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Biden's Doubts on Afghan Strategy Wins Allies

VP's calls for a narrowed mission echo increasing pessimism on war

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 14, 2009 5:21 AM CDT

(Newser) – Joe Biden was a lone voice of skepticism on Afghanistan strategy after his fact-finding tour there earlier this year, but many in the White House have gradually swung to his point of view. Biden's perspective that the mission should be narrowed is now favored by administration liberals. The position reflects both Biden's own shift in stance from "liberal hawkishness" and the nation's changing mood, analysts tell the New York Times.

Insiders say Biden's position on Afghanistan was strongly influenced by frustration with the Karzai government's corruption and the lessons learned from Iraq—where, as critics note, he supported the invasion and then opposed the surge. Analysts expect that whatever decision President Obama makes on Afghan strategy, Biden's influence will be apparent, much as Dick Cheney's was on President Bush's choices. "They’re both people who are not hobbled by their own ambitions," noted one consultant.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Joe Biden speaks about his trip to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Pakistan earlier this year. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Joe Biden arrives to ISAF Regional Command South Headquarters to receive a briefing on activities of coalition forces in Afghanistan in January this year. (AP Photo/ISAF, Aramis X. Ramirez, HO)

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The Iraq experience has been an important, formative one in the sense that Biden has been much more aware that fighting insurgents is not entirely a military process. - Former national security adviser
Zbigniew Brzezinski

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 8 comments

Mia

Oct 14, 2009 12:52 PM CDT

Is that bad when comparing him to generals that have fucked up entire wars?

foodchain11

Oct 14, 2009 12:48 PM CDT

more than mccain. he still thinks we should be in Vietnam! He completely ignores the fact that they're doing OK and that we now trade with them

nick

Oct 14, 2009 11:38 AM CDT

Good for Joe Biden. Bad news for the grand-standing, chicken-hawk Republicans, like John Boner, who foolishly demands that the president URGENTLY send 40,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan, and publicly calls Obama weak and incompetent for not doing so. Hey, Boner: have you completely forgotten about the incremental-troop-escalation policy you guys initiated and followed in Iraq, circa 2003-2007? Well let me remind you: It didn't work.

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Afghanistan • Joe Biden • vice president • Afghanistan war • Obama administration • Afghanistan exit strategy

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Biden's Doubts on Afghan Strategy Wins Allies