Obama Afghanistan Speech at West Point on Tuesday

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Afghanistan

(White House Photo/Pete Souza)

Updated 11:11 a.m. Eastern Time

President Obama will announce his new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as any troop increase in the region, in a speech next Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time at the United States Military Academy at West Point, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters this morning.

In the speech at West Point, which is located 50 miles north of New York City, the president is expected to announce he is deploying between 30,000 and 35,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. Gibbs said today that the president has not yet informed him of a final decision.

The press secretary said the president will discuss how to get additional troops into Afghanistan, how to train Afghan forces to take their place, and how to get them out.

"This is year nine of the United States in Afghanistan and we're not going to be there in another eight or nine years," he said, adding: "Our time there will be limited."

Gibbs said the president will discus how to ramp up training of Afghan personnel so security forces "can keep the gains that have been made."

Following a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, the president vowed to "finish the job" that began more than eight years ago in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 attacks.

There are 68,000 U.S. troops in the country now, including the 21,000 already deployed by the president. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in the region, has sought an additional 40,000 troops.

The president will meet with key members of Congress Tuesday before leaving for West Point, Gibbs said. He will seek to shore up support for his new strategy amid concerns – particularly among members of his own party – that he is further involving the country in a costly and ill-defined mission. The White House has estimated that the cost per year for each additional troop will be $1 million, though the Pentagon puts that figure lower.

Shortly after the president makes the announcement, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham and McChrystal are expected to testify before Congress.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by coastx May 24, 2010 5:44 PM EDT: Obama?s West Point speech is disorganized on US heritage and the need for national security and organized on EU/PNAC British Intel propaganda promoting Carlo Rosselli?s pre PNAC Justice and Liberty Alliance (JALA).

JALA emerged in tandem with Nazism in competition with communism and capitalism and is the predecessor of the modern liberal movement sedition project known as the Project for a New American Century (PNAC).

The PNAC has currently overwhelmed US domestic and economic infrastructures through illegal corporate campaign investments and by politicians once bought directing rider legislation at developing US policy that circumvents the Bill of rights. Obama is such a politician as are his appointed cronies, yet he presented the basis for US sedition at West Point on May 22, which makes no sense.

Nonetheless, these are dangerous circumstances as both 9/11 and Deepwater Horizon were British Intel sabotage projects, the latter forming the basis for long term economic collapse on the model of Fabian Socialism. Unless the states ban together to indict the PANC in it?s entirety, it is a forgone conclusion that the US will fall to this sedition movement.

Every American has a responsibility to defend the US constitution and the Bill of Rights against these circumstances, and to be perfectly honest the best politicians for this job are the libertines. Also, militias are an inevitability, so is Obama attempting to provoke a US PNAC extermination event?

For the record, modern liberals are racist. They promote equality because this is a vehicle for militancy and radicalism that undermine domestic infrastructure, but their movement, founded by JALA, is partly based on eugenics. You can?t have a successful JALA incursion into US domestic and economic infrastructures without eugenics, plain and simple.

Minority and special interest groups would actually be more politically successful as libertines, because this platform will authentically empower both visibility and power without attempting to force reform against the status quo.

Anyway, Obama?s West Point Speech superimposed JALA on the US constitution, which is sedition, in my opinion.; Reply to this comment

by finkfurst December 1, 2009 5:57 AM EST

AOCGUY - I'll try YET AGAIN......

"Obviously my definition of legal warfare is the same as the Geneva Conventions'. Is your definition different? If so, tell me EXACTLY why you disagree with the terms of the Geneva Conventions."

Why are you so reluctant to talk about the Geneva Conventions? Do you have some history that you prefer not to talk about?

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by Cattzen December 1, 2009 2:52 PM EST: Warfare was over years ago and a new government was installed by the Bush Administration. The subsequent situation is an Occupation and Police action to control the citizenry.

by finkfurst November 30, 2009 1:58 PM EST

AOCGUY - Once again you have shown the expected brainless American hypocrisy. You have posted several messages without committing yourself to anything at all, then you run away because you can't manage honesty or logic.

Come on AOCGUY - show us that Americans can be better that that. How about admitting that you're wrong? Change the universal perception of Americans and prove that doubt is a virtue.............

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by AOCGUY November 30, 2009 2:55 PM EST: fink - you make no sense at all. I have answered everyone of your questions. The fact that you those answers don't fall within the realm of your reality doesn't make those answers wrong or apparently in your case invisible. How about you respond to my last request - I will even repost it here:

"Why don't you give me your definition of what constitutes legal warfare "

by finkfurst November 26, 2009 11:41 AM EST

AOCGUY - Are you going to claim again that you didn't see my question?

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by AOCGUY November 28, 2009 10:59 AM EST: fink - since I have nerve lived in the UK I don't know what you have been doing this past week, but here in the US we are celebrating Thanksgiving. That means I'm spending time with friends and family and not hovering over my keyboard in breathless anticipation that you may ask me a question. Now I am humbled that you are so interested in my opinion and I will reply on Monday, but until then step away from your keyboard, get out and enjoy your weekend - maybe go down to your local pub and have a pint.

BTW I did see your question, I just chose to not spend my vacation time responding to it. As stated above, I will get back at you on Monday.


by finkfurst November 29, 2009 4:31 PM EST: AOCGUY - I know exactly when Thanksgiving is, and even if I post on that day I wouldn't expect a reply. However, Thanksgiving is not November 23 and that's when I actually asked you the question. However, no problem, take your time, no doubt you've earned your long holiday.

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by jgg000015 November 25, 2009 7:30 PM EST: it's a shame major hasan isn't feeling well enough to be a guest speaker.; Reply to this comment


by g55rumpy November 25, 2009 3:24 PM EST: we can win IF the right tactics are used. pursuit and kill them. these will work. they have worked for over 100 years if used. it`s when they are not that we pay a greater cost; Reply to this comment


by DSR_57 November 25, 2009 2:34 PM EST: I like how most american post abou tthe Afghan war like they really know something. ISAF over here has posted rules for all of our troops telling them to be nice to everyone that approaches their vehicles, To take the " Stay back 100 yards" signs off their vehicles and to not speak ill to any afghan locals. All of this when we are having the worst casuality rate ever in Afghanistan. I've been here for 8 months and I realize that America has forgot how to conduct a war! !; Reply to this comment


by finkfurst November 25, 2009 2:24 PM EST: USMC-Mom

Has the possibility occurred to you that if more troops go there, the only result will be that more will die? What makes you think that more of the same will help "finish the job". By the way, how will you tell when it's actually finished? Your President seems to have forgotten to to explain that part!; Reply to this comment

by mjb29853 November 25, 2009 1:56 PM EST

Didn't we learn from what happened to the former the USSR 20 years ago? The USSR no longer exists because they decided that 'might was right'. Military aggression alone is not the way to solve the problem in Afghanistan.

On a side bar, I really hope that Obama's news conference will NOT pre-empt the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Because if it does, CBS in NYC will be hearing from one angry person.

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by DSR_57 November 25, 2009 2:30 PM EST: 0h you mean like Russia JUST DID in georgia, right when they told the US and the rest of the world to kiss of and no one did anything about it ?????

by cbs4me3 November 25, 2009 12:53 PM EST

Is he going to explain why 3 Navy Seals are in trouble for capturing a wanted terrorist in Iraq and giving him a "fat lip?" This may be perceived as speaking out of all corners of his mouth.

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