Escalate or Withdraw? Conservatives and the War in Afghanistan March 18, 2010

Cato Institute Conference With his latest escalation in December, President Obama has more than doubled the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan compared with when he took office. Those forces are chiefly concerned not with the original mission of beating al Qaeda through counterterrorism but rather with trying to build a new nation. Oddly enough, the one group within Washington that has historically been against nation building backs the president most: conservatives.

Will conservatives return to their traditional roots and ultimately oppose the war in Afghanistan? Can "nation building" succeed in the midst of that country's bloody insurgency? What constitutes "success," and what price should we be willing to pay for it? Please join us for a lively discussion.

Official Website: http://www.cato.org/events/100318conf.html