Posted on 12/06/2009 12:23:20 PM PST by Schnucki
President Barack Obama's attempt to clarify his July 2011 deadline for a US departure from Afghanistan has resulted in more confusion and will dilute Pakistan's commitment to fighting the Taliban, Senator John McCain has told The Daily Telegraph.
Sen McCain, who has led criticism in Washington over the President's most controversial element said that senior administration officials had only contradicted each other when trying to explain how the timeline for the beginning of a US troop withdrawal would work in practice.
"Since the President made his speech we have not had further clarification, in fact we have had further contradiction," he said.
"On the one hand we see the Secretary of Defence and the Secretary of State say it's just a flexible date, then the president's spokesperson says it's chiselled in stone and he has the chisel. There's a real contradiction there."
The muddled messages, after three months of deliberations and nine top level White House meetings, has left many in Washington's foreign policy community aghast.
Mr Obama said that the 30,000 additional US troops, combined with extra Nato forces -now likely to number 7,000 – will "allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011".
He stipulated that the pace and timing of withdrawal was dependent on conditions on the ground, but the following day, under intense questioning from Mr McCain at a Congressional hearing, Robert Gates, the Secretary of Defence, said the initial pullout date itself would be reviewed in December 2010.
Gen James Jones, the national security adviser, then said the drawdown was "somewhat conditions-based", reflecting the White House's hope that the timeline issue will fade away as security improves.
Whatever the explanation, doubters have argued that setting any sort of date with any degree of certainty will create an
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I wish McCain would state a departure date, for himself and for the illegals as well...
PhotoShop Help Needed:
Can someone mock up a Barry photo-op, showing him, in today's context, that he just announced "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" the other night at West Point because of what he WILL do on July 4, 2011. He WILL claim "accomplishment" on July 4. 2011 (not "victory" since he is not comfortable with that word).
The PhotShopped photo would have to show a big banner saying "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED" with white flags, maybe on stage at West Point, etc.
Any takers? - I am not PhotoShop savvy....
“Barack Obama’s 2011 departure date”
If only.
Would love to see Hussein go back to Chicago. He could run for mayor.
McCain, PLEASE GO AWAY!
Why didn’t you run for President, McCain? Pimping for Obama doesn’t count.
I thought Obama was departing for GOOD in 2012?
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