Obama: Afghan troop decision possible before vote result

[laststeamtrain]

Source: Reuters

Obama: Afghan troop decision possible before vote result
Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:22pm EDT

By Matt Spetalnick and Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he could reach a decision on his new war strategy for Afghanistan before the outcome of an Afghan election run-off on Nov. 7.

The latest sign that Obama was closer to addressing the faltering Afghan war effort came as a new poll showed Americans deeply divided over sending up to 40,000 more troops there.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai removed a major stumbling block for Obama when he agreed on Tuesday, under intense U.S. pressure, to a second round of balloting after many of his votes from the August presidential election were tossed out as fraudulent.

"It is entirely possible that we have a strategy formulated before a runoff is determined," Obama told MSNBC. But he added, somewhat cryptically, "We may not announce it."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSN21334106

[joeycola]

1. Kerry: “Common Sense” that Obama Should Wait on New Afghan Strategy Until Run-off Complete

Forum Name Latest Breaking News
Topic subject Kerry: “Common Sense” that Obama Should Wait on New Afghan Strategy Until Run-off Complete
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4113468#4113468
4113468, Kerry: “Common Sense” that Obama Should Wait on New Afghan Strategy Until Run-off Complete
Posted by beachmom on Wed Oct-21-09 08:46 PM

Source: ABC News

Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., freshly back from his five-day trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan where he brokered an agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a new presidential run—off election, emerged from his nearly hour long meeting with President Obama in the Oval office this afternoon.

Kerry said the President should wait until the end of the run-off election to make an overall Afghanistan strategy decision.

“I think you really want to know that this has worked and you want to know what kind of government is coming out of it,” the Senator from Massachusetts said, “I would absolutely counsel the president to wait until the end of the runoff.”

Kerry said he did not tell the President that he should wait until the run-off is over during their meeting, he claims the question did not come up within their meeting specifically. Yet it did not stop the Senator from repeating his opinion many times before stakeout cameras at the White House today.



Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/10/kerry-common-sense-that-obama-should-wait-on-new-afghan-strategy-until-runoff-compelte.html#


I think President Obama will do just what Senator Kerry has suggested. :shrug: