Washington, July 6 (ANI): A series of unusually close votes in the United States Congress on extending the Afghanistan war signals growing concerns with the occupation, following a series of events that have damaged its outlook.
A measure to grant the Obama administration 33 billion dollars to fund its troop surge barely passed by a margin of 215-210 on Thursday night in the House of Representatives. In addition, sixty percent of Democrats voted for an amendment demanding an exit strategy, which failed, and 25 lawmakers cast votes to swiftly end the occupation.
"A lot of people are understandably anxious. The sustainability of this war is in some doubt," said Michael O'Hanlon, senior foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution, an influential Washington-based think tank.
Prior war funding measures have easily passed with little dissent. In March, a motion to set a timetable for withdrawal was overwhelmingly defeated 365-65, signaling a surge in anxiety during recent months.
Anti-war lawmakers have coalesced into the recently formed "Out Of Afghanistan Caucus," whose members are speaking out vigorously for an end to the occupation.
"Every dollar we spend in Afghanistan, every life we waste there, is a waste," said Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, hours before the vote. "What makes us think, what arrogance gives us the right to assume that we can succeed where the Moguls, the British, the Soviets, failed?"
In a heated debate prior to the vote, proponents of the war stressed the need to root out Taliban insurgents leave behind a stable government in Afghanistan. Skeptics argued that the mission was untenable at a reasonable cost.
"It is disingenuous to say this is an 'emergency' supplemental," said Democrats Alan Grayson, John Conyers, Raul Grijalva, and Mike Honda, in a joint statement, going on to imply that President Obama is engaging in "off-budget gimmicks to hide the cost of war."
Obama has strongly affirmed his commitment to the mission, and senior administration officials have begun to back away from the promise of withdrawing troops starting July 2011. Nearly all Republicans share Obama's outlook.
Darrel West, a vice president at Brookings, noted that it's historically rare for a president to be challenged by his own party on matters of war and foreign policy.
"The fact that Democrats are expressing reservations should send a warning sign to the Obama administration," West said.
Despite their concerns, it's unclear how forcefully anti-war Democrats will push to derail Obama's plans because undermining him could damage their own political prospects. But they appear determined to at least pressure him to wind down the war.
Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern called Thursday's vote an "important milestone" in a statement. "I will continue to work to build bi-partisan support for a meaningful exit strategy from this war," he said.
Last month, the Afghanistan war, which began shortly after 9/11, became the longest war the United States has fought. By Sahil Kapur (ANI)
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