Senior Obama administration officials Wednesday defended the recently announced withdrawal timetable for Afghanistan in an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
According to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the timetable, which aims to begin removing U.S. troops by July of 2011, will not create a situation through which violent extremists can simply wait out the clock.
“We certainly would welcome them not being active for the next 18 months,” said Gates. “We are already in a situation in which they are emboldened ... and where they have the momentum right now. It’s not clear to me what more they can do than they can’t do right now.”
Gates added that the July date holds additional significance since it will mark two years since 12,000 U.S. troops were sent to Helmand this Summer.
While Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Michael Mullen stated that the withdrawal date was carefully considered, he did signal that it is not necessarily written in stone.
“By Mid-2011 we will know if we are going to succeed here or not,” said Mullen. “[The president said Withdrawal] would be responsible and it would be based on conditions. All of us can speculate on what those conditions will be, but I think we have to be careful about that.”
President Barack Obama announced the withdrawal timetable Tuesday evening coupled with a pledge to send 30,000 more U.S. troops.
Defense Secretary Gates Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Timetable
According to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the timetable, which aims to begin removing U.S. troops by July of 2011, will not create a situation through which violent extremists can simply wait out the clock.
“We certainly would welcome them not being active for the next 18 months,” said Gates. “We are already in a situation in which they are emboldened ... and where they have the momentum right now. It’s not clear to me what more they can do than they can’t do right now.”
Gates added that the July date holds additional significance since it will mark two years since 12,000 U.S. troops were sent to Helmand this Summer.
While Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Michael Mullen stated that the withdrawal date was carefully considered, he did signal that it is not necessarily written in stone.
“By Mid-2011 we will know if we are going to succeed here or not,” said Mullen. “[The president said Withdrawal] would be responsible and it would be based on conditions. All of us can speculate on what those conditions will be, but I think we have to be careful about that.”
President Barack Obama announced the withdrawal timetable Tuesday evening coupled with a pledge to send 30,000 more U.S. troops.