Resolved: President Obama's plan for increasing troops in Afghanistan is in the United States' best

General McChrystal said to reporters that the 30,000 extra US reinforcements would "provide us the ability to reverse insurgent momentum and deny the Taliban the access to the population they require to survive". Obama's plan is to send 30,000 into Afghanistan to deny Al Qaeda, The Taliban and other radical Islamic groups a safe haven and to give power to the local government after they beat the militants. My partner and I affirm today's resolution: President Obama's plan for increasing troops in Afghanistan is in the United States' best interest. I'd like to offer the following definition for clarity during this debate: President Obama's Plan: To send another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan who will be pulled out after 18 months .Power will also be given to the local governments. Best: Excelling all others Contention #1 President Obama's plan will prevent terrorism Since 2001, Coalition forces have been fighting Al Qaeda, The Taliban and other radical Islamic groups who are trying to gain a foothold in Afghanistan. Yet during Bush's administration, there was no major troop increase to Afghanistan. Since then, 866 American forces have died and the number of casualties has doubled in the past year. That is part of the reason this war has been dragging on for so many years taking more lives each year. Sending more troops will end this conflict and save more lives as it has in the past. In 2007, Former President George W. Bush sent an extra 20,000 troops to Iraq. Since then, the number of deaths in Iraq has decreased tremendously. In December of 2009, 0 troops have died in combat died in Iraq. Therefore, troop surges have empirically worked in stopping violence. Not only will ousting the Taliban and Al Qaeda save American troops but it will also save innocent Afghani civilians who died from the many human right violations which the Taliban committed during their rule. Contention #2 Afghanistan security is vital to Pakistan security In 2001, a US led invasion kicked the Taliban out of Kabul and forced them and Al Qaeda to move to remote rocky hideouts on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. After that we moved our attention to Iraq and during that time, the Taliban and Al Qaeda again got power and had been operating in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. If we do not send more troops to Afghanistan, these radical Islamic groups will take over Afghanistan and will threaten Pakistan. Al Qaeda and the Taliban have been fighting so hard and for so long since they want to get a strategic foothold in Afghanistan. After establishing this foothold, they will be able to threaten Pakistan and its weak government for its nuclear weapons which will threaten the US. By sending more troops we do not allow them to take over, get the nuclear weapons, threaten the USA and therefore is in best interest of the USA. Contention #3 It will help stop the drug trafficking and undercut the Taliban's main source of income, drugs. According to the World Bank, as much as 1/3 of Afghanistan's exports are opium, a dangerous drug which can be made into heroin. According to the United Nations 92% of the worlds heroin comes from the impoverished fields in Afghanistan. Obviously, drugs are very important to Afghanistan's economy, but we must be careful to who the money is going to. The Taliban and other anti-government forces are making massive amounts of money from the drug business. In Afghanistan, authorities impose a charge on economic activity, traditionally set at 10% of income. Opium farming may have generated $50-$70 million of such income in 2008. Furthermore, levies imposed on opium processing and trafficking may have raised an additional $200-$400 million. "With so much drug-related revenue, it is not surprising that the insurgents' war machine has proven so resilient, despite the heavy pounding by Afghan and allied forces", said the Executive Director of UNODC ( United Nations on Drugs and Crime), Antonio Maria Costa. A vital part of Obama's plan is counter narcotics. With the extra amount of troops we will be able to destroy these opium crops taking away a major source of income for the Taliban. This itself will be able to weaken it and allow the US to attack. Sending more troops is in USA's best interest because lives will be saved not only because the war will end faster but also because the drugs from Afghanistan will be eliminated. We also ensure Afghanistan's security which is vital for Pakistan security, the country with the nuclear weapons. I urge a pro ballot in today's debate.