Thursday, December 3, 2009

Afghanistan War News Updates -- December 3, 2009



Afghanistan And Pakistan Rattled By Plan For Drawdown -- New York Times

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Obama’s timetable for American forces in Afghanistan rattled nerves in that country and in Pakistan on Wednesday, as American diplomats worked to convince the two countries at the center of the president’s war strategy that the United States would not cut and run.

In Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta, the only minister who commented on the speech, said the announcement that American troops could begin leaving in 18 months served as a kind of shock therapy, but caused anxiety. “Can we do it?” he asked. “That is the main question. This is not done in a moment. It is a process.”

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More News On Afghanistan

Pakistani press scathing of Obama's Afghan plan -- AFP
Pakistanis Voice Concerns About Obama's New Afghanistan Plan -- Washington Post
Afghan Reaction Mixed Toward New US Strategy -- Voice of America
Afghans See Sharp Shift in U.S. Tone -- New York Times

Gates: 'Severe consequences' for Afghan failure -- Yahoo News/AP
Obama Team Defends Policy on Afghanistan -- New York Times
Washington defends Afghan strategy -- Yahoo News/AFP
Gates Defends ‘Gradual’ U.S. Afghanistan War Exit -- Bloomberg
Time Limit on Surge Draws Fire -- Wall Street Journal
Obama's Afghanistan Strategy Has a Familiar Look -- L.A. Times
Obama plan meets opposition on both sides of Congress -- Sydney Morning Herald
Congress appears poised to back Obama war plan -- AP
Lawmakers Scrutinize New Afghan Strategy -- Washington Post
Democrats Question Huge Cost of Obama Surge as McCain Pours Scorn -- Times Online

US envoy: Allies strongly support Afghan plan -- AP
Some Allies Wary of New Troop Pledges -- New York Times
NATO allies face U.S. pressure on Afghan troops -- Reuters
Italy plans to deploy 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan -- CNN
Italy 'to send 1,000 extra troops' to Afghanistan -- BBC
Britain to Send 500 More Troops to Afghanistan -- New York Times
Afghanistan: Nato insists it can deliver Barack Obama's troop request -- The Telegraph

Petraeus: Afghan ‘Surge’ to Target Terrorist Leaders -- U.S. Department of Defense
US military commander sells strategy to Afghans -- AP
US commander promises surge results by mid-2010 -- AFP
McChrystal tells Afghans U.S. not leaving yet -- Reuters
McChrystal: Surge Marks Turning Point in Conflict -- U.S. Department of Defense

Mullen: 2011 Afghan Withdrawal May Be "Very Few" -- CBS News
Gates Explains July 2011 Milestone at Senate Hearing -- U.S. Department of Defense
New US Afghan Strategy Raises Questions -- Gary Thomas, Voice of America
Afghanistan timetable raises questions -- L.A. Times
Analysis: Afghanistan pullout date not definite -- AP

Obama to Let Pentagon Deploy Even More Troops, But Numbers Remain Murky -- Washington Post
Logistical problems could plague Afghanistan troop surge -- CNN
Rise in violence predicted in Afghanistan -- USA Today
Bill Clinton supports Obama's Afghanistan decision -- AP
Soldiers at Fort Bragg enthusiastic about troop plan -- Washington Post
US Army Troops Ready for Afghanistan Deployment -- Voice of America

US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 851 -- AP

Commentaries And Analysis


Analysis: Barack Obama's strategy not as easy in Afghanistan as Iraq
-- The Telegraph
Afghanistan: Can Obama Sell America on This War? -- Joe Klein, Time Magazine
This Will Not End Well -- George F. Will, Washington Post opinion.
Despite Some Questions, Obama's Afghan Policy is Sound -- Max Boot, Los Angeles Times
What Mr. Obama Changed -- Washington Post editorial
A Wartime President -- Eliot A. Cohen, Wall Street Journal
Obama's Folly -- Andrew J. Bacevich, Los Angeles Times
Obama Can Win in Afghanistan -- Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal

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