Obama orders 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan
By DPA, IANSTuesday, December 1, 2009
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has announced that he is deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to step up the fight against Taliban insurgents and help create conditions needed to transfer security responsibility to the Afghan government.
The buildup is expected to be completed this summer, and Obama said he is setting a July 2011 goal to begin withdrawals, based on
“conditions on the ground” and to maintain pressure on the Afghan government to act swiftly to take responsibility for the country.
Obama said Tuesday that for the last several years Afghanistan has “moved backwards” as the Taliban have regained momentum.
“The status quo is not sustainable,” Obama said in his speech at the Army’s West Point military academy to outline his new strategy for Afghanistan.
Obama said the goal of the surge is to deny Al Qaeda a safe haven to plan and carry out terrorist attacks and to reverse the momentum gained by the Taliban the last few years.
Obama said he will urge NATO and other allies to likewise contribute more troops.
“Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.
