From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090911/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_s_bullhorn
The president says his goal is clear: to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida and their extremist allies." The way to do that, he argues, is by fighting the insurgents in Afghanistan to prevent the country from again becoming a haven for al-Qaida.
"But lots of people have not bought it," said Stephen Biddle, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who has served as a civilian adviser to the general in charge of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. "Surely a big piece of the declining poll numbers for support for Afghanistan is that the public does not yet see the connection between Afghanistan and al-Qaida today."
I am aware of the connection between the Taliban, Afghanistan and al-Qaida and I do believe that if the Taliban is allowed to once again claim power in Afghanistan, they will again provide a harbour for al-Quida who will gain more power and resume with vigor their battle against those they see as their enemies – notably the United States of America. At the moment, al-Quida is too distracted trying to defend their own terf to successfully orchestrate an attack like 9-11 (though I’m not naïve enough to underestimate them).
However, historically, the Taliban have proven very hard to root out of Afghanistan.
What would you do if you were President?
(I know I will get answers from over-zealous pacifists who condemn every bullet fired and Obama-haters who will simply state, yet again, that they hate Obama – but I would really like serious answers. Perhaps a futile plee, but I plead nonetheless.)
The president says his goal is clear: to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida and their extremist allies." The way to do that, he argues, is by fighting the insurgents in Afghanistan to prevent the country from again becoming a haven for al-Qaida.
"But lots of people have not bought it," said Stephen Biddle, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who has served as a civilian adviser to the general in charge of the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan. "Surely a big piece of the declining poll numbers for support for Afghanistan is that the public does not yet see the connection between Afghanistan and al-Qaida today."
I am aware of the connection between the Taliban, Afghanistan and al-Qaida and I do believe that if the Taliban is allowed to once again claim power in Afghanistan, they will again provide a harbour for al-Quida who will gain more power and resume with vigor their battle against those they see as their enemies – notably the United States of America. At the moment, al-Quida is too distracted trying to defend their own terf to successfully orchestrate an attack like 9-11 (though I’m not naïve enough to underestimate them).
However, historically, the Taliban have proven very hard to root out of Afghanistan.
What would you do if you were President?
(I know I will get answers from over-zealous pacifists who condemn every bullet fired and Obama-haters who will simply state, yet again, that they hate Obama – but I would really like serious answers. Perhaps a futile plee, but I plead nonetheless.)