US Troops

via Jon Soltz: Obama Got Afghanistan/Pakistan Right.

John Soltz, Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, served as a Captain in Operation Iraqi Freedom

For those of us who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, it was extremely important that the new president get the situation in Afghanistan right. Not just for America’s security, but for those troops still in Afghanistan, and those heading to Afghanistan to put their lives on the line in the war. With today’s announcement, President Obama has shown that he “gets it.” That’s why we at VoteVets.org are supporting the plan with a petition, which you can sign on to, right here.

There’s a lot to like about the plan. But, there are three key things I’m particularly focused on, that represent a stark departure from the previous administration. They show that this president not only has reasonable goals in the region, but a good idea of what it will take to get there.

Read his three key things here.

If John Soltz is happy with this then forget how you feel about escalation and trust the plan. Soltz has been there and seen first hand on the ground how a multifaceted plan that includes local diplomacy can succeed. We all saw it in Iraq in Anbar Province when the Army took it on themselves to negotiate with the locals. We called it the Anbar Awakening, but it was closer to the Anbar Payoff. What worked there was not the “surge”, but a steady influx of cash. Poverty is the friend of the anarchists and Obama gets it that the Afghan solution has to have an economic part to it. So I salute John Soltz, again, and wish him, and our great President all the best.

President Obama:

“There is an uncompromising core of the Taliban. They must be met with force, and they must be defeated. But there are also those who have taken up arms because of coercion, or simply for a price. These Afghans must have the option to choose a different course. That is why we will work with local leaders, the Afghan government, and international partners to have a reconciliation process in every province. As their ranks dwindle, an enemy that has nothing to offer the Afghan people but terror and repression must be further isolated. And we will continue to support the basic human rights of all Afghans – including women and girls.”