S. documents (NSS, NDS, QDR, NMS, etc…)

Taking all the various sources (i.e., Nation Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, etc…) into consideration, I would surmise the President sees the main press at stake being global security in common and diplomacy. The vital national interest the President see’s is America’s involvement to provide a means, ways and ends to combating terrorism and more specifically eliminating the current threat of Al Qaeda who is using the Islamist fashions as their excuse for terrorism.

The President states “If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of them home tomorrow. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and in Pakistan”. (President’s address to the nation p.5) In the cross-sectional readings, our goal is to stop the Taliban and Al Qaeda from gaining control and reducing the number of brazen and devastating attacks to the Afghanistan and Pakistani people. Doing this we will also be protecting the American way of life.

Lastly he maintains that it is the time to increase our foot hold on terror as, “It is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. 18 months after our troops will begin to come home