Obama Team Downplays Risks in Afghan Pullback

Whether Taliban will facilitate or shun terror group is up in the air

(NEWSER) - The principal rationale for the original US invasion of Afghanistan was the elimination of an al-Qaeda safe haven. Almost a decade later, the terrorist group is much diminished there, as well as in Pakistan, prompting serious second thoughts within the administration about ramping up forces in the region. Aides to special envoy Richard Holbrooke suggest that though the Taliban is resurgent, should they gain control again they would not ally with the terrorist group. More»

'Skeptic-in-chief' Biden challenges McChrystal's call for more troops

(NEWSER) - Gen. Stanley McChrystal's call to beef up the war effort in Afghanistan is proving a tough sell with senior administration officials. White House advisers challenged many aspects of the commander's assessment at a meeting this week, including his belief that al-Qaeda would again find sanctuary in Afghanistan if the Taliban regains control. Joe Biden played the role of "skeptic-in-chief," one official tells the Washington Post. More»

(NEWSER) - George Will’s call today to pull US troops out of Afghanistan is tantamount to “urging retreat and accepting defeat,” fellow conservative William Kristol blogs in the Washington Post. Will’s idea to focus mostly on offshore operations and airstrikes "doesn't sound much more engaged than US Afghan policy in the 1990s,” Kristol writes. “Will would have to explain why it would work better this time.” More»

Pakistan offensive, troops in Afghanistan, drone attacks cut space

(NEWSER) - Osama bin Laden has fewer and fewer places to hide these days, officials tell NPR. And “the administration smells blood,” says a former counterterror official who cites three reasons for the shrinking space: Pakistan’s Swat Valley offensive against the Taliban, "along with US activities from the Afghan side," could be putting “pressure” on al-Qaeda; 21,000 new US troops have entered Afghanistan; and there's been an increase in drone attacks. More»

(NEWSER) - President Obama has approved an increase in troop levels in Afghanistan, which could put 17,000 more soldiers and Marines on the ground in the coming months, the AP reports. Insiders say they should be in place by the volatile summer period, when warmer weather and upcoming elections are expected to spur an increase in violence. About 36,000 troops are on the ground there now. More»