Students against sending more troops to Afghanistan won 157 to 124 at the speech forum on Monday.The forum topic was “Resolved, that Americans should support increasing troop strength in Afghanistan.” Ankit Paudel, geomatics freshman from Chitwan, Napal, spoke for the pro side.

“We have a responsibility to this war,” Paudel said. “If the Taliban come into power in Afghanistan, they also will gain control over Pakistan.”

Paudel said there will be increased fighting amongst the tribal groups if the Taliban comes into power, making the country unstable. “Al-Qaida will end up controlling the nuclear warheads, and they are capable of producing 10-20 nuclear warheads a month.” Paudel said the Taliban would also support terrorism against America with a possibility of another attack like Sept. 11.

Paudel said many educated people are fleeing Afghanistan, and the country does not have one percent of the doctors it requires.

Paudel concluded his argument by asking the audience to support sending more troops to Afghanistan. “If we send more troops to Afghanistan, the war will end, and the number of lives sacrificed for the war will not go in vain.”

Sarah Thibodeaux, mass communication junior from Raceland, began her argument for the con side by saying America has 60,000 troops in Afghanistan, and asking it needs 40,000 more. “Whether you are democratic or republican, can you stand to see them sent off to war?” Thibodeaux asked. “The United States has been in war with Al-Qaida for over 10 years. This is the longest consecutive war in American history.”

Thibodaux said General Stanley McCrystal wants to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by 40,000 but has not yet stated his strategic goals. “President Obama has also lost faith in his general and has gone to cancel most of his press conferences,” she said.

Thibodaux said she supported the war in the beginning but believes troops remain there for pointless reasons. “Just in Aug. 2009, we have lost approximately 48 troops,” she said. “The United States is there to help Afghanistan, not rule.”

Thibodaux said life in Afghanistan has improved because the employment rate has increased by 45 percent, and the number of students in schools, the miles of highways in the country and healthcare is also on the rise.

Thibodeaux said America spent about 65 billion taxpayer dollars on the war, sending the country further into debt.

She concluded her argument by saying she grew up in a military family and knows first hand of the traumatic effect war has on families. Thibodeaux said the United States should finish the job and slowly start to pull out the troops over the next 36 months.

After both speakers presented, audience members were allowed to state their opinions on the topic. Turning the floor over to the con side twice, the pro side did not use two of their opportunities to state their points.

John Lombardo, psychology sophomore from Thibodaux, said a surge has worked in the past. “From the beginning of the war to 2006 the death count was at 20,000 troops,” John said. “After the troop surge, from Sept. 2007 to July 2009, the death count decreased to 15,000 deaths, according to www.iraqbodycount.org.”

Robert Blake, petroleum services sophomore from Cut Off and veteran of the Iraq war, supported the con side by saying the war is not a war anymore. “The war is more of a business now,” Blake said. “Ending the war affects the income that the companies producing supplies for the troops receive.” Blake concluded saying, that “making money is great, but at the cost of American soldiers, [he does] not think so.”

DeRick Lewis, government freshman from Rockwall, Texas, said the strategy is to have constant pressure on the Taliban to prevent them from recovering. Lewis said America has to show Al-Qaida that Americans are not going to take this lightly. “Osama Bin Laden promised the United States would not go over four years of war; however, the United States has taken it further than he had expected,” Lewis said. “The United States has to keep going and drive out the enemy.”

Amber Callahan, education sophomore from Raceland, said soldiers sacrifice their lives for our freedom. “They could die somewhere else if it were a war against another country and not Afghanistan.”

Derek Thornton, mass communication freshman from Ellenwood, Georgia, said the pro supporters do not understand what is going on in Afghanistan. “The sight and smell of decapitated bodies is horrendous,” Thornton said. “What about the troops that come back with post traumatic stress disorder?”

Each side selected a speaker to make closing statements before voting.

John Lombardo was picked to speak for the pro side and said the audience needs to remember why America went to war. “The Afghanistan war is not a controversial war like the Iraq war was due to Sept. 11,” Lombardo said. “If the United States were to pull the troops out of Afghanistan, terrorist would have open trade, which is worth stopping,” he said. “We have to shut down the terrorists and not let there be another Sept. 11th.”

The con side chose Mallory Pecoraro, health sciences junior from LaPlace, to conclude the forum. “We do not have to take the current troops out of Afghanistan, but we do not have to send anymore in,” Pecoraro said. “We cannot help every country in dire need.