Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office
Wednesday, Dhul-Hijjah 1, 1430

KABUL: US President Barack Obama aims to bring the Afghan war to an end before he leaves office, he said on Wednesday – the eve of a swearing-in ceremony Western officials hope would help salvage Hamid Karzai’s tattered reputation.

In an interview with CNN, Obama said he would soon announce the results of a long-awaited review – which would include an exit strategy to avoid “a multiyear occupation that won’t serve the interests of the US”. “The American people will have a lot of clarity about what we’re doing, how we’re going to succeed, how much this thing is going to cost, what kind of burden does this place on our young men and women in uniform and, most importantly, what’s the end game on this thing,” he said.

“My preference would be not to hand off anything to the next president. One of the things I’d like is the next president to be able to come in and say I’ve got a clean slate.”

In the CNN interview, Obama gave a lukewarm endorsement of Karzai, saying his focus was on the government as a whole.

“I think that President Karzai has served his country in important ways. If you think about when he first came in, there may not have been another figure who could have held that country together,” said Obama. “He has some strengths, but he’s got some weaknesses. And I’m less concerned about any individual than I am with a government as a whole.” reuters

Daily Times

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Re: Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office

Or it is this way, the Afghan War shall be over by the time Obama leaves the office..with Afghan Freedom fighters kicking US-NATO out of Afghanistan and guess what.. Indians will be out to leaving behind investments worth millions of dollars...

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then these so called freedom fighters will help their brothers in the TTP attack Pakistan

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Re: Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office

^^ These So-Called Freedom Fighters can be contained within Afghanistan and their Sisters like TTP can be deported their if Americans-NATO leave the country... Talibans/Freedom Fighters were their in Afghanistan long before USA came, how many time they attacked Pakistan ( after the soviet war) ... Pakistan can contain them, provided US leaves the area... as it will kill the basic motive to join the Freedom Movement ( which taliban are using to recruit in Afghanistan)

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Contained and deported How?

Please elaborate...

Timepass December 2014 (Bheega Huwa Mosam)
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Re: Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office

If anyone thing that It was Pakistan alone who created/funded taliban to caputre Afghanistan than they are giving un-due credit to Pakistan. It was a joint operation of CIA and ISI, Taliban were meant to keep the country peaceful so that the interest of Americans can be achieved in the region... again Pakistan did the job right untill Osama bin Laden came back to Afghanistan from Sudan...

Things went well for 5/6 years and then 9-11 happend, the only thing Taliban did wrong was they denied the order of their masters Pakistan and USA to hand over Osama ben Laden to USA.. had it been done then.. we might still had taliban ruling Afghanistan.. any that is another story...

If US-NATO leaves and they out-source the war through CIA to Pakistan, this will ensure two things.. 1) No Indian Involvement in Afghanistan, hence Baloch and other religious terrorist will not get any support and ground in Afghanistan 2) Pakistan will again manage to create some groups in Afghan, who will fight to win Kabul ( ofcourse with US-PAK support ) and fight the hard-core elements of Taliban.. then these talibs shall have no moral ground to hire new MUJAHIDS nor does American has to loose to many lives or had to pay so much in terms of money..

Pakistani Establishment has been trying to convey this message to US-Govt...but BUSH was under the influence of christain taliban and he was fighting a religious war in Afghanistan.. may be Obama have foreseen the future and would be able to handle the situaiton with care and can have withdrawal from Afghanistan...

Timepass December 2014 (Bheega Huwa Mosam)
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The CIA and ISI did not create the Taliban. They just funded and trained and supplied arms to all of the Afghans who were fighting the Soviets. These included a whole spectrum of people from moderates to extremists. The Taliban infact were created in 1992 when Pakistan needed to them guard trade convyos between Pakistan and Central Asian Republics.

Pakistan then decided to end the civil war in Afghanistan and helped the Taliban take over Afghanistan.

I agree. The Taliban are a localized menace and never had global implications. They are being used by Arabs as foot soldiers so that they can conduct Jihad. Too bad the Taliban are too stupid to realize this.

The only Indian involvement that has been proven is Balochistan. And that has mostly to do with BLA receiving money from Indians. The BLA themselves were defeated by Pakistani Army in 2006.

So the Indian support for BLA is the least of Pakistan's worries.

Pakistan has been trying to do the samething with the Lashkars in the Tribal Areas and has failed miserably. If they can't even emulate that in FATA what makes you think that Pakistan can create a force that can take over Afghanistan and defeat the Taliban.

As for moral grounds. What moral grounds did they need when they took over Swat?

The Taliban are a cancer and they need to be eradicated.

And I am glad that Bush didn't listen to this nonsense.

Pakistan no longer has any control over the Taliban. It is a frankeinstein monster that Pakistan created and now has gone out of control.

The best way to destroy the Taliban is to intensify the drone attacks in FATA and take out the leadership of the Taliban while the Pakistani Army using its full might take over the FATA areas and destroy the Al Qaeda presence in FATA and bring it under the realm of Pakistani constitution.

With the safe havens eliminated and Al Qaeda no longer present in Afghanistan/Pakistan border areas. NATO can withdraw and Afghans need to make peace with the Taliban elements who might have legitimate beefs with the government.

Timepass December 2014 (Bheega Huwa Mosam)
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Re: Obama aims to end Afghan war before leaving office

^^ In that case Obama can continue to shower his resources in the drain called Afghanistan.. Good Luck to him...

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I thought that the American President can only have 2 terms of four years as President...:D

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