Word: drawdowns
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Critics on the left contend that, if Obama’s new military strategy is not as quickly effective as the president hopes, America may still have a potential quagmire on its hands. In this regard, the drawdown timeline is reassuring. It is important that Obama has established that our goals in Afghanistan do not require long-term troop involvement...
However, we remain skeptical that the president’s reasons for setting so specific a date to begin withdrawal are not purely political—as opposed to strategic. Obama emphasized that any drawdown starting in July 2011 will be conditional upon the situation that develops on the ground. Because this catch obviously holds the power to render the timeline meaningless, it seems the date is only a political concession to the nation’s left, meant to quell discontent among those who feel America should leave Afghanistan today...
...Signaling a U.S. Departure Date Creates Leverage Some critics suggest that by announcing July 2011 as the target date to begin a troop drawdown, President Obama has encouraged the Taliban to simply wait out the Americans. Supporters counter that by declaring that the U.S. commitment is finite, the President is forcing Karzai and the Pakistanis to take more responsibility for fighting the Taliban. That debate may be missing the point: everyone in the region is already acting on the assumption that the U.S. presence is temporary, knowing that America can't sustain a permanent occupation. One reason Karzai...
...well be deciding to send an additional 10,000 to 40,000 American troops to Afghanistan in hopes of conquering the Taliban and al-Qaeda. That is not an overtly peaceful move; in any case, it offsets any peacemaking argument that can be made with regard to the drawdown in Iraq...
...that had been long groomed to take his father's place. Ammar al-Hakim was confirmed as the Iranian-backed SIIC's next leader this week and will begin his work promoting Shi'ite policies throughout the country. With elections expected in January and U.S. troops beginning their Iraq drawdown, the country stands at a critical point. Al-Hakim's ascent to power is being watched closely by many in the international community - with special attention being paid to his close ties with Iran. (Read "Are Shi'ite Feuds Driving Iraq's Lingering Violence...