Wednesday 25 March 2009

Obama must choose this week between two radically different Afghanistan policies

Link

"...According to close observers, the key debate in the White House is whether the United States and NATO should wage a counterinsurgency campaign—securing the Afghan population,helping to provide basic services, and thus strengthening support for the government—or whether we should devote most of our resources to going after al-Qaida terrorists directly (counterterrorist or CT approach). Obviously, any plan will wind up doing at least a bit of both; the debate is over priorities and emphasis....
The advocates for CT) led forcefully by Vice President Joe Biden—point out that, after all, we're in Afghanistan only because of al-Qaida and therefore we should focus on that threat and leave the rest to the Afghans. Yes, we should offer them aid and assistance, but neither their economic development nor the survival of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's regime should be what our troops are fighting and dying for....
Obama has to choose one approach or the other this week, if he hasn't done so already..."
Posted by G, Z, & or B at 7:52 PM

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