Obama: Resources Will Follow Strategy, Not Vice Versa
Here’s the first important thing President Obama said Sunday on Meet The Press: I’m not interested in just being in Afghanistan for the sake of being in
Jul 31, 2020218.3K Shares7M Views
“„I’m not interested in just being in Afghanistan for the sake of being in Afghanistan or saving face or, in some way– you know, sending a message that America– is here for– for the duration. I think it’s important that we match strategy to resources.
“„What I’m not also gonna do, though, is put the resource question before the strategy question. Until I’m satisfied that we’ve got the right strategy I’m not gonna be sending some young man or woman over there-beyond what we already
This matches what I heard in the course of reporting this piece. But it’s not quite true, as massive intelligence resources are on their way to Afghanistan,but for some reason no one quite counts intelligence resources on the same level as U.S. troops.
Anyway. This is the second important thing President Obama said on “Meet The Press”:
“„The question that I’m asking right now is to our military, to General McChrystal, to General Petraeus, to all our national security apparatus, is– whether it’s troops who are already there, or any troop request in the future, how does this advance America’s national security interests? How does it make sure that al Qaeda and its extremist allies cannot attack the United States homeland, our allies, our troops who are based in Europe?
In Congress, among elites, and among the public at large, there are high anxieties about the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan being orthogonal to the counterterrorism goal. If Obama’s interview signals anything, it signals that he’s heard that anxiety. Reversing that mission creep is a different challenge.
Dexter Cooke
Reviewer
Dexter Cooke is an economist, marketing strategist, and orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience crafting compelling narratives that resonate worldwide.
He holds a Journalism degree from Columbia University, an Economics background from Yale University, and a medical degree with a postdoctoral fellowship in orthopedic medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Dexter’s insights into media, economics, and marketing shine through his prolific contributions to respected publications and advisory roles for influential organizations.
As an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive knee replacement surgery and laparoscopic procedures, Dexter prioritizes patient care above all.
Outside his professional pursuits, Dexter enjoys collecting vintage watches, studying ancient civilizations, learning about astronomy, and participating in charity runs.
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