BREAKING NEWS: OBAMA'S NEW AFGHAN POLICY
>> Friday, March 27, 2009
"So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future...The safety of people around the world is at stake."
As scheduled, President Obama outlined today his new Afghan/Pakistan policy. He announced the troop deployment, as well as plans to send hundreds of additional civilians to Afghanistan. No clear timeline for withdrawal of troops was indicated.
The announcement stems from the compilation of a series of strategy papers prepared with input from military commanders and diplomats, regional governments, partners, NATO allies, NGOs and aid organisations. The New York Times provides the details of this White Paper.
As scheduled, President Obama outlined today his new Afghan/Pakistan policy. He announced the troop deployment, as well as plans to send hundreds of additional civilians to Afghanistan. No clear timeline for withdrawal of troops was indicated.
The announcement stems from the compilation of a series of strategy papers prepared with input from military commanders and diplomats, regional governments, partners, NATO allies, NGOs and aid organisations. The New York Times provides the details of this White Paper.
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The rhetoric was...rhetoric... and the New Plan....expected. My only issue was that there was little mention of the Taliban (or "TB" - yes, like the cursed disease), which I found peculiar considering that the primary enemy in Afghanistan - the ones plotting in Pakistan, planting IEDs on the road, and growing its army of suicide bombers - is the TB. I'm fairly positive that this speech went through the proper vetting process so it is not an oversight. My guess is that the Administration wants to relate this mission back 9/11, so there is justification for the "good war", in other words, not Iraq. Another guess is that they, like the Brits with Hamas, want to leave the door slightly ajar for any possible negotiations with moderate Taliban members. This is purely conjecture on my part.
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