Skip to comments.
Mullen: Talks Favor Broad Afghanistan Solution
American Forces Press Service ^
| Donna Miles
Posted on 11/19/2009 3:58:32 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2009 President Barack Obamas security team recognizes troops alone arent the answer as it begins wrapping up strategy deliberations about the way ahead in Afghanistan, the top military officer said here today.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addresses Army and Air National Guards senior servicemembers from across the nation at the Guards first Joint Senior Leadership Conference outside Washington, D.C., Nov. 19, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. |
|
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the talks are nearing their conclusion, predicting that Obama will announce his decision in the near future.
Mullen told participants in the National Guard Bureaus Joint Senior Leadership Conference that hes satisfied by the depth and breadth of the discussions as the team addresses the challenges in Afghanistan and makes recommendations to the president.
Its been a
very healthy discussion, very open to different views, and that really has been, from a process standpoint, very good, Mullen told the group.
The chairman said hes particularly gratified by the clear recognition that the best solution goes beyond military might.
This isnt all just about the military. This isnt all just about the number of troops, because we cant do it alone, he said. We have to have the security side of this that is the necessary side. But
you have to have a development plan. You have to have a governance plan that goes hand-in-glove [with the security effort] as we move forward.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates noted the role the National Guard plays and will continue to play in Afghanistan and other anti-terrorism operations around the world.
Some 300,000 National Guard members, about 70 percent of the Guard force, have served in these roles since the 9/11 attacks, he said. In addition, nearly 65,000 Guardsmen are deployed in support of overseas operations. Defense Department officials recently announced that the Iowa National Guards 2nd Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Afghanistan in 2010.
Gates said he expects the Guard to continue to play a significant role in Afghanistan, and in areas beyond combat operations: agricultural, rule of law and governance, among them.
He cited, for example, the benefit of agricultural development teams, Guardsmen who bring agricultural expertise to the effort. When you send Guardsmen with this kind of experience, it has a huge impact, he said.
While recognizing these capabilities, Gates made clear he sees reserve-component servicemembers conducting these noncombat missions as only a temporary solution until other agencies and organizations step in with sufficient civilian expertise.
Mullen called the challenges in Afghanistan the top issue that keeps him up at night. Iran, and its impact on the broader Middle East, is another longer-term concern, he said.
As he focuses on these issues, including continuing a responsible drawdown in Iraq, Mullen said, he never loses sight of another pressing concern: the well-being of the force. He noted the stress multiple deployments have put not just on military members, but also on their families, and emphasized the importance of increasing dwell time at home between deployments.
This is clearly one of the things that we have addressed, and will continue to need to address, Mullen said. How do we get that right? He noted the challenge of tapping into mission capacity while focusing on families and relieving pressure on the force.
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; broad; frwn; solution
1
posted on
11/19/2009 3:58:33 PM PST
by
SandRat
To: SandRat
predicting that Obama will announce his decision in the near future. his 'near future' has come and gone several times already.
Its been a
very healthy discussion, very open to different views, and that really has been, from a process standpoint, very good, Mullen told the group.
and the other side of the coin: From any other standpoint, it's been a abominable disaster."
I've read it twice, but I still missed the part about how many troops McCrystal will get
2
posted on
11/19/2009 4:21:10 PM PST
by
maine-iac7
("He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help" Lincoln)
To: SandRat
What he is saying without say it is that obama is going to get the hell out of Dodge [Afganistan}. He intends to give it back to the Taliban.
3
posted on
11/19/2009 4:26:34 PM PST
by
sport
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson