Obama's Afghanistan Speech: Excerpts

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Afghanistan

(AP)

The White House has released excerpts of President Obama's primetime speech this evening on his new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The excerpts confirm that Mr. Obama is planning to deploy 30,000 additional troops and is planning to "begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan" by July, 2011. Read them below.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans."

"Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what's at stake is not simply a test of NATO's credibility – what's at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world."

"Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan's Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government – and, more importantly, to the Afghan people – that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by scootervanneuter December 2, 2009 12:01 PM EST: This story fails to mention the Afghanistan Taliban leader's obvious reply to the President's strategy.

The whole story: http://peacemoonbeam.typepad.com/scooters_report/2009/12/taliban-announces-vacation-plans.html; Reply to this comment


by elidakruse December 1, 2009 8:27 PM EST: I believe it's important for the U.S. to deliver on its promises and finish what we started in Afghanistan. However, I wonder how many people really know what it's like for our troops who sacrifice so much when they volunteer to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan?

I recently finished an insightful book by a soldier who returned from a tour as a Border Police trainer at a remote outpost in Eastern Afghanistan. It's not a typical "war story" - instead it focuses on the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and cultural challenges soldiers face when deployed in such a desolate corner of the world.

I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a first-hand view of what so many more soldiers will be facing in the coming years. The book is: "Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan" by SFC Jeff Courter. (http://www.afghanistan-journal.com); Reply to this comment


by jgg000015 December 1, 2009 7:57 PM EST: bottom line: no matter what obama says, he is still escalating the war.; Reply to this comment


by heatherlicious December 1, 2009 7:23 PM EST: The timetable makes sense. We can't trickle in the troops over two years. We also need to coordinate with Pakistan: they need to chase the Taliban towards our forces--create a meatgrinder.

It would be nice to see some more commitment from other NATO forces, but I don't hold out too much hope.

The next year will be crucial.; Reply to this comment


by Treadlightly2 December 1, 2009 7:06 PM EST: But it will be clear to the Afghan government ? and, more importantly, to the Afghan people....
More importantly to the Afghan people because Karzai is an accident waiting to happen. How can progress take hold when the leader of Afghanistan is clearly in league with the MOST corrupt people in the country? He needs to go. And we can only hope his replacement will be someone who truly cares about the people of Afganistan.; Reply to this comment