ARLINGTON, Va.— Following the signing on Saturday of an agreement between the United States and the Taliban, Dr. William Ruger, Afghanistan veteran and vice president of research and policy at Stand Together Trust, issued the following statement:
“Ambassador Khalilzad and other members of the Trump administration worked hard to reach this agreement under difficult circumstances and deserve our praise for their efforts. However, this is only a first step toward the ultimate goal of ending our military involvement in the Afghanistan conflict, and President Trump should not allow any flinching from the task of completely withdrawing all U.S. forces from the country. We do not need to wait for the completion of a follow-on deal between the Taliban and Afghan government to feel confident about bringing our troops home. America has achieved what it needed to do in Afghanistan; there is no longer a sound reason for the United States to continue sacrificing precious lives and treasure in a conflict not directly connected to our safety or other vital national interests.”
BACKGROUND:
New Poll: Americans want troops home from Afghanistan, Iraq; opposed to more military engagement
War Is the Least Conservative Undertaking – An Interview with Dr. William Ruger