Is_VBZ Obama_NP1 making_VVG a_AT1 convincing_JJ case_NN1 for_IF the_AT Afghan_JJ war_NN1 ?_? 
The_AT president_NN1 must_VM do_VDI a_AT1 better_JJR job_NN1 of_IO telling_VVG Americans_NN2 why_RRQ the_AT effort_NN1 is_VBZ central_JJ to_II preventing_VVG another_DD1 9/11_MF ,_, experts_NN2 say_VV0 ._. 
Supporters_NN2 of_IO the_AT war_NN1 in_II Afghanistan_NP1 are_VBR putting_VVG pressure_NN1 on_II President_NNB Obama_NP1 to_TO make_VVI the_AT conflict_NN1 a_AT1 higher_JJR priority_NN1 in_BCL21 order_BCL22 to_TO retain_VVI public_JJ support_NN1 for_IF it_PPH1 ._. 
Healthcare_NN1 reform_NN1 and_CC the_AT economy_NN1 have_VH0 justifiably_RR required_VVN much_DA1 of_IO Mr._NNB Obama_NP1 's_GE focus_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB with_IW the_AT top_JJ US_NP1 commander_NN1 in_II Afghanistan_NP1 poised_VVD to_TO ask_VVI for_IF more_RGR American_JJ troops_NN2 ,_, experts_NN2 say_VV0 Obama_NP1 will_VM have_VHI to_TO make_VVI the_AT case_NN1 for_IF Afghanistan_NP1 more_RRR forcefully_RR in_II coming_VVG weeks_NNT2 ._. 
Those_DD2 calls_NN2 come_VV0 as_RG public_JJ support_NN1 for_IF the_AT Afghanistan_NP1 mission_NN1 is_VBZ waning_VVG --_NN1 an_AT1 ABC_NP1 News/Washington_FU Post_NN1 poll_NN1 released_VVN Aug._NPM1 19_MC shows_VVZ that_CST 51_MC percent_NNU of_IO Americans_NN2 believe_VV0 the_AT mission_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX worth_II fighting_VVG for_IF ._. 
Within_II weeks_NNT2 ,_, Gen._NNB Stanley_NP1 McChrystal_NP1 will_VM provide_VVI Mr._NNB Obama_NP1 with_IW an_AT1 assessment_NN1 of_IO Afghanistan_NP1 ._. 
By_II next_MD month_NNT1 ,_, he_PPHS1 will_VM likely_RR make_VVI recommendations_NN2 for_IF as_RG few_DA2 as_CSA 15,000_MC troops_NN2 or_CC as_RG many_DA2 as_CSA 45,000_MC ,_, according_II21 to_II22 reports_NN2 ._. 
Congress_NN1 will_VM look_VVI upon_II a_AT1 request_NN1 for_IF more_DAR troops_NN2 more_RGR favorably_RR if_CS Obama_NP1 articulates_VVZ a_AT1 clear_JJ vision_NN1 for_IF why_RRQ the_AT mission_NN1 is_VBZ crucial_JJ to_II American_JJ security_NN1 ,_, Rep._NNB Joe_NP1 Sestak_NP1 (_( D_ZZ1 )_) of_IO Pennsylvania_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 former_DA three-star_NN1 admiral_NN1 now_RT running_VVG for_IF a_AT1 seat_NN1 in_II the_AT US_NP1 Senate_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 says_VVZ he_PPHS1 feels_VVZ the_AT administration_NN1 has_VHZ not_XX adequately_RR articulated_VVN its_APPGE position_NN1 yet_RR ._. 
"_" They_PPHS2 should_VM n't_XX have_VHI taken_VVN this_DD1 long_RR ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 says_VVZ ._. 
For_IF the_AT first_MD time_NNT1 since_II 2003_MC ,_, the_AT Pentagon_NP1 is_VBZ requesting_VVG more_DAR war_NN1 funding_NN1 for_IF Afghanistan_NP1 than_CSN it_PPH1 is_VBZ for_IF Iraq_NP1 --_NN1 $65_NNU billion_NNO versus_II $61_NNU billion_NNO ,_, respectively_RR ._. 
By_II the_AT end_NN1 of_IO fall_NN1 ,_, there_EX will_VM be_VBI 68,000_MC American_JJ troops_NN2 in_II Afghanistan_NP1 ,_, even_RR before_CS any_DD additional_JJ requests_NN2 form_VV0 McChrystal_NP1 ._. 
Yet_RR strong_JJ public_JJ statements_NN2 from_II the_AT Obama_NP1 administration_NN1 have_VH0 been_VBN few_DA2 and_CC far_RR between_II until_II recently_RR ,_, critics_NN2 say_VV0 ._. 
Last_MD week_NNT1 he_PPHS1 told_VVD a_AT1 conference_NN1 veterans_NN2 in_II Phoenix_NP1 that_CST Afghanistan_NP1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 war_NN1 of_IO necessity_NN1 ,_, not_XX choice_NN1 ,_, and_CC reminded_VVD Americans_NN2 that_CST "_" Let_VV0 us_PPIO2 never_RR forget_VVI ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD ,_, referring_VVG to_II 9/11_MF ._. 
He_PPHS1 needs_VVZ to_TO keep_VVI talking_VVG ,_, because_CS the_AT public_NN1 has_VHZ lost_VVN interest_NN1 ,_, says_VVZ Ross_NP1 Baker_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 political_JJ scientist_NN1 at_II Rutgers_NP1 University_NN1 in_II Camden_NP1 ,_, N.J._NP1 "_" People_NN have_VH0 simply_RR forgotten_VVN about_II Sept._NPM1 11_MC ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 says_VVZ ._. 
"_" They_PPHS2 no_RR21 longer_RR22 make_VV0 the_AT connection_NN1 between_II it_PPH1 and_CC Afghanistan_NP1 ._. "_" 
Professor_NNB Baker_NP1 notes_VVZ how_RRQ effective_JJ the_AT Bush_NP1 administration_NN1 was_VBDZ at_II "_" reawakening_VVG the_AT concerns_NN2 "_" people_NN had_VHD over_II terrorism_NN1 over_RP and_CC over_II --_NN1 linking_VVG its_APPGE war_NN1 on_II terrorism_NN1 with_IW its_APPGE foreign_JJ policy_NN1 ._. 
The_AT Obama_NP1 administration_NN1 must_VM make_VVI that_DD1 link_NN1 ,_, too_RG --_JJ and_CC can_VM ,_, he_PPHS1 says_VVZ ._. 
"_" There_EX is_VBZ a_AT1 certain_JJ amount_NN1 of_IO denial_NN1 "_" about_II what_DDQ ,_, if_CS anything_PN1 ,_, the_AT US_NP1 should_VM do_VDI about_II terrorism_NN1 eight_MC years_NNT2 after_II 9/11_MF ,_, he_PPHS1 says_VVZ ._. 
"_" What_DDQ Obama_NP1 has_VHZ to_TO do_VDI is_VBZ turn_NN1 it_PPH1 around_RP ._. "_" 
