US strategic adjustment aimed to get out of Afghan quagmire

16:46, December 03, 2009

President Barack Obama announced a surge of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and a pullout as of July 2011 in a televised address at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. For his Afghanistan strategic adjustment, U.S. media noted, Obama made a most important decision at end of the U.S.' Afghan strategy assessment of up to 92 days, and U.S. media cited this decision as "one of the most important critical moments to shape his (Obama's) presidency".

President Obama's address on the war in Afghanistan was intended to be used as one of necessity to convince the American public, Congress and U.S. allies to provide aid and every resource necessary.

It has been reported that Obama ordered on the evening of Sunday, Nov. 29, that at least one Marine corps will be in place by Christmas and a large number of army units will be deployed early next year. He said the additional forces would be deployed at "the fastest pace possible" so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers of al Qaeda extremist forces.

Obama downplayed in an early part of his speech the tune of the US mission on Afghanistan, U.S. media also noted. Afterwards, he did not talk as overbearing as his predecessors to establish a "democracy" and a task of "national reconstruction". The Afghan people must eventually assume responsibilities for the sake of "their own security," and the "days of giving a blank check to Afghanistan are over," he said, adding that the United States has "no interest in occupying the country."

Obama's new Afghanistan strategy has not attained a full endorsement of Democrats in Congress and, in fact, many Democratic Congress people favor a quick withdrawal from Afghanistan. Democratic Senator Russ Feingold even threatened to try to block funding for the troop increase.

Many Republican senators are also opposed to President Obama's decision. Senator John McCain, who was Obama's Republican opponent in the 2008 presidential race, said that an abrupt "withdrawal would merely sent the Taliban underground until Americans began to leave"… "not only from al-Qaida but Taliban forces that are increasing behind".

Meanwhile, military spending for the Afghan war also causes concern among people in the United States. The military expenditure for the war could almost match the cost of the healthcare reform, which would require about 900 billion US dollars over 10 years, said Senator Russ Feingold.

There have been growing casualties in eight years of warfare in Afghanistan and, according to the relevant figures released by Pentagon, 849 American servicemen have lost their lives in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan since the outbreak of the Afghanistan War.

The government of Afghanistan welcomes the new US strategy announced by President Obama Tuesday, its Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

Ambassador Kai Eide, the special representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Afghanistan and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, acknowledged that the new strategy brings forth a new motive or propelling force to the stalemate peace process in the country.

Pakistan on Wednesday cautiously welcomed the revised plan for Afghanistan announced by U.S. President Barack Obama, its Foreign Ministry spokesman Abudul Basit said in a press statement. "We welcome President Obama's reaffirmation of partnership between the two countries built on a foundation of mutual benefit, mutual respect and mutual trust," said Pakistan in its Foreign Ministry statement, and the nation will work to battle terrorism and make a fresh, new contribution to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expected the allies to boost the NATO-led force by more than 5,000 soldiers, and plans for "significantly" expanding the U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, he conceded at the same time that the public support in NATO member nations to actions in Afghanistan is declining or dropping.

"The UK is to send 500 extra troops to Afghanistan," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Monday, so that "our total military effort in Afghanistan will be in excess of 10,000 troops." To date, however, Poland, Spain, Germany and Slovakia have only sent approximately 200 troops each, far fewer than President Obama has expected.

On his part, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that he would hesitate to send more troops there, as France already has nearly 4,000 troops in Afghanistan. However, he added, he would make an announcement anyway after an Afghanistan conference is held in London in late January of 2010.

Japan, too, welcomes the new U.S. military strategy in Afghanistan, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The Japanese government will adhere to or stick with its 5 billion yen pledge to aid to the war-torn country, and it has so far no immediate plans to expand its assistance.

By People's Daily Online and contributed by Wen Xian, Meng Xianglin, Zhuang Niansheng, Wang Rujun and other PD overseas resident reporters