Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., says that Afghan presidential hopeful Abdullah Abdullah dropped out of the run-off election because he must have realized from the first round of the presidential race in August that current President Hamid Karzai would win “in any case.” (0:17)
Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., says that the United States should urge Afghan President Hamid Karzai to reign in corruption and establish a stronger cabinet.
Karzai was declared President by Afghanistan’s election commission Monday after his competitor, Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the race citing risk of voter fraud. (0:32)
Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., says it would be a mistake for the United States to scale back its military efforts in Afghanistan. (0:28)
Max Boot, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations says the most important thing the U.S. must do in Afghanistan is “establish ground level security, especially in the population centers.” He says once that is done, developmental aid can begin. (0:19)
Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the poor level of governance in Afghanistan provides an argument for the surge, not against it. He says a larger American force in the area will improve stability. (0:16)
Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, says waiting for Afghanistan’s run-off election before implementing a U.S. military strategy in the region is a “cop-out.” (0:13)
“Invisible wounds are as debilitating as the physical trauma sustained on those battlefields,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki during a mental health summit in Washington, D.C. “Warriors suffer emotional injuries just as they do physical ones.” (0:19)
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recommendation for a change of strategy in Afghanistan “hit the nail on the head.” (0:17)
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) states that deploying additional troops in Afghanistan will not result in sustainable gains without security, civilian and governance capacity. (0:19)
Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) stated Monday that sending additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan will be fruitless without an updated strategy.
“The bottom line is that deploying additional troops won’t result in sustainable gains if the Afghan security, civilian and governance capacity isn’t there,” Kerry said during a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggested that both the Generals on the ground in Afghanistan and U.S. leaders develop a plan that establishes an attainable mission in the region.
“If we redefine our strategy and objectives to focus on what is achievable as well as critical, and empower the Afghans to take control of their own future, we will give us the best chance to succeed,” said Kerry.
The Massachusetts Democrat condemned General Stanley McChrystal’s call for approximately 40,000 more troops, saying it goes too far and that a solely military approach will not fix the region.
Kerry also spoke on Pakistan’s significance in the region, stating that there needs to be a supportive and open relationship between both the U.S. and Pakistani governments.
“Regardless of what happens in Afghanistan, and especially if we want to reduce the need for boots on the ground, it is vitally important that we intensify our support and improve our cooperation with Pakistan,” said Kerry.
