Important Afgh story in WaPo, but

[elleng]

can't get it to open!


Obama Calls for More Narrowly Focused Policy for Afghan War: Situation Is Much Worse Than New Administration Realized and Will Take Time to Address (Post, February 4, 2009; Page A12)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/world/asia/index.html

[EFerrari]

1. Here:

Obama Seeks Narrower Focus in Afghan War
Situation Is Much Worse Than New Administration Realized and Will Take Time to Address

By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 4, 2009; Page A12

As President Obama prepares to formally authorize the April deployment of two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, perhaps as early as this week, no issue other than the U.S. economy appears as bleak to his administration as the seven-year Afghan war and the regional challenges that surround it.

A flurry of post-inauguration activity -- presidential meetings with top diplomatic and military officials, the appointment of a high-level Afghanistan-Pakistan envoy and the start of a White House-led strategic review -- was designed to show forward motion and resolve, senior administration officials said.

But newly installed officials describe a situation on the ground that is far more precarious than they had anticipated, along with U.S. government departments that are poorly organized to implement the strategic outline that Obama presented last week to his National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

With a 60-day deadline, tied to an April 3 NATO summit, Obama has called for a more regional outlook and a more narrowly focused Afghanistan policy that sets priorities among counterinsurgency and development goals. "The president . . . wants to hear from the uniformed leadership and civilian advisers as to what the situation is and their thoughts as to the way forward," a senior administration official said. "But he has also given pretty direct guidance."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020302858.html?wprss=rss_world%2Fasia

[elleng]

7. Thanks

.

[Still Sensible]

2. It paints a pretty bleak picture

looks like the Bush administration had no focus on Afghanistan and certainly no broad vision of what the objectives should have been.

[DCKit]

5. As long as the contractors were getting paid, they didn't give a shit. n/'t

[Truth2Tell]

3. Politico has it too

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18337.html

Secret report urges new Afghan plan

By DAVID S. CLOUD | 2/3/09

The Pentagon’s top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan — to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaida safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting democracy and a thriving Afghan economy, officials said.

The recommendations to narrow U.S. goals are contained in a classified report by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is likely to be shown soon to Obama as part of a review of Afghanistan strategy announced by the new administration.

Obama is expected to announce soon his decision on a request for additional forces from the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David McKiernan. Several officials said they believe the president will approve sending three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, totaling roughly 10,000 to 12,000 troops.

But a decision by Obama about whether to approve a more far-reaching shift in U.S. objectives in Afghanistan will be made later as part of the strategy review, the officials said. In addition to the Joint Chiefs, Obama will hear recommendations from Gen. David Petraeus, in charge of U.S. Central Command, and from Richard Holbrooke, Obama’s civilian envoy to Afghanistan. The review is not expected to be completed for several months.

I have an even better secret plan:

Get. The. Fuck. Out.

[TahitiNut]

4. Afghanistan: Where Empires Go To Die

:shrug: I was against the invasion from the very beginning. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

[elleng]

6. Originally I didn't think it was 'stupid,'

but knew it would be tough. And of course w etc. had neither strategy or tactic, but his 'brothers' did > on to Iraq. THUS forcing abandonment of Afgh.

I expect President Obama will evaluate the whole situation, and come up with a reasonable, "We won't be able to accomplish . . . there," get out and spend a LOT of time with Pakistan. THAT will be worthwhile, I think.

[stillcool]

8. I wish the Pentagon could be totally..

out-sourced..like to India.

[ConsAreLiars]

9. The idea that the way to capture or kill a small band of murderers was by invading

and taking control of a whole country was utterly idiotic from the very beginning. Of course, that was not the objective. The decision to cause the people of Afghanistan even more hardship was a geopolitical game played by sociopathic frat boys.

(minor edit for grammar)