Now that Osama bin Ladin has been killed the primary rational for the war in Afghanistan can no longer be sustained. The War in Afghanistan could not have ended, U.S. troops could not have been withdrawn without the capturing or killing of bin Ladin. Now that this has happened it is now time for President Obama to declare victory in Afghanistan, and pull the majority of the troops out. Much like in Iraq a smaller number of troops to train and support an Afghanistan military that could ward off, a recalcitrant al Qaeda or another terrorist organization or the Taliban. The wars on terror have according to some estimates costs the U.S. in lives and over $3 trillion in treasure. Trillions of dollars that could alleviate debt foster economic growth, provide health care of all Americans and jobs.

The suggestion here is not that the war against terrorist organizations are over, its just that the war can and should be fought with smaller elite teams, intelligence, and superior technology. Americans still suffering from the great recession need the financial resources going to the military desperately at home. At a time and era where Republicans refuse to raise taxes on those who could pay more or for those who could pay for our wars, the available financial resources need to be reallocated.

There were some who felt queasy about the jubilation over the death of bin Ladin. Some think it was the toll and sacrifice from the code oranges to the wireless surveillance of Americans to the airport privacy intrusions. What is the price of these changes on American society and culture. During the Bush administration the fear of the government was warrantless surveillance of emails and library records,not the current fear of more taxes. Perhaps those from the left to the right understand that things will not go back to the way they were pre-9/11. This is why the death of bin Ladin coupled with the ending of the war in Afghanistan could truly bring closure. This should be done coupled with a role back of some of the most egregious infringements of privacy brought about by the Patriot Act not by extending the Patriot Act. This is what a middle of the road Democratic President should do to garner a second term. As the former Soviet Union can attest ten years in Afghanistan is enough.