Surge of American Forces in Afghanistan

摘要

The escalation of violence in Afghanistan points heavily to the transition of regional conflict in the Middle East to a new battleground. As the stage for fighting rotates, what was a limited focus on Afghanistan begins to increase, and popular opinion and support are scrutinized. Simultaneously, the media creates a new set of criteria to judge the success or failure of strategic and operational military objectives. As a result, both international and domestic support have the potential to diminish should objectives not be given both a timeline and criteria for success. The gradual influx of soldiers over the next three to four years will give the opposition time to reposition the fight and begin exhausting the civilian population's patience for war. An immediate troop surge that provides security and contributes to the progress of infrastructure development will deny the enemy the ground on which they need to conduct a war. Furthermore, it will limit the attrition of coalition support though a drawn out campaign. The impact of a troop surge will be a decisive victory for the coalition and a safe and stable Afghanistan.