By: Demetrius Minor

As President Barack Obama has made the ultimate decision to send forth 30,000 additional armed forces to fight the insurgency in Afghanistan (a duplication of the 20,000 plus troops that former President George W. Bush sent to counter the insurgency in Iraq), the United States has signaled to the international community that victory in this region is necessary and imperative.

During the theatre of war, public support can be fatigue and fragile at times. It is important to remind people why Afghanistan is crucial in today’s time. It is the painful reminder of the terroristic attacks against our sovereign nation on September 11, 2001 that engaged us in a conflict against an ideology. An ideology that promotes evil over good and the right to take another’s life if their religious or political identity is different from yours.

Not only is the U.S. security interest at stake, but the whole world should be concerned about Afghanistan. If the Taliban is allowed a permanent safe haven in the Middle East and overthrow the government, it weakens the U.S. foreign policy and makes our nation vulnerable to future attacks.

The Taliban’s mandate is quite clear: to abolish and diminish the role of democratic governments. The Taliban’s concrete wish is to silence the voices in Afghanistan and worldwide who are pleading for freedom and human rights.

We have a mandate as well. No one should live in tyranny, oppression or fear. Let it be known that the United States and its international allies are committed to the cause of freedom. For the cause of democracy. There are many voices who are calling for us to abort the mission. There are many voices that believe that Afghanistan is totally lost and that our efforts are in vanity. I staunchly disagree with this assertion. Let us remember that freedom does not occur overnight. It took nearly 265 years for slavery to be abolished. It was almost 30 years before the Berlin Wall was finally brought down. Despite the long, tenuous years of these oppressions, freedom eventually emerged as the victor. We also have the international support in this endeavor with NATO committing extra troops and resources as well.

I would like to say a word of admonition and caution towards the administration intent to begin troop withdrawals within the June 2011 period. There is no timetable for victory. If we are going to commit to the cause, we should stay the course until victory is achieved. We must not leave the enemy any option or availability to retake Afghanistan. We must not make the adversary believe that once we start to cut back on using our resources in this global conflict, that we will allow them to begin their evil reign again.

It is also important that Afghanistan’s neighbors indulge in the efforts to stabilize this country. Pakistan must not allow the Taliban to reside in its mountainous regions and use the Khyber Pass to transport weaponry and insurgents into Afghanistan. Iran must stop funding the insurgency in Afghanistan as well and look for ways to help Afghanistan diplomatically and democratically.

Many of us have mothers, father, brothers and sister, cousin, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles who are deployed or being deployed to this region. Their efforts are not in vain. They are the heroes of today. They are the defenders of freedom. Protecting the security of the United States is the highest priority of our government and its leadership. If we are going to send our troops to accomplish a mission, it must be done the right way. Because the security of our nation is at stake, and for the sake of many Afghans crying for freedom, we must win in Afghanistan. This will set the stage for democracy and human rights in Iraq, China, Tibet, Burma, Darfur, Ukraine, Georgia and other nations that feel the absence of a democratic society.

Afghanistan is not lost. There is hope. Liberty can be achieved.

 Demetrius Minor is a senior at Augusta State University and a former White House intern.