Obama’s State of the Union Mentions of Afghanistan and the Power of his Words
For the first time since his speech at West Point Military Academy on December 01, 2009, United States President Barack Hussein Obama addressed the American public and Congress about Afghanistan as part of his inaugural State of the Union address.
The President mentioned Afghanistan a total of 4 times throughout the entirety of the speech. Of course it would make little political sense for Obama to finally address the issue of mounting civilian deaths in Afghanistan from drone air strikes, in such a venue, but he also did little to bridge the gap between Afghans and Americans.
By reiterating the statement that Afghanistan was “once a safe haven for Al Qaeda” Obama does little to separate the Afghan people from the Taliban. It may seem like a small point, but the President’s verbiage is only re-enforcing the 8 year old tropes of the Bush Administration that pits Afghanistan solely as a national security threat full of backwards boogeymen and burqa shrouded ghosts.
Yes, the President stated that boys and girls want to go to school and that there is a burgeoning democracy in Afghanistan, but if he wants to fend off the ever increasing call from Liberals to end the war in Afghanistan Obama must show the American people that Afghanistan is a nation of 30 million people, and not a welcome team for Al Qaeda.
The President should not be so delusional as to think that the people of Afghanistan are not listening just as intently as the American people to his words. Reiterating Bush era notions about a centuries old nation is no way to win the support of 30 million people who are already fed up with an illegitimate government, an increasing civilian death toll, and the utter stagnation of progress in their nation.
Quite simply, if Obama wants to bolster support for the war in Afghanistan he must steer the discourse away from one that solely centers around Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and terrorism toward one that also encompasses an ancient land with a diverse population of 30 million people who have just as much right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as anyone in Europe and the United States.
In Afghanistan, America, our 25 NATO allies and 15 partner nations are helping the Afghan people defend their freedom and rebuild their country.
Thanks to the courage of these military and civilian personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for al Qaeda is now a young democracy where boys and girls are going to school. New roads and hospitals are being built. And people are looking to the future with new hope.
These successes must continue. So we‘re adding 3,200 Marines to our forces in Afghanistan, where they will fight the terrorists and train the Afghan army and police.
Defeating the Taliban and al Qaeda is critical to our security, and I thank the Congress for supporting America‘s vital mission in Afghanistan.
Transcript of State of the Union address [CNN]