TODAY’S FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES 8
continued when Obama announced that the surge would end just before the 2012
election. Republicans believed, as reflected in the 2012 GOP platform, that the
decision was made because of the declining popularity of the war effort, espe-
cially among Democrats. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney accused
the president of making a primarily political decision as well. He spoke out against
the 2014 deadline for the end of combat operations and the 2016 deadline for the
withdrawal of all U.S. troops. Many Republicans, including Romney, chided the
president for statements he made during the campaign when he later decided to
maintain a residual force in Afghanistan beyond the end of his presidency.
The issue of U.S. relations with Afghanistan was not a top priority in the 2016
Republican presidential primary. None of the party’s leading candidates discussed
Afghanistan in the national security sections of their campaign Web sites. Ohio
Governor John Kasich did argue in 2014 that the United States should maintain a
continued presence in Afghanistan, but beyond that was not specific (Vogel 2014).
Eventual nominee, Donald Trump, who had previously suggested that the war in
Afghanistan was a mistake, later backtracked on that position, bringing his stance
closer to that of most of the other candidates. He also agreed with the decision to
maintain a residual force of approximately 5,000 soldiers in the country after 2016.
Further Reading
Barnes, Julian E., and Gordon Lubold. “U.S., Allied Military Review New Options for Afghan
Pullback.” Wall Street Journal. Last modified September 24, 2015. http://www.wsj.com
/articles/u-s-allied-military-review-new-options-for-afghan-pullback-1443139109.
BBC News. “Afghanistan Profile—Timeline.” Last modified December 24, 2015. http://www
.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253.
Bendery, Jennifer. “Democrats Are Oddly Quiet on Obama’s Decision to Keep Waging War.”
The Huffington Post. Last modified October 19, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com
/entry/democrats-obama-war-afghanistan_us_56251990e4b02f6a900d169c.
Clement, Scott. “Public Opinion on Afghanistan: Partisan Mix on War Ratings and Obama’s
Approval.” Washington Post. Last modified June 27, 2011. https://www.washingtonpost
.com/blogs/behind-the-numbers/post/public-opinion-on-afghanistan-partisan-mix-on
-war-ratings-and-obamas-approval/2011/06/27/AG3h90nH_blog.html?utm_term=.
b7d390d09e0a.
Dinan, Stephan. “House GOP Helps Obama Fund War.” The Washington Times. Last modified
July 27, 2010. http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/27/house-gop-helps-obama
-fund-war/.
Jaffe, Greg, and Missy Ryan. “Obama Outlines Plan to Keep 5,500 Troops in Afghanistan.” Wash-
ington Post. Last modified October 15, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world
/national-security/obama-expected-to-announce-new-plan-to-keep-5500-troops-in
-afghanistan/2015/10/14/d98f06fa-71d3-11e5-8d93-0af317ed58c9_story.html.
Kane, Paul. “Pelosi Says Rallying Votes for Troop Surge in Afghanistan Will Be Obama’s Job.”
Washington Post. Last modified December 17, 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com
/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/16/AR2009121604161.html.
LoBianco, Tom. “Donald Trump Backtracks on Afghanistan War: Not a Mistake.” CNN. Last
modified October 20, 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/20/politics/donald-trump
-afghanistan-war-not-a-mistake/.
