WASHINGTON, March 7, 2009
Obama: Talk With Taliban Moderates
Afghanistan War Not Going Well, President Tells New York Times; New Strategy Sought
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The U.S. should consider talking to moderate elements within the Taliban in Afghanistan, President Obama said in an interview with the New York Times March 7, 2009. (CBS)
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Play CBS Video Video Notebook: Pakistan's Truce An agreement has been reached between Pakistan and the Taliban which would allow Pakistan's Swat Valley to be run under Islamic Law. But is this peace the calm before the storm? Katie Couric reports.
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Video Tunnels Of The Taliban Web Extra: Steve Kroft gets a rare look inside secret tunnels the Taliban dug in Pakistan, just ten miles from the Afghanistan border.
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Video Zardari On The Taliban Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari tells Steve Kroft how and why the Taliban managed to gain strength inside the country.
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Special Report First 100 Days Follow the Obama administration as it gets to work after the inauguration.
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Fast Facts Afghanistan Learn about the people, economy and history.
Asked in an interview with The New York Times if the United States is winning in Afghanistan, Obama said "no," while adding "our troops are doing an extraordinary job in a very difficult situation."
"But you've seen conditions deteriorate over the last couple of years. The Taliban is bolder than it was. I think ... in the southern regions of the country, you're seeing them attack in ways that we have not seen previously," Obama said in the interview, which was posted Saturday on the Times' Web site.
"The national government still has not gained the confidence of the Afghan people," he said. "And so it's going to be critical for us to not only, get through these national elections to stabilize the security situation, but we've got to recast our policy so that our military, diplomatic and development goals are all aligned to ensure that al Qaeda and extremists that would do us harm don't have the kinds of safe havens that allow them to operate."
There may be opportunities to reach out to moderates in the Taliban, but the situation in Afghanistan is more complicated than the challenges the American military faced in Iraq, Obama said.
U.S. troops were able to persuade Sunni Muslim insurgents in Iraq to cooperate in some instances because they had been alienated by the tactics of al Qaeda terrorists.
Obama cautioned that Afghanistan is a less-governed region with a history of fierce independence among tribes, creating a tough set of circumstances for the United States to deal with.
The idea of cooperation with some in the Taliban has been talked about for many months by American military commanders including Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command.
"If you talk to Gen. Petraeus, I think he would argue that part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us," said Obama.
"There may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and the Pakistani region, but the situation in Afghanistan is, if anything, more complex," Obama added.
Last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that Washington could accept a political agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban if the insurgents will lay down their arms and accept the government's terms.
At the same time, Obama left open the possibility that U.S. operatives might capture terror suspects abroad without the cooperation of a country where they were found.
"There could be situations - and I emphasize 'could be' because we haven't made a determination yet - where, let's say that we have a well-known al Qaeda operative that doesn't surface very often, appears in a third country with whom we don't have an extradition relationship or would not be willing to prosecute, but we think is a very dangerous person," he said.
Obama added that the U.S. doesn't torture its suspects and noted in some cases those being held would have an opportunity to challenge their detention in federal courts.
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From Politics
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- Rush who? Why are we speaking about Rush? Eh what a massive d.ouche
Posted by anti-zionist1 at 6:39 PM : Mar 8, 2009
Rush records his rants during his evening oxycontin stupors and then has it transcribed and reads it in the morning and millions love it.
Go figure.... - Reply to this comment
- Limbaugh is a coward in every sense of the word. He sits daily spewing hateful ideas, completely controls everyone (guests and callers) who gets a chance to speak on his show, and then calls for a debate with the POTUS. What a scumbag.
Posted by Stratmaster7 at 6:15 PM : Mar 8, 2009
Absolutely agreed. How ya doin', strat? - Reply to this comment
- Posted by WereNotGonnaTakeIT at 5:16 PM
You're joking about Limbaugh, right? I have a great idea. If Rush Limbaugh wants to debate politicians, why doesn;t he RUN FOR FREAKING OFFICE instead of sitting like a coward behind his "golden microphone" and using his gonads "on loan from god" for something other than presenting a challenge he knows would never have a snowballs chance of happening. Limbaugh is a coward in every sense of the word. He sits daily spewing hateful ideas, completely controls everyone (guests and callers) who gets a chance to speak on his show, and then calls for a debate with the POTUS. What a scumbag. - Reply to this comment
- Obama will talk to "Taliban Moderates" yet he won't discuss anything with Limbaugh.
LOL.
Classic. - Reply to this comment
- If obama wants to stick his head in the mouth of an hungrey lion let him.
- Reply to this comment
- Only the democrats that run the show would give Osama a pardon lol the rest of them just drink the koolaid and go along being ignorant..!
- Reply to this comment
- Insidious? Yes, in that it exacts a price of intellectual enslvement to it as it's cost for bestowing "paradise' on you in one form or another after you die.
And so many willingly accept......
Posted by formrusmcsgt...
Selling God as a hedgefund is profitable to these preachers in all faiths,
you buy into it, they give you fear, and you collect after you die.
its a brilliant strategy, you face no jail time for fraud. - Reply to this comment
- Insidious? Yes, in that it exacts a price of intellectual enslvement to it as it's cost for bestowing "paradise' on you in one form or another after you die.
And so many willingly accept......
Posted by formrusmcsgt...
Selling God as a hedgefund is profitable to these preachers in all faiths,
you buy into it, they give you fear, and you collect after you die.
its a brilliant strategy, you face no jail time for fraud. - Reply to this comment
- TREASON IS A REQUIREMENT FOR A POSITION IN HIS ADMINASTRATION
BUT IN ALL HONESTY THE GOP COULD NOT OFFER ANYTHING BUT THE SAME OLD BONES FOROM THE CLOSET DAMNED IF YOU DO
DAMNED IF YOU DONT. i GUESS THE FOLRIDE IN THE WATER MUST BE WORKING. - Reply to this comment
- LawyersGunsMoney, you have a good point.
Separation of Church and State
Separation of Mosque and State
Separation of Synagogue and State.
Us progressives need to do all we can to make it a global agenda. - Reply to this comment
- ...you defend the enemies of freedom and democracy because both of you have tyrannical totalitarian world views.
Posted by singinrick09 at 2:27 PM : Mar 8, 2009
No, I critciize policy that is detremental to my country as a means of protecting freedom and democracy for that stated purpose.
It has nothing to do with totalitarianism in any way shape or form. - Reply to this comment
- LawyersGunsMoney, Imagine is a bit naive for my tase,
i prefer exposing the realities and evils of Christianity. - Reply to this comment
- How can atheism run a government?
Posted by singinrick09 at 2:25 PM : Mar 8, 2009
Because the government is not a religious entity. - Reply to this comment
- Show me in my statement where I said anything close to "every thing is the US's fault".
Go ahead.
Show all of us.
Posted by formrusmcsgt
You said in a nutshell that the reason why terrorist blow themselves up is because of OUR POLICY.
Posted by singinrick09 at 2:22 PM : Mar 8, 2009
So you admit I never said "every thing is the US's fault" as you falsely stated.
What I DID say is that assymetrical warfare did not occur in a vacuum.
And it did not.
It occurred as a response to our policies. - Reply to this comment
- formr, so by YOUR rules you think that a document can't be Godly UNLESS it mentions the word "God" right?
What a warped standard.
Posted by singinrick09 at 2:20 PM : Mar 8, 2009
You consider something to be "Godly" even though there is not a single reference to God anywhere in the thing and MY standrs are "warped".
Too funny. - Reply to this comment
- You've been warned.
Posted by slownewsday-2009 at 2:13 PM : Mar 8, 2009
It obviously does no good.
I have watched rick hi-jack boards for his own proseletyzing purposes and, to his crdeit, he is usually very effective at doing so.
Of course, that success comes at a price. He makes himself appear absolutely childish and foolish as well in his thought processes in doing so, but he alwys comes back for more. - Reply to this comment
- LawyersGunsMoney, you missed the point altogether,
Opration Mindcrime deals with Religion and politics..... - Reply to this comment
- Individualism gets destroyed by Religion,
hence all Religions are evil as they seek to control and ultimately hold power over your thoughts and actions through fear and if that does not work power is assured through atrocities.
but God loves you, thats why he destroys you... - Reply to this comment
- So who were the Good Guys in WWII then formr? The Nazis?
Posted by singinrick09 at 2:14 PM : Mar 8, 2009
No rick, they weren't.
And you know why they were the "bad" guys, rick?
Because they were agressors who invaded those who had not attacked them strictly to effect regime change.
Sound familiar, rick? - Reply to this comment
- Your traitorous world view that "every thing is the US's fault" is exactly the same mind set of the terrorist lunatics like Bin Laden themselves, yet you are not ashamed.
Posted by singinrick09 at 2:13 PM : Mar 8, 2009
Oh my...AGAIN you're going to try to put your words in my mouth and then criticize me for that which I never said.
You've never succeeded before with that hoorah rick, but you still persist in getting it crammed right back down your throat in public, don't you?
Alright then. I shall accomodate you yet once again.
Show me in my statement where I said anything close to "every thing is the US's fault".
Go ahead.
Show all of us. - Reply to this comment
