President Obama plans to commit 4,200 more troops and hundreds more civilians. 'Obama's war' - New troops, new plan

President Barack Obama rolled out his administration’s new strategy for the war in Afghanistan Friday morning, reassuring the American people that victory is possible but that a dire struggle in both Afghanistan and Pakistan lies ahead.

“I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future,” Obama said. “If the Afghan government falls to the Taliban – or allows al-Qaida to go unchallenged – that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.”


Obama announced the deployment of more than 4,000 additional troops, hundreds of civilian specialists and increased foreign aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He acknowledged that his decision could try the limits of Americans’ patience – particularly the new investments in civilian nation-building.

“At a time of economic crisis, it is tempting to believe that we can short-change this civilian effort,” Obama said. “But make no mistake: our efforts will fail in Afghanistan and Pakistan if we don’t invest in their future.”

The roughly 4,000 new troops mainly will be trainers to help expand the Afghan army. The training troops are in addition to the 17,000 troops Obama ordered in February, in what he told CBS’s “60 Minutes” last week was the most difficult decision of his young presidency.

Obama’s message was not only directed to the American people, however; he also had a message for listeners in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The president repeatedly went out of his way to make the case that a stepped-up American presence in these countries would ultimately be in their own interest.

“The terrorists within Pakistan’s borders are not simply enemies of America or Afghanistan – they are a grave and urgent danger to the people of Pakistan,” Obama said. “They have blown up buildings, derailed foreign investment, and threatened the stability of the state. Make no mistake: al-Qaida and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within.”

And to the people of Afghanistan, Obama warned: “The return in force of al-Qaida terrorists who would accompany the core Taliban leadership would cast Afghanistan under the shadow of perpetual violence.”

The president’s policy announcement came just days ahead of his first foreign trip since taking office. And in advance of his visit to the G-20 summit and several European countries, he signaled that the United States would be asking for additional help from its allies and pledged the creation of a new “Contact Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that brings together all who should have a stake in the security of the region.”

“What’s at stake now is not just our own security – it is the very idea that free nations can come together on behalf of our common security,” Obama said.

The plan won high marks from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who told reporters Friday morning that the plan is “stressing things that should have been stressed before.”

“There’s no chest-thumping, there’s no bring ‘em on, there’s no mission accomplished. What we’re going to do, based on what President Obama has outlined, is have a more narrow focus. . . . to protect America,” Reid said.

Here are the elements Obama announced:

Military: The additional troops will help provide capability for the Afghan government and military until they’re able to do it themselves, an official said.

Benchmarks: The president embraced the notion of measuring progress through a series of benchmarks. “We’re not going to pursue a policy indefinitely if it’s not working,” an official said ahead Obama’s address. “We need to be able to judge it.”

Accountability: With all this new money going into the war, the administration is funding more inspector-general-type accountability programs to ensure the money is efficiently and effectively spent.

Civilian side: Obama proposed a significant increase in civilian capacity — “civic engagement.” Afghanistan may need more experts on rule of law to enhance the judicial system. The country needs more police trainers, agriculture experts, veterinarians and experts on water systems.

Pakistan: Obama wants to tie an increased $1.5 billion a year in aid to Pakistan to progress by that nation at battling against extremists within its borders, something it has resisted in the past.