giovedì 23 giugno 2011

FROM CNN SPEECH OF PRESIDENT OBAMA ABOUT AFGHANISTAN


Analysts rate Obama's Afghanistan address

June 22, 2011 11:47 p.m. EDT
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Borger: Troop withdrawal plan 'vague'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Bergen: President for first time acknowledged talks with Taliban
  • Borger: Difficult to separate the military decision from political decision
  • Gergen: Obama winding down Iraq, Afghanistan wars like he said he would
  • Zakaria: Kept with his basic strategic rationale from the start

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night that all the 33,000 additional U.S. forces he ordered to Afghanistan in December 2009 will be home within 15 months.

In a nationally televised address from the East Room of the White House, Obama said 10,000 of the "surge" forces would withdraw by the end of this year, and the other 23,000 would leave Afghanistan by September 2012.

At the same time, Obama said the drawdown would help the United States begin to refocus attention and resources on efforts to resolve economic and other problems and to unify a politically divided nation.

Here's how CNN analysts reacted to the address:

Peter Bergen, CNN security analyst

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"Well, we've known [talks with the Taliban] have been going on for several months, but certainly as far as I can tell this is the first time the president sort of officially acknowledged it. Bob Gates did a few days ago. President Karzai was the person who kind of first outed it officially.

"I think it is a big deal that White House officials I spoke to said that they're aware of somewhere between 10 and 20 different what they call "leads" into the Taliban. They're sort of doing detective work is what they're saying, trying to work out if these leads, how legitimate are they.

"Is somebody coming forward as sort of a free agent who really doesn't represent senior leadership of the Taliban, or is it something deeper?

"They are saying they are not starry-eyed about these discussions with the Taliban. They don't expect some Treaty of Versailles or some peace agreement on the deck of the USS Missouri. But they are looking at sort of some leads that appear to be fairly substantial. That might lead to further negotiation. So I think this is newsworthy."

Gloria Borger, CNN chief political analyst

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"This is a president who understands that 56% of the American public does not want to be in Afghanistan. And the White House advisers I spoke to today said to me, 'Look, if you go back to his speech in December of 2009, this is a president that people will view as steady.'

"Because he told us what he was going to do when he announced the surge in December 2009. And that is exactly what he has done. He is claiming some success in diminishing and defeating al Qaeda, obviously killing bin Laden helps him with that narrative.

"And so I think he believes it now. He can make the case to the American public that he can draw down having had some success.

"But given the fact that we're spending all this money on this war, that it is usually unpopular. I think it's very difficult to separate what is a military decision from what will become a political decision, you know? It's just -- it's all part and parcel of the same thing."

David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst

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"Well, he has chosen I think what was called earlier the 'Goldilocks strategy.' That is there's some people that want to move out rapidly, some people that want to stay a long time. I might choose the middle of that.

"And overall I thought that this speech did bring into focus -- it was a very good speech -- brought into focus his overall philosophy.

"You have to say he promised as a candidate early on in his presidency he would wind down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and try to do that successfully.

"And his White House aides were pointing out this afternoon when he came into office he had 196,000 troops deployed. By the end of this year we'll have less than 100,000. He is winding down. I think there's substantial disagreement on how he's winding down."

Fareed Zakaria, CNN world affairs analyst

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"I think it's in keeping with his basic strategic rationale from the start. He did announce the surge. Part of that was, I think, the military boxed him in. You remember [Gen.] Stan McChrystal leaked his recommendation. It became very difficult for a Democratic president to overturn it.

"But Obama has started his presidency saying we are too committed overseas, we are too militarily engaged, we have too large a footprint, we've got to rebalance, we've got to focus on nation-building at home. We've got to focus on Asia. And he sounded all those themes.

"It was a remarkable speech for an American president in the caution, the strategic emphasis, rather than the idealistic emphasis.

"He says things like, we must be as pragmatic as we are passionate, as strategic as we are resolute. People would have America overextend itself, confronting every evil that could be found abroad. This is reminiscent of a very different strain of America, in many ways, a strain that goes back before the Cold War."

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  • akarmenia1
    anyone have a crowbar to pry CNN's lips from the president's rear end? the funny thing is that the president is getting all this credit for pulling out of Afghanistan, but he's only pulling out the extra troops that he sent in.
  • loverpoint
    Withdrawing from Afghanistan will be a 2-3 year process. We still haven't withdrawn all the troops from Iraq. Or the other hundred or so army bases around the world.
  • davegeorgia
    maximusvad, this is the islamic daily chant that comes with the daily islamic terror plot?there is no god but allahsheikh obl is not dead, he is a martyr that will forever live in our heartsdeath to americaislam has destroyed america by oblwe will die for obl and allahallah will give us victory over... more
  • Slag
    Obama atarted with 30,500 troops in Afghanistan and has increased the number to 102,000. Now he wants to bring home 33,000. Doesn't that leave more than twice as many troops there as when Obama came into office?
  • 1Truth2Tell
    don't hit liberals w facts. it confuses them
  • shnawky1
    If I promised to do something that you fundamentally disagreed with and then kept my promise would you then respect me and perhaps even vote for me?
  • Commentor785
    I really wish people would stop saying these wars defend us or our freedoms. This war is about protecting the interests of the military industrial complex, not the freedoms of us or the Afgans. We aren't seen as liberators there, we're seen as invaders and we aren't wanted.
  • kennyg
    The president said what he knew we wanted to hear; nothing more, nothing less. Nothing new, but a nice diversion from the most important problem in the U.S.: the economy. Yes, bring the troops home after the job's done, but right now, WORK ON THE ECONOMY. Too many people out of work!
  • Rudix
    This is not a joke: this causes more damage to our society thanal Qaeda with the terror ….How about destroying the “drug fields” in Afghanistan?(90% of heroin in the world) It was strong on the table before the elections…..What happened? Every day millions of people are dieing from it….its the silen... more
  • davegeorgia
    maximusvad, perhaps you can tell us of the virtues of islam and how burning Bibles will free America? perhaps you can explain to the daily chants and prayers of muslims?this is the islamic daily chant that comes with the daily islamic terror plot?there is no god but allahsheikh obl is not dead, he i... more
  • OnlyTrueUSA
    @GMCRET - What are you TALKING ABOUT? My post does not mention anything about withdrawing from the war..you must be a Tea Party or a Birther member because you people go off topic all the time to spew out HATE.
  • GMCRET
    Of course everyone who disagrees with you must be a ____________ (insert name). Great argument. What you said was "Vote Republican is the Good American way.. They fight for us and only us..Billionaires and Oil Companies" and I pointed out that the President, as CinC, could end this war that apparent... more
  • duke13
    Send all members of Congress, their staff, White House staff, etc. over to join the fight and bring them home when we get a full withdrawl.
  • HHI
    I would love to hear the "talks with the Taliban" how exactly would that discussion go?
  • Club80
    No politician deserves to claim "victory" here. The term should be given to our troops. I love our country, but I can't stand our politicians.
  • FRED28
    He's(OBUMA) DONE nothing, He sent the 33,000 troops there in 2009, He's not taking away any troops that HE DIDN'T PUT THERE. Our troops do not belong there, so Obuma and his defense contractors friends can make money off the blood of American men and women.
  • Putzcockle
    Obomo knows he is strictly talking to the same morons that elected him with his 30K-30K = the best thing since he walked on water!!! It equals the same old crap...NOTHING!
  • HowardJonson
    "Good with math!" Hilarious grammar.
  • HowardJonson
    Norden bomb sights were notoriously inaccurate, actually. Just like all three of you.
  • Putzcockle
    Who in hell does OBOMO think he is with his math???
  • Putzcockle
    good post...DEAD ON CORRECT...NORDEN BOMBSIGHT (WWII) correct!!!
  • votenobama12
    In 2008 Obama's ticket to the White House was his plan to withdraw troops by 2010. Clearly that did not happen. So one can assume that his second troop withdrawl plan is associated with his reelection campaign. Let's see how bad the media can massacre the Republican nominee this election. Look at... more
  • vj900
    Ten of Billions to keep 100,000 American troops patroling the mountains of Afghanistan. Al-Queda is supposedly in a number if other middle eastern countries, Yemen, Somilia, Pakistan, their in Europe and here too! How many counties must we occupy for you to feel safe?
  • 1Truth2Tell
    After 3 years of Obama here is your change: Avg.. Retail price/gallon gas in U.S. $1.83 $3.44 84% Crude oil, European Brent (barrel) $43..48 $99..02 127.7% Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel) $38..74 $91..38 135.9% Gold: London (per troy o... more
  • abbyfl
    And you blame this all on one person? He must be very powerful if he can do all this by himself. Why not blame him for the recent tornadoes that have swept across the country? Or how about that volcano eruption in Europe? How about all sins that are committed across the world?

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