Obama escalates war against terror
Posted December 2, 2009 12:48 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
U.S. president Barack Obama has unveiled his new military strategy for Afghanistan.
It includes more boots on the ground in the short term, and a time-frame for pulling out.
Obama is ordering another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and is giving them an 18-month timeline to reverse the Taliban’s momentum and get Afghanistan’s own military and police forces in shape to take over the fight.
In a speech at West Point, New York Tuesday night, Obama said it is vital that al-Qaeda be denied a safe haven.
He wants his troop build-up to begin soon, and to end soon.
The first of the new forces are expected there by Christmas, with all arriving by summer — and they’re to begin coming home in July 2011.