Although the US President Obama has announced that he will send an extra 30,000 US troops to fight the war in Afghanistan, yet his revised strategy also includes exit strategy as he has indicated that withdrawal of forces will start in July 2011. In this context, on November 15, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had already revealed, Were not interested in staying in Afghanistan for a long time.and set a start date for military withdrawal.
I just read this much and then stopped the pain of going further... I have no intentions of breaking anyone's bubble but as far as exit strategy is concerned some of the members might be confused....The Americans are not going to leave until and unless their mission is completed...This so called exit strategy is nothing but a clear message to Afghans that they have to step up their own efforts...Here is come interesting news
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No exit but strategy is transfer and transition: Mullen
Welcoming President Barack Obamas new Afghan policy, the top US military commander today said the decision to start withdrawing of troops from the war-torn country in 18 months is not an exit, but it is a strategy of transfer and transition.
The strategy is not an exit strategy per se, but more about transfer and transition, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff, was quoted as saying by American Forces Press Service.
In his new Afghan policy, Obama announced to send 30,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan in next six months and a start of withdrawal of forces in 18 months.
The President is really sending the message that we are not going to be there forever, Mullen said, adding: this strategy really focuses on transferring responsibility to the Afghans as quickly as we can.
Noting that the strategy is based on a very deliberate and educational process, Mullen said: It has allowed us to explore the breadth and depth of this enormously complex challenge, and in the end, the president has made the decision to add these 30,000 troops.
Mullen said the voice of the military has been heard by Obama while making his decision on Afghanistan.
Ive been at the table in these discussions from beginning to end, and my voice has been heard. Im very comfortable with that. Ive provided my advice to the president, and as is always the case, we provide the advice, the president makes a decision, and we all march off and execute that decision, he said.
The top US military commander termed big challenge for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to build up his security forces; besides providing good governance.
Mullen said US forces will be focused on a counterinsurgency, population-centric mode.
The key goal here is to reverse the momentum of the Taliban, he said, adding the insurgency has gotten worse over the past couple of years.
The Hindu : News / International : No exit but strategy is transfer and transition: Mullen
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Also worth noting is the Indian reaction to it...
India pleased with Obamas Afghan troop surge
Welcoming the United States extended commitments in Afghanistan, India on Wednesday said it was not complaining about not finding a mention in the AfPak policy speech of President Barack Obama and was pleased that military pressure on Taliban will not be eased there.
India is not complaining at all, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told reporters when asked if India was feeling left out on not being mentioned in Mr. Obamas speech.
What you are overlooking is that our Prime Minister has just been there. He received a pretty thorough exposition of the U.S. views on the issue and President Obama called him up in Delhi yesterday to brief him further before his public speech in the U.S., he added.
Pointing out that India has always maintained that it doesnt have a direct involvement in Afghanistan, Mr. Tharoor said, American abbreviation for their policy is AfPak and I see India in neither of those two abbreviations. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the focus of this policy and focus of President Obamas speech.
Mr. Tharoor welcomed U.S. continued commitment in Afghanistan and said India was very pleased that pressure on al-Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan and on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will not be eased.
The U.S. has announced sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan for containing insurgency and securing key population centres there.
Mr. Tharoor said that continued military pressure on Taliban and al-Qaeda was an extremely important security component of the challenges faced by Afghanistan.
Refusing to comment on details of the U.S. Presidents speech, Mr. Tharoor said, it (the AfPak policy) is the overall approach of continued engagement and focus on dealing with the every real security dangers faced by Afghanistan.
Mr. Tharoor said India believed that entire international community has a stake in continued stability of Afghanistan and success of the Hamid Karzai government in establishing his authority through out the country.
He added that India was making contribution in Afghanistan in a different way by building roads, hospitals, clinics and laying down power supply lines there.
The Hindu : News / National : India ‘pleased’ with Obama’s Afghan troop surge
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As far as credibility of the article is concerned i happen to see the following line
In this context, first, with help of some so-called Indian Muslims, Indian RAW will increase attacks inside Afghanistan, targeting especially American soldiers with the sole aim to revive old blame game of the west against Islamabad for cross-border-terrorism. Second, RAW is likely to arrange another Mumbai type terror-carnage in India to get the sympathies of America and Europe, and to further distort the image of Islamabad.
I never knew RAW is far more capable than CIA. Also fooled the whole world by planning and executing Mumbai carnage and blaming the so-called non-state actors admitted by Pak herself....I salute the potent evil RAW who killed indians to defame Pakistan