Opinion

A scaled-down ‘victory’

THE ISSUE: President Obama’s plan to withdraw 33,000 US troops from Afghanistan by fall 2012.

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Here we go again with President Obama’s premature withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan (“Quick on the Drawdown,” June 23).

The Democrats are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, just as they did in Vietnam.

Henry Newman

The Bronx

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Obama will be withdrawing troops from Afghanistan during the 2012 election campaign.

Call me a skeptic, but this appears like partisan politics beating out the actual situation on the ground.

L. Rodin

Forest Hills

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Obama has said that we must chart a more centered course in taking on evil in the world.

But having taken on this evil in Afghanistan, Obama now rejects the advice of Gen. David Petreaus and risks whatever gains he claims there.

Obama’s overriding concern is charting a course to his re-election. He won’t mind using the word “victory” there.

Ray Arroyo

Westwood

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Does Obama not believe in American greatness?

His speech gave the message that America was not only withdrawing from Afghanistan, but also from the world.

Gary Schwartz

Fort Lee, NJ

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I don’t know what ammo Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke might have left in his arsenal.

But to get our economy back on track — never mind prepping for 2012 — Washington had better start bringing jobs back to our shores, at least as fast as our troops will be coming home from Afghanistan.

Susan Kross

Dairyland

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At one point during the latter stages of the Vietnam War, Vermont Sen. George Aiken said that we should declare victory and leave.

Taking a page out of Aiken’s book, Obama has declared victory in Afghanistan and said we are leaving. The least he could have done was acknowledge his debt to Aiken.

Donald Nawi

Scarsdale