CLEAN: US troop surge in Afghanistan: America reacts

President Obama announced a surge of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, aiming to roll back the Taliban insurgency and defeat al Qaeda within 18 months. The strategy was praised by the American press for its political courage, but faced mixed reactions from the public. Obama reassured Americans that the war is not endless, despite its high costs. Public opinion varied, with skepticism about the feasibility of troop withdrawal by 2011 due to the challenging situation in Afghanistan.

What was the primary goal of deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in 2010?

• To support NATO allies

• To establish a permanent military base

• To increase US presence in the Middle East

• To roll back the Taliban insurgency and defeat al Qaeda

How did the New York Times describe Obama's speech on the Afghanistan strategy?

• Militarily aggressive

• Politically courageous

• Environmentally sustainable

• Economically beneficial

What concern did Obama address regarding the Afghanistan conflict?

• The war is endless

• The war is too short

• The war is environmentally damaging

• The war is economically profitable

What was the public opinion on the streets of the US capital regarding the Afghanistan strategy?

• Indifferent

• Unanimously supportive

• Mixed reviews

• Completely opposed

How many US soldiers were deployed in Afghanistan at the time of the speech?

• 30,000

• 100,000

• 71,000

• 50,000