Obama's Hopeful Revision on Afghanistan

President Obama pledged to "forge a hard-earned peace on Afghanistan" today, a potentially significant reformulation of his war aims.

Peace advocates favoring a diplomatic solution in Afghanistan and Pakistan can be cautiously hopeful as they step up criticism of the expanding war in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

As a candidate, Obama continually pledged to escalate the military conflict by sending at least 20,000 more US troops. That will not change. But there is a major difference between an open-ended occupation and a presidential commitment to a "hard-earned peace." Obama seems to be repositioning himself in the direction of Afghanistan diplomacy while not retreating from his campaign rhetoric.

The attention of the global peace movement is sure to focus now on the substance of that diplomatic settlement.

The next days also will reveal the President's level of commitment to a 16 month troop withdrawal from Iraq and the closure of the Guantanamo prison facility.

Comments

[godsbreath64]

11:06 PM on 01/22/2009

U-Tube:

Bob Dylan "I Want You"

for

Bob Dylan 1964- 110 Mr. Tamburine Man

; `)

[TJCole]

11:11 AM on 01/21/2009

Tom; we had a lot of contact and correspondence during the Vietnam conflict and I fear Obama is making the same mistake we saw Johnson make in Vietnam all over again...

We can't fight an escalating war in Afghanistan and fix our economy and heal our nation at the same time..

Also Pres. Obama is seeking to employ the same failed tactics and equipment as the Russians did there...when we already succeeded there using air superiority..

It just goes to show...

."The one thing history teaches, is that man learns nothing from history..!"

[Kartoffel]

12:47 AM on 01/21/2009

Where is the revision? "Hard-earned peace" doesn't imply that he has suddenly formulated an exit strategy from Afghanistan, or that we won't have a permanent occupation. Nor does it imply that he won't double down his bet if the initial surge of 20,000 doesn't turn things around. Nothing has changed. We'll have to wait and see how the surge works out.

[MalleusMaleficarum]

10:22 PM on 01/20/2009

And, we shall look forward to the President's handling of the Arab-Israeli situation. Today, the President stated, "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." Let us see how he applies that principle to settling the Arab-Israeli conflict -- an imperative first step in the reform of American foreign policy designed to pacify the Middle East.

[godsbreath64]

09:55 PM on 01/20/2009

So where is the change?

Where are the peace talks going to be held?

How do wars end?

With words, not terror.

No dogma? Lets here it!

The Great Larry Wilmore was at the Union yesterday. He said race isn't over until we finally call this (telecom-immunity presidency) what we call the rest of um, or something like that. Quite halarious.

Searchlight Dr. King's Tiangle- BY DAWN!!!