Deal Step in Right Direction but Should Not Be Substitute for Full Withdrawal
ARLINGTON, Va.—In response to reports that the United States has reached an initial peace deal with the Taliban that would include a withdrawal of 6,000 troops, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell issued the following statement:
“If these reports of an initial peace deal with the Taliban and partial withdrawal of American forces are true, it is a step in the right direction, but should not be a substitute for the full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. A solid majority of veterans and military families want an American withdrawal from Afghanistan and CVA supports the Trump administration’s efforts to end our involvement in this conflict which no longer serves United States’ interests. President Trump said it best when he stated that ‘great nations don’t fight endless wars’ and our nearly two-decades-long involvement in Afghanistan is the textbook definition of an endless war that is not serving our interests.
We were justified in invading Afghanistan after 9/11 and we long-ago met our objectives. And, despite larger strategic failures following the early stages of the war, the vast majority of American service members have performed valiantly throughout the nearly 18 years of conflict. It dishonors them and their sacrifices to continue muddling along in a fruitless nation-building conflict that does not make America safer or more prosperous.”
BACKGROUND
Concerned Veterans for America conducted a poll in April of 2019 that showed that 60 percent of veterans and military families would support President Trump if he chose to end American involvement in the war in Afghanistan.
The Pew Research Center released a poll last month that showed that a majority of veterans believe the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq weren’t worth fighting.
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