Word: pointing
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...President gave Tuesday night's 34-minute address in front of the coiffed, baby-faced cadets of West Point, America's proud Army leaders in training. In a steady, grim cadence, Obama made the case for putting yet another 30,000 Americans in harm's way. "If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every one of our troops home tomorrow," he said. "This is no idle danger, no hypothetical threat...
...corrupt Afghan government, build up the so-far scattershot Afghan security apparatus, and refocus efforts on establishing a sustainable, non-narcotic agricultural base for the economy. He promised to begin removing troops in July of 2011, but offered no guidance about the pace of withdrawal or an end point for the war. "As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means or our interests," he said, clearly defining none of those terms...
...though he did acknowledge that wars suck up lots of precious resources and promised to "work closely with Congress to address these costs." For the moment, he is content to do what he has done best - connect with his immediate audience. After the speech ended, he worked the West Point cadets like a campaign rope line, smiling for many a digital camera. The glad-handing won't help in Afghanistan, but it looked good on television, suggesting support from a military that will now be asked to sacrifice some more...
...dining room's talking point is an elaborate chandelier of glass bottles, but owners (and childhood friends) Artika Sulaiman and Nikhil Krishnan have also decorated the restored prewar colonial bungalow with family photos, antique typewriters and cookbooks, so the place feels more homely than palatial. Stargazers will love the terrific conservatory-like bar surrounded by a riot of foliage. Soak in the luxuriant scenery with a Polish Lemonade (Bison vodka, lemon, egg white and cinnamon) and tell yourself that while it's perfectly possible to have too much butter, you could make an exception for tonight...
...awaited strategy speech for Afghanistan, President Barack Obama clearly and forcibly repeated his objectives from his original plan in March - denying al-Qaeda a safe haven and reversing Taliban momentum. But he added one detail that stunned many Afghans. All this would be achieved within 18 months, at which point, it is assumed, the Afghan government would be able to stand on its own and the Afghan security forces - who are a far cry from the disciplined rows of uniformed cadets who faced Obama on Tuesday evening - would be able to take on the job of securing the battle-torn...