euro|topics - Obama ups the ante in Afghanistan

Main focus of Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Obama ups the ante in Afghanistan

In an address to the US Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday evening, President Barack Obama announced he will send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. The president also called on his allies to boost their military presence in the country. European commentators are not unanimously enthusiastic about the new US strategy.

L'Est Républicain - France

With his new strategy for Afghanistan US President Barack Obama is betting everything on one roll of the dice, writes the daily L'Est Républicain: "A trip to Kabul with a return ticket in your pocket: that's what Barack Obama promised last night to the 30,000 soldiers he's sending as reinforcements to Afghanistan. Before that more intermediaries must be found among the Afghan population, more local police officers must be trained, and enough fighters must be enlisted on location to protect the former land of eagles. In addition Obama wants to make the cities more secure, contain the fundamentalist offensive and eradicate al-Qaida's last hideouts on the border with Pakistan. The task is mind-boggling and the price astronomical. … Which brings us to the second aspect of Obama's plan: sharing the burden with his allies." (02/12/2009)

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany

US President Barack Obama is in dire need of success in Afghanistan, writes the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Because with the troop surge ... Obama has tied the success of his presidency to the course of events in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan. The war he called necessary during his election campaign has now become 'his' war. It will be one of the two or three big isses that will dominate American politics in the years to come. ... There is no guarantee that the president's strategy will pay off. But at least the Americans have now heard from him why they shouldn't consider Afghanistan a lost cause after eight years of fighting. ... Inevitably the troop surge he's now ordered will have consequences, partly for the worse. But a hasty withdrawal - and possibly even continuing as previously - would have been fatal." (02/12/2009)

De Volkskrant - Netherlands

Writing for the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant columnist Bert Wagendorp expresses disappointment at US President Barack Obama's plans to send more troops to Afghanistan: "It does seem remarkable that the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize can't come up with a better plan than sending even more troops to a war that even in his own country is regarded by more and more people as hopeless - and which increasingly conjures up memories of the Vietnam fiasco. … It's a pity Obama has opted for a no-win scenario. My common sense tells me that there would be many more clever ways of investing 100 billion [dollars] in the battle against international terrorism. … Obama must show he has support from abroad, otherwise he'll face problems on the domestic front." (02/12/2009)

Corriere del Ticino - Switzerland

What US President Barack Obama really hopes to gain by sending more troops to Afghanistan is a second term in office, writes the liberal conservative daily Corriere del Ticino: "Obama's troop surge is linked to a hard and fast limit for the end of the military deployment before January 2013 [the end of Obama's first term in office]. ... This commitment confirms that the deployment really is the preliminary phase of an 'exit strategy' - a term the Talibans translate as 'withdrawal'. However this deadline will neither motiviate the allies nor the Afghans, if they're constantly counting the days instead of fighting for a victory. But it will move the jihadists to hold out until the Americans leave, instead of surrendering or negotiating peace. So Obama's limited goals and fixed deadlines seem more intended to secure him a second term in office than a military success in Afghanistan." (02/12/2009)

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, December 2, 2009

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