Posted on 03/08/2009 9:41:42 AM PDT by Schnucki
President Obama conceded today that the US was not winning the war in Afghanistan and opened the way for negotiations with moderate elements of the Taleban, much as America did with Sunni tribes in Iraq.
The new strategy, which comes as Mr Obama prepares to send an additional 17,000 US troops into Afghanistan, emerged after a frenetic 48 hours of American diplomacy in the region involving new overtures to Iran, Russia and the Muslim world.
The fresh approach to Tehran is causing significant concern in Israel and the Arab world over fears that Mr Obama is making too many concessions to Iran at a time when his own officials say it now has enough enriched uranium to make one nuclear weapon.
Mr Obama’s admission of the dire situation in Afghanistan followed an invitation to Iran by Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, to participate in a US-headed regional conference on Afghanistan later this month.
The offer was part of a broad arc of diplomacy in recent days that marks a decisive shift away from the Bush administration’s more hardline approach to the region.
Asked during an interview with The New York Times if the US was winning in Afghanistan, Mr Obama replied “no”. He pointed to the success of peeling away Iraqi insurgents from al-Qaeda in Iraq, and said there may be “comparable opportunities” with the Taleban, although he warned that the situation there was “more complex” than in Iraq.
The British government has made it clear to Washington that it also supports contacts with the Taleban, and that moves have already been made by Western officials to talk to lower-ranking Taleban fighters.
It is part of a new strategy to try and unblock the stalemate that military commanders believe is undermining the whole campaign.
The invitation to Iran
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
TCats, we need you in the US State Department. You and joe the Plumber could clean up our world image in about 2 weeks.
We must mollify the Tollybonn in Offgonnistonn. Lollipops, anyone?
Obama, the terrorist appeaser and apologist extraordinaire!
“Cut and run.”
Or more precisely, sellout our friends and run.
The mark of a true petty Tyrant and coward. This man, if you want to call him that, hasn't even one iota of an inkling of the stuggles, hardship and treasonous support (the liberals and MSM) have been subjected to. He doesn't even deserve to stand in the room with anyone who wears, or has worn, a uniform of the US Military, period....
And he is doing a pretty fair job of destroying the U.S. financially.
If not checked in a few months the government will have nationalized 1/3 of the U.S. economic production.
I’ve always been proud of our country. I’m deeply ashamed of this administration. They are destroying so much liberty, wealth and good will in this world that it defies comprehension.
Amen to that.
At least we won't have to worry about a military coup. Our military wouldn't follow Obama to a free lobster buffet.
As a veteran soldier (Iraq) with friends currently over in Afghanistan, I am utterly stunned!!
Once again, the politicians are hamstringing the whole show!!!........WTF!!
I can tell you....we are winning everywhere we are allowed to win!!
Bastards in Washington are making sacrifice useless once again!!
Is the moderate wing made up of those who execute women in soccer stadiums, or the ones who blow up irreplaceable works of art? Or perhaps they are the ones who push walls over onto homosexuals.
He needs more sleep. One less problem to worry about.
No, Obama wants America to lose. It’s not quite the same thing.
THIS is what he said about Iraq too....and was against the surge. What an idiot!
Pleeeze, we’re sure that the One and Hillary will be as successful with the Taliban as she and her husband were with the North Koreans.
One word for these amateurs - perezagruzka!
Just like the fag dems did during my police action in Vietnam...didn’t even have the gonads to call it a war.
But I didn’t ever remember Johnson saying we were losing...
Obama CIC now that we are losing lets talk to the TallyBonn...????
And the mainstream media still remmains SILENT about this issue while bashing Limbaugh...AMAZING!!!
This clown and his clownlettes do not know what they are doing. The people should encourage him to party 24/7 with $100.00 steaks and rap music.
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