Jon Huntsman Advocates Pulling Out of Afghanistan
Jon Huntsman–sounding ever so much more adult and reasonable than the rest of his fellow Republican hopefuls–tells Jake Tapper that it’s time to get the hell out of Afghanistan. We need to bring people home from Afghanistan. This should not be a nation-building exercise when we have nation-building to do right here in our own country. This is a counter-terror effort. We need people in Afghanistan who can collect intelligence, Special Forces capabilities and some element to train the national — the Afghan national troops. But we should not be involved in nation-building. And we’ve got to basically call it for what it is and get back to strengthening the core of this country or we are of no value to the rest of the world. That light, that goodness that traditionally has radiated over the years, that speaks to democracy, that speaks to liberty, that speaks to open markets and human rights. We’re not projecting that goodness anymore. The world always is a better and a safer place with a strong America. And right now, we don’t have a strong America. Damn. I’m not used to agreeing with a Republican. I may need to sit down for a bit. But what Huntsman says is absolutely true. We are nation-building in Afghanistan…and not very well. There is no end point in our mission, no point in which we can say we’ve “won”. And it’s hurting this country with each year we stay in that country with no clear end game in sight.
Jon Huntsman Advocates Pulling Out of Afghanistan
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on August 21, 2011. Filed under