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IPFS News Link • Afghanistan

Obama orders end to Afghan troop surge

• RawStory.com
President Barack Obama ordered all 33,000 US surge troops home from Afghanistan by next summer, declared the beginning of the end of the war and vowed to turn to "nation building" at home.

In a pivotal moment for US national security strategy, Obama also signaled in a 13-minute primetime speech on Wednesday that the United States would no longer try to build a "perfect" Afghanistan from a nation ravaged by generations of violence.

"Tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding," Obama said in the East Room of the White House in an address blanketing US television networks at a time of rising discontent on the war.

"Even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end," Obama said.

The president's speech came as domestic political support fades for the war following the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by Navy SEALS, and as Washington backs fragile Afghan reconciliation talks with the Taliban.

His decision on troop numbers amounted to a rejection of appeals from the Pentagon for a slower drawdown to safeguard gains against the Taliban and to allow a new counter-insurgency mission to unfold in eastern Afghanistan.

 

2 Comments in Response to

Comment by Anonymous
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    Every American fearful of Al Qaeda reprisal over the death of their leader Osama bin Laden must know the real cards being played in this game of  troop drawdown recently announced by Obama.

 

     I like the rational behind the initial 10,000 reduction of the troop surge in Afghanistan. It means starting immediately, these soldiers are out of harms way, and can rejoin their family. Furthermore, we are not in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban but to defeat Al Qaeda.  Since we could not defeat Al Qaeda and we already killed their leader, there is no point pouring in billions of dollar there a month, and at the same time get our soldiers killed. In Obama’s mind, won’t Americans agree with me and support me on this drawdown decision?

 

     But I abhor Obama’s motive behind it. He is an incorrigible politically correct player under the limelight, even though it puts us all in harms way. Gen. David Patraeus testified in Congress that this surprise troop reduction violated the planned timeline of our military withdrawal from the war front. Signs of winning the war are clear, and in a year more or two, we would be able to accomplish our objective.

 

     What the General didn’t know is that his Commander-In-Chief is a political fox in the asphalt jungle of Washington. The latest surveys show that approximately 56% of Americans are in favor of our troops coming home, and 54% believed they should stay in Afghanistan and finish their job there.  This margin is slim, but more than enough for what Obama needs, to prop up his sagging image.  At home, he couldn’t create jobs Americans needs, so in his drawdown speech, his primary attention now he said is to mend the broken economy and create jobs.

 

     This is strange saliva drooling out of his mouth – a good specimen for the lab for innocent Americans, including Gen. Patraeus, to determine what Obama’s political DNA really is. 

 

 

Comment by Powell Gammill
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He meant to say, "until after I'm re-elected." Then it is four more years of (Daddy) Bush policies.


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