[Peace-discuss] Feingold to Obama: Announce Withdrawal Timetable from Afghanistan

[Robert Naiman]

Feingold to Obama: Announce Withdrawal Timetable from Afghanistan
David Chalian, ABC News, August 24, 2009 2:27 PM
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/08/feingold-to-obama-announce-withdrawal-timetable-from-afghanistan.html

The Obama administration has been keenly aware of discontent among
many in its liberal base with regard to its Afghanistan policy and an
expected request for additional troops following General McChrystal's
upcoming assessment of the situation there.

That liberal base just got a high-profile voice to lead its charge.

Sen. Russ Feingold, D-WI, called on President Obama to announce a
timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.  "This
is a strategy that is not likely to succeed," Sen. Feingold said about
the troop buildup in Afghanistan.

"After eight years, I am not convinced that pouring more and more
troops into Afghanistan is a well thought out policy,"   said
Feingold.  The liberal Democrat said he has expressed his reservations
with President Obama, Admiral Mullen, and others inside the
administration and he says he has "never been convinced they have a
good answer."

"I think it is time we start discussing a flexible timetable so that
people around the world can see when we are going to bring our troops
out," said Feingold.  "Showing the people there and here that we have
a sense about when it is time to leave is one of the best things we
can do," he added.

Sen. Feingold didn't offer up a specific timetable for when he would
like to see American troops out of Afghanistan.  The senator opposed
the war in Iraq and eventually became a leading voice among Democrats
in pushing the Bush administration to adopt a timetable for withdrawal
from Iraq.

In an interview with the editorial board of The Post-Crescent in
Appleton, WI this afternoon, Sen. Feingold highlighted that the three
top terrorist targets originally in Afghanistan - Osama bin Laden,
al-Zawahiri, and Mullah Omar - are now in Pakistan. "Aren't we helping
to drive more extremists into Pakistan?," Feingold asked.  He went on
to call Pakistan the home of the "witch's brew of every kind of
nightmare."

Sen. Feingold pointed to Af-Pak Ambassador Richard Holbrooke's recent
comments when asked about what success will look like in Afghanistan.
"We'll know it when we see it," said Holbrooke. "That's not good
enough for me," Feingold responded.

Feingold said that he believes the United States needs to maintain its
ability to go after Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and continue operations
there to "make sure we can do the most we can in the remaining time."

The Wisconsin Democrat is starting to be a bit of a liberal thorn in
the President's (left) side and has some Democrats wondering if he may
be plotting a 2012 primary challenge to Obama.
[...]


-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Demand an Exit Strategy from Afghanistan
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