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AirTalk

President Obama says U.S. is “on track” in Afghanistan

By AirTalk Staff
Published Dec 16, 2010
US President Barack Obama speaks about the US strategy for military and civilian operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan following a two-month review process of the nine-year war, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, December 16, 2010.
US President Barack Obama speaks about the US strategy for military and civilian operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan following a two-month review process of the nine-year war, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, December 16, 2010.
(
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
)
A US Marine from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company looks through the scope of his rifle during a patrol in Ahmad Ghazi village. President Barack Obama's Afghan troop surge has made progress, but US gains are not yet durable and sustainable, a new policy review said December 16.
A US Marine from 1st Battalion 8th, Bravo company looks through the scope of his rifle during a patrol in Ahmad Ghazi village. President Barack Obama's Afghan troop surge has made progress, but US gains are not yet durable and sustainable, a new policy review said December 16.
(
Massoud Hossaini/AFP/Getty Images
)
Listen 23:49
President Obama says U.S. is “on track” in Afghanistan
A year ago, President Obama ordered a “surge” of 30,000 additional troops in a build up designed to stop Taliban and al-Qaeda momentum in Afghanistan. A one-year review, just released, concludes that the strategy is “showing progress” but that the challenge is to make it “durable and sustainable.” President Obama wanted to reduce the size of US forces, which number around 100,000, in July of 2011. Is this still possible? And are we really making progress or are all gains dependent on the continued presence of American troops?

One year ago, President Obama ordered a “surge” of 30,000 additional troops in a build up designed to stop Taliban and al-Qaeda momentum in Afghanistan. An assessment of America's strategy in Afghanistan released today concludes that the strategy is “showing progress” but that the challenge is to make it “durable and sustainable.” President Obama wanted to reduce the size of U.S. forces, which number around 100,000, in July of 2011. Is this still possible? And are we really making progress or are all gains dependent on the continued presence of American troops?

Guest:

Bill Roggio, Editor, The Long War Journal a blog that follows the war in Afghanistan

Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Senior Advisor to the Center for Defense Information. Mr. Korb served as Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1981-1985.

Jim Phillips, Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs with the Heritage Foundation