Obama Lays Out Plan For New Afghan Strategy
In a Tuesday night address to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, president Obama announced plans for an updated Afghan war policy. A key feature of the announced new strategy is the sending of an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to fight the war. Some troops could be arriving as early as later this month.
Though the additional troop deployment plan has largely been met with bi-partisan approval, Republicans question the 3- year withdrawal timetable announced by the president.
To bolster the administration’s new strategy, top Democrats on Wednesday warned Congress of ”severe consequences” for the United States and the world if the U.S. led coalition fails to defeat a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. Failure would mean a Taliban takeover of much if not all of the country, “and likely a renewed civil war” said Defense Secretary Robert Gates in an address to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The new strategy aims to prevent Taliban ruled areas from becoming staging areas and sanctuaries for insurgents. Appearing with Gates before Congress were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin expressed concern at the troop escalation plan. “It seems to me that the large influx of U.S. combat troops will put more U.S. Marines on street corners in Afghan villages, with too few Afghan partners alongside them,” he said to Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen & Secretary Clinton.
The planned surge would raise troop levels in Afghanistan to 100,000. “I do not make this decision lightly,” Obama said in his Tuesday evening address. “I make this decision because I am convinced our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain said, “There’s other areas that have to be done, but I support this policy.” Republicans however are skeptical of the timetable for withdrawal as set forth by Obama.
