U.S. Should Not Scale Back Efforts In Afghanistan In Face Of Election Cancellation, Says Analyst

By Ravi Bhatia - Talk Radio News Service

Lisa Curtis, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., told Talk Radio News Service Monday that it would be a mistake for the United States to scale back its military efforts in Afghanistan after Hamid Karzai was declared President for another term by Afghanistan’s election commission.

“The whole election debacle was a setback for international efforts in Afghanistan,” Curtis said in a telephone interview. “That said, U.S stakes in the region are far too high to allow the imperfect election to cause us to think about scaling back the mission there.”

Karzai’s competitor, Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the race Sunday, citing the risk of voter fraud.

General Stanley McChrystal has requested 44,000 more troops in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is expected to adopt a military strategy in the coming weeks.

Kerry: Afghan Surge Won't Work Without New Strategy

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) stated Monday that sending additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan will be fruitless without an updated strategy.

“The bottom line is that deploying additional troops won’t result in sustainable gains if the Afghan security, civilian and governance capacity isn’t there,” Kerry said during a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kerry, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggested that both the Generals on the ground in Afghanistan and U.S. leaders develop a plan that establishes an attainable mission in the region.

“If we redefine our strategy and objectives to focus on what is achievable as well as critical, and empower the Afghans to take control of their own future, we will give us the best chance to succeed,” said Kerry.

The Massachusetts Democrat condemned General Stanley McChrystal's call for approximately 40,000 more troops, saying it goes too far and that a solely military approach will not fix the region.

Kerry also spoke on Pakistan's significance in the region, stating that there needs to be a supportive and open relationship between both the U.S. and Pakistani governments.

“Regardless of what happens in Afghanistan, and especially if we want to reduce the need for boots on the ground, it is vitally important that we intensify our support and improve our cooperation with Pakistan,” said Kerry.

White House Press Briefing With Robert Gibbs

By Meagan Wiseley, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

-Recovery Act

Robert Gibbs introduced Jared Bernstein and Melody Barnes to discuss the report released this morning on education-based jobs saved by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Bernstein, the Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden, said that preliminary recipient data that is coming in to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board shows 250,000 education jobs saved or created. These jobs are a subset of the 1 million jobs saved or created thus far through the act, which leaves the Economic Council on track to accomplish the stated goal of saving or creating 3.5 million jobs by later next year.

Bernstein added that the data reflects direct jobs, or jobs that are directly created and funded through spending in the Recovery Act. The Council of Economic Advisers has estimated that the Act has saved about 1 million jobs so far, and this estimate includes direct and indirect jobs.

Bernstein said this is clearly the most transparent and accountable treatment of a government program that has ever been seen before.

Barnes, the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, said the Recovery Act has made schools able to avert massive layoffs and also created jobs for educators in the pre-kindergarten, K-12 and higher education fields.

Barnes pointed out that preventing layoffs averted class size expansion, which has been a concern in the educational context.

Additionally, Barnes said reforms have been put in place to increase standards and assessments, teacher effectiveness and student progress tracking. An extended school day and school year for struggling schools has also been implemented.

When asked how the revenues to keep the new jobs in place when the federal dollars from the Recovery Act money are gone, Barnes said the administrations was very cognizant of such a scenario when developing the Recovery Act and that it was created in the context of the economy improving. Thus, states would be able to support these jobs and increases once the economy strengthens.

-Afghanistan

On the possibility of a runoff election in Afghanistan, Gibbs said that, in his assessment, General McChrystal knew the election would be taken into account. Gibbs said a sizable American force in Afghanistan must be met with a credible partner, and that, without a credible partner, no one involved can make a difference. Gibbs said he is supportive of Deputy Chairman of NATO, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry’s plan to work with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on this matter.

Gibbs refused to comment on hypothetical situations regarding a future election, but did say the administration is encouraging processes by the Afghan people to choose a candidate that is legitimate.

-Health Care Reform

On Heath Care reform, Gibbs said the administration is working to ensure choice and competition in the insurance market. He said the President has been clear on his preference for a public option to be in the final bill.

-Sudan

On Sudan, Gibbs said a comprehensive policy is needed to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Gibbs said there is pressure being put on the Sudanese government, and if steps are taken to address components of this issue by the government, there will be incentives.

-Iran

On Iran, Gibbs said that Iran has an opportunity and a responsibility to demonstrate to the world their purpose for a nuclear program. He said the U.S. obligation is to get a sizable amount of low enriched uranium out of Iran in order to make the world more secure.

-Economy


On the financial sector, and Godlman Sachs/JP Morgan executive bonuses, Gibbs said the administration does not want to be in the business of executive compensation. He said last September that the American people went through great lengths to make sure the financial system didn’t collapse. He said the banks are equally as responsible to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

Pelosi Fights Back: "I Am In My Place"

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) countered Republican criticism that suggested that General McChrystal should “put her in her place” in regard to the war in Afghanistan.

“I'm in my place. I'm the Speaker of the House, the first woman Speaker of the House and I'm in my place because the House of Representatives voted me there,” Pelosi said Thursday during her weekly press conference.

Pelosi came down on McChrystal Monday, saying that his recommendations to Obama “should go up the line of command” rather than be discussed openly.

The National Republican Congressional Committee issued a press release Tuesday ridiculing the Speaker, calling her “General Pelosi.” The release also said, "If Nancy Pelosi's failed economic policies are any indicator of the effect she may have on Afghanistan, taxpayers can only hope McChrystal is able to put her in her place.”

Pelosi responded by saying the comments were ill-suited and outdated.

“It's really sad they don't understand how inappropriate that is," Pelosi said. “That language is something I hadn't even heard in decades."

The NRCC unapologetically defended their statements saying that Pelosi was “out of her league” in criticizing McChrystal.

“The Speaker of the House is taking on a highly decorated general who has outlined a strategy in Afghanistan that she once claimed to advocate...Up until it became politically inconvenient, Pelosi and her puppets were referring to Afghanistan as the ‘real central front’ in the war on terror, now their excuse is that there is just not enough political will to keep America safe. Nancy Pelosi might think she’s a general, but she’s playing out of her league and she knows it,” NRCC spokesman Ken Spain said.

Pelosi stated Thursday that she would respond to the President’s decisions on Afghanistan as they are made, but the safety of the American public is a top priority.