Obama Expected to Unveil Afghan Drawdown Plan Next Week

[tekisui]

Source: McClattchy

President Barack Obama is expected to unveil his U.S. troop reduction plan for Afghanistan next week, buoyed by assessments by senior defense officials that the U.S. war strategy is headed in the right direction and has weakened the Taliban-led insurgency.

But some U.S. officials in Washington and in Afghanistan are concerned that many of the gains aren't sustainable, and conditions are too fragile to allow for the "significant" troop drawdown that Obama is being pressured to begin next month by some top aides and growing numbers of lawmakers of both parties.

Violence is worse, many Taliban appear to have moved elsewhere rather than fight U.S. forces surged into the south, the Afghan government and security forces remain far from capable, and counter-insurgency cooperation with Pakistan is all but frozen, these U.S. officials said.

"The situation is terrible. Has there been a qualitative change that disadvantages the opposition and advantages the (U.S.-led) coalition? I don't buy it," said a U.S. official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the issue publicly. "The Taliban remains a clever, adaptive enemy."

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/06/17/116070/obama-expected-to-unveil-afghan.html#ixzz1PdmPIz7p

[midnight]

1. War is not sustainable.... Their concerns are correct... They

should of heeded those concerns before entering into such a loosing battle... "The Taliban remains a clever, adaptive enemy" Really.... Anyone want to suggest why?

[jefferson_dem]

2. Just like Booooosh!

Oh...