Remembering Why the West is in Afghanistan

As US involvment in Afghanistan reaches its 8th year, many people are forgetting the rationale behind this conflict and are beginning to think that we should leave Afghanistan. More soldiers are dying and they Taliban is resurging. Currently the military is asking the Obama administration for more troops. The reason why we are there is for counterterrorism. If the United States leaves Afghanistan, the Taliban will take over the country, Al Qaeda will regain its sanctuary, which could cause the eventual collapse of the Pakistani government. If Pakistan collapses its nuclear stockpile could get intercepted by al Qaeda. In the long run the pan-islamist ideology espoused by Al Qaeda and supported by the Taliban would be exported to across the globe. Losing Afghanistan is losing the war on terror.