Argument: Without more troops in Afghanistan, US will lose allies

Support

Bruce Riedel and Michael O’Hanlon. “Why we can’t go small in Afghanistan”. USA Today. September 4, 2009: “we would likely lose our allies with this approach. A limited mission offers nothing to the Afghans, whose country is essentially abandoned to the Taliban, or to the Pakistanis, who would similarly see this as the first step toward cut and run. The NATO allies would also smell in a “reduced” mission the beginning of withdrawal; some if not most might try to beat us to the exit.”