TPMDC Senior administration officials
Afghanistan
Surge Details: Drawdown Starting 2011 Is 'The Beginning Of a Process'
Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 4:50PM
President Barack Obama and his war council
President Obama tonight will not set a date for the war in Afghanistan to end, but instead will say that a drawdown could start in the summer of 2011, based on conditions on the ground.
Senior administration officials briefed reporters this afternoon to offer a bit of detail before Obama gives a speech at 8 p.m. from West Point Military Academy.
The officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity since Obama has not yet made the formal announcement, said the "top development priority from here forward will be agriculture."
One official said Obama settled on this option after nine meetings of his war council because it "gets more troops into Afghanistan faster than any option that was previously presented to him."
"It does put everyone under pressure to do more sooner," the official said. "That pressure of the timeline begins with the U.S. government itself."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (1) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Senior administration officials, Surge, War council, White House
Afghanistan
That Settles That: Obama Administration Calls It A 'Surge'
Christina Bellantoni | December 1, 2009, 3:14PM
President Barack Obama
Senior administration officials are briefing the press about President Obama's speech tonight detailing the 30,000 more troops he'll be sending to Afghanistan.
They say he will outline a "new window of opportunity" and a "new approach" to the region.
But another talking point emerged, with language we've heard before.
An official told reporters that tonight at West Point Military Academy Obama will announce he will "surge American forces" to reverse the momentum of the Taliban and with the main goal of training Afghan forces.
The official repeated a bit later that "this surge, if you will, will be for a defined period of time" and said it again later in the call.
More coverage here.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS (7) | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Senior administration officials, Surge, War council, White House
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