Foreign Policy

Stand Together Trust's Statement in Response to State of the Union Remarks on Afghanistan

February 5, 2020

ARLINGTON, Va.— In response to President Trump’s statements this evening regarding Afghanistan, Stand Together Trust’s Vice President of Research and Policy and Afghanistan veteran Dr. William Ruger issued the following statement:

“We were pleased to hear President Trump reaffirm his commitment to end America’s longest war and bring our troops back home from Afghanistan. We were also heartened the president embraced greater realism about America’s proper role in the world, rejecting the notion American troops should act as a global police force. It is no longer in the United States’ national interest to have an overt military presence in Afghanistan. Our brave troops have accomplished what they needed to on that battlefield. For far too long, we have muddled along in that country, sacrificing countless lives and over a trillion dollars in pursuit of murky goals not directly connected to our safety. We hope the president will not shrink from taking the difficult but prudent act of ending the war in Afghanistan so we can focus on more urgent national priorities.”

BACKGROUND:

New Poll: Americans want troops home from Afghanistan, Iraq; opposed to more military engagement

Public Realism on Afghanistan

War Is the Least Conservative Undertaking – An Interview with Dr. William Ruger