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Obama plan welcomed by one group of U.S. veterans
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona - For one group of military veterans watching U.S. President Barack Obama announce his military build-up in Afghanistan, the decision could not come soon enough.
Obama said he would send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan by next summer to speed the battle against the Taliban, and start bringing some home in 18 months.
Veterans may not be a microcosm of American society, but they often have strong views on military matters -- and many at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the Phoenix valley city of Scottsdale welcomed the president's approach.
"You've got the troops, the people who are willing to go, (but) what we needed was support from the top," said Army veteran Steve McDonald, 53, standing in the bar where old soldiers, sailors and Marines sipped beers and watched Obama's speech live on television.
"If we're going to go in and chase the terrorists, let's get them, knock them out and get the job done ... let's not mess around," he added.
Obama said in his prime-time address on Tuesday that the goal of the troop surge was to fight the Taliban, secure key population centers and train enough Afghan security forces so they can take over.
His gamble that a troop surge will turn around a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan marked a defining moment in his presidency, and came after months of strategy review.
"I'm glad he's sending more troops, but I don't know why it took him 90 days to take a decision," said Claude Winney, 88, one of a dwindling number of World War Two veterans at the post, where veterans gathered for a monthly meeting.
"This isn't just another war, it's one we've got to win," he added.
Opinion polls show Americans are not so sure. Faced with economic problems and exhausted by the Iraq war, the country is deeply divided on Afghanistan.
While the surge comes as millions across the United States struggle to get by as the country emerges from the worst recession in 70 years, Army veteran Bob Graves, 53, said he felt the were was no question that the $30 billion price tag was money well spent, despite concern at soaring deficits.
"It's not a matter of cost, because we are fighting for our children and grandchildren," Graves said.
The bar is open to families of veterans. One elderly widow said she did not support sending more troops into harm's way in Afghanistan, where more than 900 Americans have been killed since the start of the war in 2001.
"We've lost too many men as it is, and we shouldn't put more of them in jeopardy," said Eleanor Cusumano, 83, whose late husband Phillip fought in the Philippines in World War Two.
"They (the government) should be taking care of our own people."
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