By Mark Memmott

As President Barack Obama considers whether or not to send more troops to Afghanistan, and how many to send if he does conclude more are needed, many people across the nation are wondering whether it's still in America's interest to be there eight years after U.S. forces toppled the Taliban.

Today, All Things Considered is devoting its first hour to several critical questions:

-- What is the U.S. doing in Afghanistan now?

-- How much, in lives and money, is the war there costing?

-- Who is the enemy?

-- And, perhaps most importantly, what does success look like?

A related issue of late has been whether the president is taking too much time to make his decision and whether the open debate in the U.S. about what to do is damaging America's efforts in Afghanistan. Former vice president Dick Cheney is among many on the right who have accused Obama of "dithering."

In the conversations she's had with newsmakers for today's report, ATC co-host Michele Norris got very different opinions on that topic from former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann and current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

Neumann said "an unavoidable price of our debate is this signal of weakness which it sends to Afghans and to Pakistanis." The debate, and any decision by Obama to send substantially fewer troops than recommended by top commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal, would likely be be seen by many Afghans and Pakistanis as a sign that "the U.S. is on the verge of pulling out," Neumann said. And that, in turn, would make it much more difficult to recruit people in those countries to help in making Afghanistan and Pakistan safer places:

Rice said Neumann is making a "false assumption."

It would be "weak and dangerous indeed" to rush into a decision about what to do next in Afghanistan, Rice said. A more deliberate approach, "projects wisdom and a strength rather than weakness":

Here's a quick question we'll leave open for 24 hours:

And what does success in Afghanistan look like to Rice and Neumann? On that, there's more agreement.

Rice said it's an Afghanistan that is not a safe haven for terrorists, and that has a government that can provide for its own security and a "basic measure of well-being to its people."

Neumann said success "is an Afghan government that can last and stand on its own and fight."

Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts ATC.

categories: Afghanistan

1:20 - November 5, 2009

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