Residents react to Afghanistan troop surge

Some Baldwin residents are questioning the decision by U.S. President Barack Obama to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, wondering if America has the military and financial resources to continue the eight-year war for at least another 18 months.

"Personally, I'm very unhappy about it," said Janet Poretsky, president of the Baldwin Democratic Club. "I'm a very strong Democrat and I cannot support this."

Poretsky said she felt that the toll the war has taken too great a toll on U.S. veterans and their families, as well as the Afghan people who are often caught in the middle of battles. If a greater focus was placed on improving the lives of Afghans politically and socially, Poretsky said, she would be more inclined to support the troop surge. But Poretsky also questioned how the U.S. will continue to fund the war. "We can't afford it on a human level and we can't afford it financially," she said.

Resident Joel Peskoff said he had "mixed feelings" about Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. He said that the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated because the Bush Administration neglected the war for the past seven years, so Obama does not have many viable options.

"Personally, I think it's a no-good situation no matter what," he said, but added that he appreciates the effort Obama put into formulating his plan. "I do feel hopeful that Obama took lots of time deliberating this [decision] and hopefully this will actually work."

Peskoff said he is most concerned about the Taliban getting its hands on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. "The situation is: we have to do something because Pakistan is getting invaded by the Taliban and Pakistan has nuclear weapons," said Peskoff, who studied nuclear deterrence strategy in college. "The worst thing that can happen is that the Taliban get their hands on nuclear weapons."

Doug Diana, Baldwin's Republican Executive Leader, said he does not support certain aspects of the plan Obama has put forth. Diana criticized Obama for being afraid to explain what victory would look like in Afghanistan and also for the president giving a timetable for withdrawing troops.

"Why don't you just send an invitation to the enemy saying we'll be out of there in 18 months?" Diana asks. "Why don't we wait and see what happens instead of saying we're going to pull out? Why don't we give the surge a chance to work?

"I just think that we're missing the boat, and victory has to come into play somehow," Diana added. "We owe that to the people over there. Let [the surge] not be in vain. Let it stand for something."