Obama: Deploy Troops at ‘Fastest Pace Possible’
01 December 2009 7:44 pm by Taylor Marsh
From the White House, a couple of excerpts. Note the parts in bold, because they tell the tale. Adding 30,000 troops to target “the insurgency,” but also to “secure key population centers,” with the goal of withdrawal, known in Obama speak as “accelerate handing over responsibility,” beginning the year before Pres. Obama runs for re-election. He’s not giving McChrystal what he wants, but he’s giving him additional troops faster than he wanted them, targeting a situation that could easily be defined as a civil war, with a withdrawal crucial before his re-election begins, because Obama’s base is against this surge escalation doubling down what he’s already ordered to be done.
“The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.”
“Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility – what’s at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.”
“Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government – and, more importantly, to the Afghan people – that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.”
Even in three paragraphs you can tell this is a political layout, not a strategic or regional one.
The central point missing in this conversation is the importance of women in Afghanistan and what they mean to the country’s future. The reality that supporting women in all developing nations will be a 21st century imperative for any U.S. leader who hopes to demilitarize our foreign policy outreach and any sustained diplomatic efforts.
To add, here’s McChrystal’s statement on Pres. Obama’s announcement of new strategy.
