The U.S. Soldiers search for IEDs (improvised explosive device) laid by the Taliban near the village of Eber in Logar province September 26, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)Gates: Troops Decision In 'A Few Weeks' -- Politico
Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested that the contested election in Afghanistan is the key factor that’s made President Barack Obama increasingly reluctant to commit to new troops to Afghanistan and said Obama will make a decision in “a matter of a few weeks.”
Appearing on ABC's “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” Gates also predicted that it would be “one to three years” before Iran is able to go nuclear, and hedged on another deadline, saying “it’s going to be tough” to meet Obama’s January deadline for closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
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More News On Afghanistan
US Defense Secretary Defends Review of Afghanistan Strategy -- Washington Post
Gates: Setting Afghan Withdrawal Date Would Be 'Strategic Mistake' -- Jon Hilsenrath and Yochi J. Dreazen, Wall Street Journal.
Gates: Afghan Exit Timeline 'a Mistake' -- Washington Times
Gates: 'Failure in Afghanistan would be a huge setback' -- Politico
Gates: Afghan victory is crucial -- Politico
No rift between military and White House: Gates -- Yahoo News/AFP
Clinton: Obama not 'dissing' McChrystal -- Politico
Gates: McChrystal is ‘The Very Best’ Officer to Command in Afghanistan -- U.S. Department of Defense
General complains about US bureaucracy -- Yahoo News/AFP
British General Supports Request for 40,000 New Troops in Afghanistan -- Times Online
General backs request for more troops in Afghanistan -- AFP
Britain calls for mini-surge in Afghanistan to help train army -- Times Online
US Threatens to Escalate Operations Inside Pakistan -- Daily Telegraph
Deadly Bomb Targets Afghan Minister -- New York Times
Afghan Official Threatens to Quit After Attack -- Washington Post
Four French soldiers die in Afghan incidents -- Reuters
4 French soldiers killed in Afghan storm, accident -- AP
UK soldier killed in Afghanistan explosion -- AFP
Afghan gov't: Insurgents kill 12 civilians -- AP
U.N. report finds 2009 deadliest year in terms of civilian casualties in Afghanistan -- China View
U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy in Afghanistan -- The Gov Monitor
Sec. Clinton on Afghanistan Strategy -- Washington Post
Clinton: Report Part of Broader Assessment -- CBS News
Clinton: Afghan election critical to deciding U.S. strategy -- Politico
McCain: "I sympathize with the president" on Afghanistan -- Politico
The Taliban in Their Own Words -- Newsweek
Diverse Sources Fund Insurgency In Afghanistan -- Washington Post
McChrystal Says Insurgents Are Winning Communications Battle -- Washington Post
Taliban to Germany: Leave Afghanistan or lose Oktoberfest -- Christian Science Monitor
White House Believes Karzai Will Be Re-elected -- New York Times
NATO believes Karzai will win vote: report -- AFP
US, Allies Vow Support for Karzai -- Washington Post
Afghan election's third-place vote-getter operates from tent -- McClatchy News
Commentaries, Opinions, And Analysis
What's the Right Strategy for Afghanistan? -- Washington Post opinions
Obama Can't Downsize to Success in Afghanistan -- Max Boot, Los Angeles Times opinion
How can 40,000 troops fix chronic corruption in Afghanistan? -- Christian Science Monitor
What Bush Got Right Offers Clues for Obama -- Mark Bowden, Philadelphia Inquirer opinion
Testing Afghanistan Assumptions -- John Kerry, Wall Street Journal opinion
A War President? -- Ross Douthat, New York Times opinion