Arianna: Biden Should Resign Over Afghanistan

VP to review progress in security handover

(NEWSER) - The vice president has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan. Joe Biden is in the country to review progress as allied forces turn security over to Afghan hands, the AP reports. He’s set to meet with President Karzai and US commander David Petraeus, the White House says; he’ll also greet troops and civilian personnel and visit an Afghan Army training center. He's due to visit Islamabad later this week to announce more US aid for Pakistan. More»

VP claimed departure 'come hell or high water'

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden was in the spotlight this weekend for saying the US would follow its Iraq model and be “totally” out of Afghanistan by 2014, “come hell or high water.” Well, that’s just wrong, writes Justin Elliott in Salon . For one thing, withdrawal from Iraq hasn’t meant “total withdrawal.” As for 2014 in Afghanistan, a NATO rep called that a “goal,” not a “deadline.” More»

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

(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. More»

Bob Woodward book reveals deep fault lines over war policy

(NEWSER) - The Obama White House is a simmering pot of anger and disagreement, with too many bickering chefs handling of the war in Afghanistan, according to a new book by Bob Woodward that exposes deep rifts in the administration. Here, via the New York Times , are some of the juicy bits from Obama's Wars:

• Vice-President Joe Biden thinks Richard Holbrooke, the administration's special rep for Afghanistan and Pakistan, is “the most egotistical bastard I’ve ever met."

In Afghanistan, meanwhile, Petraeus calls for unity

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden and his wife will be spending the Fourth of July weekend with the troops in Iraq. The vice president landed in Baghdad today for the surprise visit, where he will also meet with Iraqi leaders. It's likely an attempt to reassure Iraqis that the US is still engaged, despite the growing attention to the war in Afghanistan, reports the Washington Post . More»