Two important additions to State are worth mentioning. One is Vali Nasr, who Laura Rozen reported will be a senior adviser to Holbrooke, who is off to London today (according to State), then the Munich Security conference. Former Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth, whom I interviewed on my radio show regarding Pakistan, may also get a spot in South Asia, Rozen reporting it might be U.S. ambassador to India. But what swirls in this mix is the winds of war in Afghanistan.
Yesterday, reality broke through:
The Pentagon’s top military officers are recommending to President Barack Obama that he shift U.S. strategy in Afghanistan — to focus on ensuring regional stability and eliminating Taliban and Al Qaida safe havens in Pakistan, rather than on achieving lasting democracy and a thriving Afghan economy, officials said.
Now, I’m for limited troop increase in Afghanistan, but only on a preventing failed state mission. How anyone can use Afghanistan and “lasting democracy” in the same sentence is a mystery to me. That’s been the problem with all the “Obama’s Vietnam” headlines, including Newsweek’s, which you can see in the video above. Obama campaigned on a counterinsurgency priority that stops the slide of teetering states like Afghanistan. Nothing is more in our strategic interest than keeping the Af-Pak region from dropping off a cliff. They go together.
Secretary Clinton had a dinner last night that focused on Afghanistan, with experts invited. CNAS described our challenges post Bush-Cheney, as well as our mission in Afghanistan:
No Terrorist Sanctuary and No Regional Meltdown
American neglect of Afghanistan in the wake of the Soviet defeat contributed to Al Qaeda entrenching there. The United States and Europe cannot again allow Al Qaeda or its associated movements to have the open support and protection of a state. The efforts of the past seven years have largely eliminated unfettered Al Qaeda sanctuary in Afghanistan, and the country must not be allowed to return to the condition it was in on September 10, 2001. The problem, however, has become even more complex: collusion among Al Qaeda, the Taliban, narco-traffickers, and criminal gangs presents a real and growing threat to the region.
[...] The desired ends in Afghanistan—no terrorist sanctuary and no regional meltdown—and the way to cement those ends for the long term—helping the Afghans build a system of governance that can provide them security—require a comprehensive, integrated, and sequenced set of means. In a word, they need a strategy. A comprehensive strategy will be intrinsically regional, recognizing that even a perfect campaign in Afghanistan will fail if an unstable Pakistan continues to provide sanctuary to militants.
Wood at the briefing today at State:
QUESTION: And following on that, is the State Department doing its own policy review separate from the Petraeus review in CENTCOM, separate from the Lute review that came out of NSC, its own Afghan policy review?
MR. WOOD: Well, we obviously will take a look from the State Department standpoint at our overall contributions to overall U.S. policy in Afghanistan. But – and that will feed into a much larger review of our overall policy toward Afghanistan.
Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute is in charge of Afghanistan as “war czar.”
As the debate continues, someone needs to explain to me how we maintain an integrated Af-Pak strategy, first stabilizing Afghanistan, without a limited expansion of troops in that country. I’ve read a lot on the matter from those against any troop increase, but until someone can do it, preferably without raising the Vietnam flag, I won’t be convinced. The back and forth I had with Juan Cole is exhibit a. But I’m listening.
I still remain unconvinced we’re going to deal with AlQueda and the Taliban without ending up in Pakistan.
I agree with you completely justlen. Itoo think we will end up there. I’m afraid that it’s inevitable.
“end up there?” You mean militarily?
Yes, militarily. Troops on the ground.
Let me clarify, my last post implies I am in favor of it, which I am not.
The Taliban effectively controls a good part of Pakistan. The border is utterly porous. We’ll never wipe them out if we only do it in Afghanistan.
Not going to happen.
Special forces and clandestine, yes.
Then it will fail. Taliban is integrated into Northern Pakistan society. They’re not sitting a cave waiting to get blown up.
Well if it’s militarily then what. This is really complex, in my book.
Justlen why wouldn’t it work with special forces and clandestine. It seems to me that would be the smart thing.
I don’t think you rout out what is essentially a political movement with special forces. Portions of the population already defer to the Taliban as the defacto authority.
The Pakistani army has been fighting them and is losing.
This is off topic but – isn’t the kids health care bill the Prez is signing Hillary Clinton’s legislation?
From what I can find Max Bacus sponsored the Senate version and Frank Pallone the House version.
kris says:
04 February 2009 at 4:56 pm
This is off topic but – isn’t the kids health care bill the Prez is signing Hillary Clinton’s legislation?
____
No
bravo!
60 cents more for a pack of smokes… worth it.
Are you sure. I thought she was involved in it when Bush vetoed it.
If it wasn’t her geot, whose legislation is it?
Just as good, Salazar just canceled the drilling leases Bush pushed through in Utah.
Hey justlen – do you feel we should just get out of Afghanistan?
kris says:
04 February 2009 at 5:08 pm
Are you sure. I thought she was involved in it when Bush vetoed it.
If it wasn’t her geot, whose legislation is it?
_______
she definately supported it but didn’t craft it.
originally it was spearheaded by Kennedy, and Hatch
kris says:
04 February 2009 at 5:10 pm
Hey justlen – do you feel we should just get out of Afghanistan?
No, but I don’t know what the answer is. I do feel pretty strongly that fundamentalism is the greatest threat we face. But I also include fundamentalist Christianity too.
Just as good, Salazar just canceled the drilling leases Bush pushed through in Utah.
cool, Save the Arches.
…yeah Obama hasn’t done enough in his first two weeks
justlen:
From the NY Times:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress voted Wednesday to give consumers four more months to prepare for the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting.
Personally I think we should enter some kind of mutual defense and counter terrorism pact with India to solve the Pakistan and Afghanistan issue. I volunteer myself as Ambassador. India has lots of untapped potential and is home to a most dynamic people.
OT:
I have an idea: bring back the color coded system based on Cheney’s perceived threat level… we are now at Yellow… matches the stripe down his back.
And in the department of gifts that keep on giving, Caribou Barbie thinks that being opposed to shooting wolves from an airplane makes you part of the “fringe:”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18406.html
Drill, baby, drill. also.
justlen says:
04 February 2009 at 5:12 pm
kris says:
04 February 2009 at 5:10 pm
Hey justlen – do you feel we should just get out of Afghanistan?
No, but I don’t know what the answer is. I do feel pretty strongly that fundamentalism is the greatest threat we face. But I also include fundamentalist Christianity too.
And fundamentalist Christians are very rigid in their beliefs. I made a comment to a friend of mine about abortion and she went into a tirade about how it is murder. I just said to her that she and I disagree on that and I didn’t want to discuss it anymore for fear of losing a friendship. They just think their way or the highway, it’s that simple.
Betsy says:
04 February 2009 at 5:24 pm
They just think their way or the highway, it’s that simple.
That is the disease of fundamentalism.
And GeoT, I feel for you in regards to the price of cigarette. But I quit a year ago and then fell back in May. But my doctor gave me another prescription for Chantix and I’m off again and have been for about 7 months now. Last time I quit the Chantix after 2 months and that wasn’t enough time. Crutch? Maybe. But I prefer to breath easily again.
Joan is on Hardball discussing the Cheney thing and Afghanistan.
justlen says:
04 February 2009 at 5:23 pm
Caribou Barbie thinks that being opposed to shooting wolves from an airplane makes you part of the “fringe:”
____
can’t we all just get along?
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh42/mapleridgebc/polar-bear-funny-dog-death-hug.jpg
GeoT says:
04 February 2009 at 5:30 pm
I saw it more as the polar bear saying “I know, I know, she hates me too.”
justlen says:
04 February 2009 at 5:32 pm
GeoT says:
04 February 2009 at 5:30 pm
I saw it more as the polar bear saying “I know, I know, she hates me too.”
_____
ha! Hardball just ran the ad and the Palin response.
way off topic but last night’s Frontline on Parkinson’s was incredible:
“FRONTLINE: My father, my brother, and me”
online steam:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p6c7&continuous=1
Where did everyone go? Did Bible Spice go after everyone in her airplane?
justlen says:
04 February 2009 at 6:16 pm
Where did everyone go? Did Bible Spice go after everyone in her airplane?
rofl
I had to check my email. So, I’m back now.
Who is “Bible Spice”. Palin?
YEs Betsy she’s putting out a cd with songs titled “I Can See Alaska From MY House” and “Drill,Baby, Drill”.
Betsy says:
04 February 2009 at 6:24 pm
Who is “Bible Spice”. Palin?
Yes
The disasta’ from Alaska
moosealinii
The Talibunny
Darth Palin
Sarafundie
Snowjob Squareglasses
Half-Baked Alaska
ROTFL Justlen.
I need to get off and go cook dinner. Will bbl.
Betsy says:
04 February 2009 at 6:37 pm
I need to get off
Not touchin’ that one.
Well, my reading of what’s going on in Afghanistan is that we’ll be into a kind of situation where we’ll end up being Israel…..babies and women splashed all over the world.
It’s a lost cause, in short. I have yet to read anything that convinces me it’s important to win, frankly.
Until I do, I say: We need to focus on Iraq. Let’s make sure we don’t withdraw too quickly or irresponsibly. We have to limit military actions.
Let’s hope this president doesn’t get intoxicated by having the power over the troops.