Summary:

The US president Obama announced the plan to shrink the number of US troops in Afghanistan by the year of 2016. The current number of forces are 32,000 but the plan is to make it less than 9,800 by the start of next year. The war between them started in 2001 and it is still continuing. President Obama suggested of having a certain date to withdraw from Afghanistan, but some of the Republican members criticized the plan of having the egg timer set.

Reaction:

When I first read this article, I felt very doubtful of President Obama’s words. I understand how President Obama wants to end the war as soon as possible, but you can never foretell the course of events. Even if the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan is stable at the time, it can get worse at anytime. Furthermore, by telling the date of their withdrawal, Afghanistan might stop any kinds of terrorism before the withdrawal but restart it when the American troops leave.

As a conclusion, I think setting a goal for the war and announcing the plan is not a good thing for any countries. However, having a strong desire to end the war is always important and without this feeling, I don’t think the war will never vanish from the world.