No Deadline Set for Decision on Troops -- Washington Post
Obama to Reassess Afghanistan War
President Obama has not set a deadline for determining a new strategy or for committing more troops to the war in Afghanistan, despite an urgent request from his top commander, his national security adviser said Saturday.
In a lengthy telephone interview, retired Gen. James L. Jones outlined Obama's plans for reassessing the war effort. Jones noted that although the administration has seen some progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it remains uncertain about the outcome of President Hamid Karzai's contentious bid for reelection.
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Obama's Plan? What Plan? -- Amir Taheri, New York Post
Despite his claims, the president has no Afghan strategy.
Throughout last year’s presidential campaign, Barack Obama lambasted the Bush administration for fighting “the wrong war” in Iraq and ignoring the right one in Afghanistan. Iraq was a “war of choice,” Obama claimed, while Afghanistan was a “war of necessity.”
Repeatedly, he claimed that, if elected president, he’d unveil a new “stronger, smarter and comprehensive strategy.”
In March, in one of those solemn-looking occasions in which he excels, Obama said that the new strategy, which he did not elaborate, was already in place. He speeded up the troop buildup ordered by the Bush administration, and a few weeks later named a new commander for Afghanistan.
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My Comment: I have been following the situation in Afghanistan since 9/11, and I have also been following very closely President Obama's approach towards the war since he assumed office. Amir Taheri is right .... aside from the rhetoric, uncertainty and hesitation has been the hallmark of this President.
While Amir Taheri puts President Obama to task, I can understand the President's point of view. A 40,000 troop surge will not only bust the U.S. Defense Department's budget, but it will also wipe out his own political capital within the Democrat base, alienate much of the American population who now favor getting out of Afghanistan, put into jeopardy his domestic agenda, and .... worst of all .... deal with a casualty rate that will sky rocket while not providing any assurance that such a troop surge will succeed.
Complicating such a course of action is further amplified by articles like the following from the Christian Science Monitor .... How can 40,000 troops fix chronic corruption in Afghanistan? In short, Afghanistan has a culture and history that will never bend towards what we want .... and if that is the case .... what is the strategic purpose and goal of us being in the country. If it is to keep Al Qaeda out .... that should then be our focus. But nation building and propping up what is essentially a corrupt and dysfunctional government is not our goal .... and it should never have been the case.
What makes me upset with the President is that he should have been aware of all of this. Hell .... I was aware of this for the past two years and I do not have any of the resources that are available to him. It seems that there is something missing in President Obama's foreign policy and national security team. It is almost as if many decisions are being made on the fly without any appreciation of the consequences or implications of making them. While this can maybe be glossed over on most issues, it cannot be glossed over when a full scale war that is jeopardizing countless lives is happening right now.
A number of U.S. and NATO soldiers were killed today .... and while this is not the fault of President Obama, I can guarantee one thing .... the more that President Obama vascilates on the issue of Afghanistan, the more likely there will be a time in the future when these deaths will start to be blamed directly on him.