What message would a U.S. retreat send to our allies in the region and tribal leaders?
A U.S. retreat from Afghanistan would have a negative and destabilizing effect on allies in the region such as Pakistan and India, as well as tribal leaders in Afghanistan. A withdrawal would tempt local tribal leaders to ally themselves with the Taliban as they see the tide turning against the government of Afghanistan, further jeopardizing the nascent democracy. A stable Pakistan and India are also in the national security interest of the U.S. Pakistan is a country of 180 million Muslims, armed with nuclear weapons and besieged by several terrorist groups internally. Recently, Pakistan has made significant strides against insurgent groups in its border regions, specifically in the Swat River Valley. Removing U.S. forces from the Afghan side of the border would endanger these gains. Question: What is wrong with a “war tax” suggested by Congressional Democrats? Answer: With unemployment at a 26-year high, the last thing our nation needs is a tax hike that would cost jobs. It is inconsi
