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Obama to announce new Afghan war plan

December 01, 2009
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On Dec. 1, President Barack Obama unveils a new U.S. plan for winning the eight-year war in Afghanistan.

In a few hours, President Barack Obama unveils a new U.S. plan for winning the eight-year war in Afghanistan. The president is expected to announce a substantial troop increase, while also mapping out a path to bring America's military involvement in Afghanistan to an end.

As a candidate and as president, Barack Obama has described Afghanistan as the war the United States cannot afford to lose. After months of deliberations, Mr. Obama is set to unveil his strategy for victory in a nationally-televised address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Having already consulted with key U.S. allies, Mr. Obama held an hour-long video conference call early Monday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America program, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gave a preview of the president's address.

"Tonight, he will announce a strategy that will accelerate what we are doing in that region of the world and help us get out of Afghanistan," Gibbs said.

Mr. Obama is expected to announce a U.S. troop buildup of at least 30,000, which would boost the total number of American troops in Afghanistan to roughly 100,000. The increase would be less than the 40,000 troops requested by his top commander in Afghanistan.

The president is also expected to outline a strategy that relies on accelerated training of Afghan forces to assume responsibility for their country's security and allow an eventual withdrawal of international troops.

Key to the strategy is a crackdown on rampant corruption in Afghanistan. Mr. Obama is expected to set goals for good governance by the Karzai administration.

The president has repeatedly stated his intention to "finish the job" in Afghanistan. But many Republicans have accused Mr. Obama of needless delay in reviewing the U.S. mission, including former vice president Dick Cheney several weeks ago.

"The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger," Cheney said.

In an interview with Politico.com posted Monday, Cheney suggested the administration's focus on an eventual withdrawal from Afghanistan projects "weakness" and emboldens militant extremists in the country.

That charge is firmly rejected by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

"The number of men and women in our armed forces right now sitting in Afghanistan is twice the number that was there when the president took office in January," Gibbs said. "We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of the American people by taking on al-Qaida and its extremist allies."

 


The White House has also faced criticism from Democrats who say additional military expenditure will further strain a debt-ridden U.S. budget and put domestic spending priorities at risk.

Gibbs acknowledges the concern.

"This [Afghan mission] is a very expensive endeavor," Gibbs said. "The president will address that [costs] a little bit tonight. But the president is not going to make a national security decision simply based on money alone."

President Obama repeatedly accused the former the Bush administration of neglecting Afghanistan in order to focus on another conflict, the war in Iraq. Analysts say whatever may have occurred in Afghanistan before Mr. Obama entered office, with his new strategy he is effectively taking ownership of the Afghan war and responsibility for its outcome.

VOA News

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