President announces plan to send 30 thousand more soldiers to Afghanistan
Read more: State, International, Local, Military, Aaron Schock, War, Afghanistan, President
QUINCY, Illinois- On Tuesday night President Obama laid out his strategy to win the war in Afghanistan.
The President took several weeks to finally come up with his decision to send an additional 30 thousand soldiers to fight in the war.
The additional forces are expected to be deployed right away.
We spoke with Congressman Aaron Schock about the Presidents decision on Wednesday.
He says it was the right one to make especially considering how important both Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons and Afghanistan are to our national security.
Schock said, "What happens in Afghanistan is directly tied to our national security. After all it was there that the September 11th. attacks were planned. I think the President got it right. I'm pleased that after 3 months of review of Genral McCrystal's original request, this President is moving forward with giving the general what he needs to get the job done."
But the congressman is not in favor of setting a deadline for withdrawal.
He says, "I think it's dangerous anytime you tell your enemy when you're going to leave. In other words a date certain.
It's far more important that we evaluate and make decisions based on what conditions are on the ground. And I'm hoping that that President, ultimately, will base his decision on troop withdrawals, based on the conditions on the ground. As opposed to some arbitrary deadline."
The President wants to start the troop withdrawal by July of 2011.
