Sec. Defense Gates: 2-3 years of combat in Afghanistan
It's the Wall Street Journal, so you'll need to register to read the article, but registration is free. | COMBAT OUTPOST SENJARAY, AfghanistanDefense Secretary Robert Gates said he envisions two or three more years of combat operations in Afghanistan before the U.S. transitions to an advisory role, a mission likely to last years more.
Mr. Gates strongly opposes an abrupt strategy change that would move the U.S. toward a counterterrorism strategy that is more focused on killing militants and less focused on protecting population centers. On Friday he said a move to a counterterrorism strategy would simply result in pushing insurgents from one place to another as in an arcade game of "whack-a-mole."
Posted by: 2010-09-04 |