Barack Obama today ratcheted up the pressure on Pakistan to deal with terrorists within its borders, pledging that the United States would strike at al-Qaeda operatives in this burgeoning "terrorist sanctuary" if Islamabad would not. In a major foreign policy speech in Washington, the Democratic presidential nominee promised to shift the "single-minded" US focus on Iraq to Afghanistan and the tribal regions of Pakistan, where he said any future attack on America would originate. "It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large," Mr Obama said. "Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahari are recording messages to their followers and plotting more terror. The Taleban controls parts of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia.
Barack Obama today ratcheted up the pressure on Pakistan to deal with terrorists within its borders, pledging that the United States would strike at al-Qaeda operatives in this burgeoning "terrorist sanctuary" if Islamabad would not.
In a major foreign policy speech in Washington, the Democratic presidential nominee promised to shift the "single-minded" US focus on Iraq to Afghanistan and the tribal regions of Pakistan, where he said any future attack on America would originate.
"It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large," Mr Obama said.
"Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahari are recording messages to their followers and plotting more terror. The Taleban controls parts of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON: Preparing to travel to two countries where U.S. forces are at war, Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate, detailed a five-point foreign policy strategy Tuesday, its top goals being an end to the Iraq war and more troops to fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. While U.S. voters are consumed with the No. 1 issue this presidential election year, the precipitous economic downturn at home, Obama and his presumed Republican opponent, John McCain, are sharply divided on war strategies. McCain says Obama's pledge to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office amounts to surrendering that country to militant forces. Obama, however, says McCain's readiness to prolong the U.S. military presence is only coddling the Iraqi government, hurting the status of the United States globally and distracting from the need to fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In remarks prepared for delivery in Washington on Tuesday, Obama said the United States must stop "pushing the entire burden of our foreign policy on to the brave men and women of our military."
WASHINGTON: Preparing to travel to two countries where U.S. forces are at war, Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate, detailed a five-point foreign policy strategy Tuesday, its top goals being an end to the Iraq war and more troops to fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
While U.S. voters are consumed with the No. 1 issue this presidential election year, the precipitous economic downturn at home, Obama and his presumed Republican opponent, John McCain, are sharply divided on war strategies.
McCain says Obama's pledge to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office amounts to surrendering that country to militant forces. Obama, however, says McCain's readiness to prolong the U.S. military presence is only coddling the Iraqi government, hurting the status of the United States globally and distracting from the need to fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In remarks prepared for delivery in Washington on Tuesday, Obama said the United States must stop "pushing the entire burden of our foreign policy on to the brave men and women of our military."
Barack Obama laid the foundations for a new US foreign policy today ahead of his trips to Europe and the Middle East, promising to work with allies to tackle the threats of the 21st century with a push comparable to the Marshall Plan, a policy enacted after the second world war.In his biggest speech on foreign policy since he entered the presidential race in February last year, he said the US has "paid a price for foreign policy that lectures without listening".Ranging over the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa and the United Nations, he set out five goals for his presidency: ending the war in Iraq; finishing the war with al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan; ending US oil dependency; securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states; and rebuilding US alliances.
Barack Obama laid the foundations for a new US foreign policy today ahead of his trips to Europe and the Middle East, promising to work with allies to tackle the threats of the 21st century with a push comparable to the Marshall Plan, a policy enacted after the second world war.
In his biggest speech on foreign policy since he entered the presidential race in February last year, he said the US has "paid a price for foreign policy that lectures without listening".
Ranging over the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa and the United Nations, he set out five goals for his presidency: ending the war in Iraq; finishing the war with al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan; ending US oil dependency; securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states; and rebuilding US alliances.
The Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says a "single-minded" focus on Iraq is distracting the US from other threats. Today, he promised to end the war and shift resources to fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Obama, embroiled in sharp debate with Republican White House rival John McCain over Iraq, said the lengthy commitment of combat troops there diminished US security and standing in the world. "By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe," Obama said in a speech designed to lay out his views on the war ahead of his planned trip to Afghanistan and Iraq soon. "As president, I will make the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban the top priority that it should be," Obama said. "This is a war that we have to win."
The Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says a "single-minded" focus on Iraq is distracting the US from other threats.
Today, he promised to end the war and shift resources to fighting al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Obama, embroiled in sharp debate with Republican White House rival John McCain over Iraq, said the lengthy commitment of combat troops there diminished US security and standing in the world.
"By any measure, our single-minded and open-ended focus on Iraq is not a sound strategy for keeping America safe," Obama said in a speech designed to lay out his views on the war ahead of his planned trip to Afghanistan and Iraq soon.
"As president, I will make the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban the top priority that it should be," Obama said. "This is a war that we have to win."
The US will once again stand tall by raining genocide on ill-tempered nomadic goat herders with RPGs, led by a terrifyingly muscular arch-enemy with his own mobile dialysis unit.
Silly.
So far, not convinced. And on dKos, the people are loving that 'Back to the Stone Age' vibe.
So. We'll see.
Sure, Obama might really enjoy invading Pakistan. I for one doubt he cares. It does make him more electable to posture in this way, however, and that's what counts right now. Once in office you "make an effort" and then don't actually do it. Political expediency trumps all.
Pakistan is a nuclear power. The US will not be invading anything of substance there and nothing at all without the wink and nod approval at least of the Pakistani government. This is just tough talk during a dog-and-pony show. Call me when the troops cross into Pakistan en masse and then I'll believe this claptrap.
Now, were this McCain, I wouldn't doubt him for a second.
Sure, Obama might really enjoy invading Pakistan. ... It does make him more electable to posture in this way, however
Sounds like a dangerous bunch of people... When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
Posturing doesn't bother me. That's just how the game is played. Always has been, always will be, in any country with competitive elections.
What I'd be concerned about, if I were Obama, is the fact that McCain is now changing his positions to match Obama's on a lot of foreign policy issues (Afghanistan, Iran, etc). Given the behavior of the press, that makes Obama vulnerable to charges that he's copying McCain's positions (and the GOP operatives are already spinning it that way), even though it's clearly the other way around.
And if McCain keeps doing that in his effort to appear as Not Bush, Obama can't stick to his positions on these issues. He needs to move left to differentiate himself, so that the press doesn't start pushing the "They agree on everything!" stuff, which McCain would obviously love.
That, of course, could be a good opportunity to shift "the center" in the overall debate, but, as the press seems to have an unquenchable thirst for charging Obama with flip-flopping even where it's completely imaginary, it's not the easiest thing in the world to do smoothly. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
But what I think might happen is Obama making something more than a half-assed effort to get bin Laden. Doing so would send his approvals into the 80s or 90s and allow them cover to declare victory and get out.
The reason I think him declaring victory and getting out is a possibility is because of the fact that I think failing to do so would almost certainly make Afghanistan the new Iraq, and Obama the new Bush, in the eyes of the voters.
The benevolent dictator kind of talk over at dKos is silly. From the perspective of a politician with survival instincts, getting out makes sense. Bush can't run again, but Obama would be facing reelection in 2012. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
The benevolent dictator kind of talk over at dKos
Not that that's terribly surprising, of course, since candidates always have a certain group that will defend them no matter the circumstances. That's what bases are. It's just the nature of the beast. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
