Barack Obama's war: focus on beating Taliban and al-Qaida

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/28/barack-obama-foreign-policy-taliban-pakistan

Barack Obama's war: focus on beating Taliban and al-Qaida

At end of two-month review, president puts region at centre of foreign policy, warning of plans to attack US homeland
Ewen MacAskill in Washington

* The Guardian, Saturday 28 March 2009
* Article history
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President Barack Obama yesterday embarked on a new and risky US strategy for Afghanistan aimed at wiping out al-Qaida and the Taliban and forcing Pakistan to tackle safe havens inside its borders.

Speaking at the White House at the end of a two-month long review of policy in Afghanistan, he described the situation as "increasingly perilous" and the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan as "the most dangerous place in the world".

His new policy, putting Afghanistan at the centre of US foreign policy, effectively makes the conflict Obama's war in the way that Iraq was President George Bush's.

In a half-hour speech in front of troops and diplomats headed for Afghanistan, Obama set out what he regards an achievable mission: "I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan."

Selling the war to the US public, he presented Osama bin Laden and his allies as unfinished business that posed a real threat to America.

"Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al-Qaida is actively planning attacks on the US homeland from its safe havens in Pakistan," Obama said.

The danger for the Obama administration is that the Taliban is gearing up for a spring offensive and that the US public, long disillusioned with the war in Iraq, may have little patience for the war in Afghanistan if US casualties mount as violence spills back and forward across the border.

Another risk is Obama's ultimatum to Pakistan: if it fails to act aggressively against al-Qaida and Taliban forces in safe havens in its tribal regions, the US will act unliterally. "Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al-Qaida and the violent extremists within its borders. And we will insist that action be taken one way or another when we have intelligence about high-level terrorist targets," he said.

Any further US infringement of Pakistan's sovereignty beyond the present CIA-directed Predator drone strikes could inflame public opinion in the country and undermine the US-friendly government.

The new strategy presented by Obama provides for 4,000 new US troops to help train the Afghan army, which is set to rise from 65,000 to 130,000 and eventually 230,000, though the president set out no figures yesterday.

The US is sending 17,000 combat troops to Afghanistan and confirmed it has asked allies to increase their contributions.

Combined with the military push, the US is to try to isolate al-Qaida and the Taliban by building up the infrastructure in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Obama is to ask Congress to approve $1.5bn in aid to Pakistan each year for the next five for spending on infrastructure but this would not be a blank cheque and would require Pakistani action.

The US is also asking Nato and other allies who are unable to contribute militarily to provide financial help.

Obama's plan was widely welcomed yesterday, including by the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments, in spite of his veiled warnings to both.

The Pakistan prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, told reporters: "We are in favour of this policy."

Obama, in one passage in his speech, spoke explicitly about the high level and massive amounts of corruption in Afghanistan, something Bush never did. "I want to be clear: we cannot turn a blind eye to the corruption that causes Afghans to lose faith in their own leaders.

"Instead, we will seek a new compact with the Afghan government that cracks down on corrupt behaviour and sets clear benchmarks for international assistance so that it is used to provide for the needs of the Afghan people," the president said.

In spite of the public slapdown of the Afghanistan government, its president, Hamid Karzai, watching the speech on CNN in Kabul, apparently welcomed it.

Humayun Hamidzada, the presidential spokesman, said: "We particularly welcome the recognition of the regional aspect of the problem in Afghanistan."

The US, which has lost faith in Karzai, is adopting a neutral position towards him in the forthcoming Afghanistan election. But it will seek to bypass him by creating a more trusted chief executive figure.

Seeking to repeat the Iraq policy of buying up hostile militia groups, the new US strategy will try to divide the Taliban by isolating the hard core round the former Afghan leader, Mullah Omar, and wooing away elements more amenable to negotiation or payment.

Obama said: "In a country with extreme poverty that has been at war for decades, there will also be no peace without reconciliation among former enemies.

"I have no illusions that this will be easy. In Iraq, we had success in reaching out to former adversaries to isolate and target al-Qaida. We must pursue a similar process in Afghanistan while understanding that it is a very different country."

Main points

Clear objective The destruction of the Taliban and al-Qaida safe havens in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

More US troops 4,000 more US troops to be sent to Afghanistan on top of 17,500 committed last month. This in addition to 38,000 US troops already there. The new troops are to help train Afghan forces.

Afghan army and police Key to introducing a degree of stability and paving the way for a US exit. 65,000-strong Afghan army to be doubled, and then increased to 230,000.

Pakistan US demands that Pakistan deals with Taliban and al-Qaida safe havens. In return the US will provide $1.5bn in aid each year for the next five. Failure to act will see the US step up unilateral operations.

Corruption Zero tolerance of corruption involving the Kabul government that undermines the fight against the Taliban.