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Senators Voice Worries on Obama’s Withdrawal Plan
In which three adults try to educate a man-child...
KABUL - Three American senators visiting Kabul said Sunday they were worried that President Obama’s planned withdrawal of 33,000 American troops by September 2012 could undermine Afghan morale, embolden the insurgency and hamper efforts to defeat the Taliban.
Just telegraphing the playbook does that.
The senators -- John McCain, Joseph I. Lieberman and Lindsey Graham -- said that they were heartened by the progress of Afghan security forces, but concerned that Mr. Obama’s withdrawal plan could deplete American military strength before dealing a decisive blow to the Taliban, especially in the east. That part of the country is a haven for the Afghan and Pakistani wings of the Taliban and affiliates of Al Qaeda.

“I believe that the planned drawdown is an unnecessary risk,” said Mr. McCain, Republican of Arizona, adding that no military leader had spoken in favor of the timetable.

Mr. McCain, speaking during a stop at the Kabul headquarters of the foreign military contingent, called the International Security Assistance Force, said he was concerned that there may not be enough American troops for a move from southern Afghanistan to the east to “finish the job there.”

Mr. Graham, Republican of South Carolina, cited gains in Afghan security force recruitment and ability, and said he was optimistic that native forces would soon be ready to take over security. But he also worried that Mr. Obama’s withdrawal plan could reduce American troop strength too quickly.

Mr. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, said it was important to reassure Afghans they would continue to receive help long after the 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of American combat troops. “We’re certainly going to be here in great numbers until the end of 2014, and I hope as a result of a strategic long-term partnership with Afghanistan that we will have a military presence here and cooperation here with our Afghan partners for a long time after that,” he said.
Posted by: Steve White 2011-07-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=325683