Home > Central Asia >> Afghanistan

Obama woos Congress on Afghan war

Sydney Morning Herald - October 7, 2009

Anne Davies, Washington – Barack Obama was to meet congressional leaders from both parties yesterday to discuss his options in Afghanistan, in recognition that any request for more troops will need to run the gauntlet of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Amid speculation there is open conflict between the White House and the US military over the future direction of the war, and whether more US troops should be sent there, the President has opted for a round of consultations with congressional leaders including Republicans, something he has not attempted for six months, following a rebuff over the stimulus package.

Senior Republicans including the former presidential candidate John McCain have been outspoken in their support for the commander in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, who last month gave Mr Obama a 66-page report that said troop numbers needed to be increased to avoid failure in the eight-year war.

On Monday the Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, weighed in, blaming past US failure to deploy enough troops in Afghanistan for the Taliban's revival.

Mr Gates, who was defence secretary for the last two years of the Bush administration, said the US could not afford to become the second superpower defeated there, referring to the defeat of the Soviet army by Islamic fighters in the 1980s.

While declining to comment on the direction of Mr Obama's review, Mr Gates made clear withdrawal was not one of the options under consideration.

"We are not leaving Afghanistan. This discussion is about next steps forward, and the President has some momentous decisions to make," Mr Gates told CNN in a taped interview.

That view was reiterated by a White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs, during the daily briefing. "I don't think we have the option to leave," he said.

But within the Administration there is significant dissent, with some, led by the Vice-President, Joe Biden, arguing for a more targeted strategy. This approach has been fuelled in part by the success the US has had in surgical strikes against the al-Qaeda leadership. The New York Times has quoted Administration sources as saying the US had eliminated more than half of its top targets over the past year, severely constricted al-Qaeda's capacity to operate, and choked off a lot of its financing.

Mr Obama is due to meet his national security advisers and senior military personnel today and on Friday.

In an apparent effort to tamp down the public divide between commanders and elements in the White House over strategy, Mr Gates stressed in a speech at the annual meeting of the Association of the US Army on Monday that military and civilian leaders should keep their advice to Mr Obama on Afghanistan private.

Mr Gates's admonition came days after General McChrystal said publicly that he did not support proposals to scale back significantly the US military presence.

A London tabloid reported yesterday that the British Government had turned down a request from its own military for more troops in Afghanistan this year.

The Sun quoted General Richard Dannatt, who retired as army head last month, as saying a call for 2000 extra soldiers had been declined and the forces had to fight on with "at least part of one arm" tied behind their back. (with agencies)

See also:


Home | Site Map | Calendar & Events | News Services | Links & Resources | Contact Us