No Firm Plans for a U.S. Exit in Afghanistan

[tekisui]

Source: NYT

In a flurry of coordinated television interviews by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other top administration officials, they said any troop pullout beginning in July 2011 would be slow and that the Americans would only then be starting to transfer security responsibilities to Afghan forces under Mr. Obama’s new plan.

The television appearances by the senior members of Mr. Obama’s war council appeared to be part of a focused and determined effort to ease concerns about the president’s emphasis on setting a date for reducing America’s presence in Afghanistan after more than 8 years of war.

“We have strategic interests in South Asia that should not be measured in terms of finite times,” said Gen. James L. Jones, the president’s national security adviser, speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“We’re going to be in the region for a long time.”

Echoing General Jones, Defense Secretary Gates downplayed the significance of the July 2011 target date, and indicated that the United States might withdraw only a small number of troops at that time.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/world/asia/07afghan.html

[tekisui]

1. Obama will NOT have ended two wars by 2012. Period.

[Skittles]

2. big surprise

*yawn*

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. “We’re going to be in the region for a long time.”

Long enough to turn us into a pauper state with all debt and no economy? WTF? :mad:

[leftstreet]

4. K&R

[Subdivisions]

5. “We’re going to be in the region for a long time.” Reminds me of this:

"The American way of life is not negotiable." - richard cheney