In a nationally broadcast address, Mr. Obama says additional forces will help accelerate transfer of responsibility to Afghan forces
In his highly anticipated speech on his new war strategy, President Obama said the United States did not "ask for this fight," saying that the war started in response to the al-Qaida terror attacks that killed nearly three-thousand people.
He said the terror group's base of operations was in Afghanistan, and members of the terrorist network were harbored by the Taliban, which he described as a "ruthless, repressive and radical movement."
He said the Taliban was driven from power and "pushed back on its heels" after the United States invaded the country in October 2001. But he said the Iraq war, which began in March 2003, drew the dominant share of troops, resources, diplomacy and national attention.
Mr. Obama says U.S. troops in Afghanistan will focus on targeting the insurgency, securing key population centers and increasing the training of Afghan security forces.
The president says he has asked U.S. allies to contribute additional troops and resources in the days and weeks ahead. Mr. Obama says what is at stake in the war is not only NATO's credibility, but the common security of the world.
President Obama says that while the United States will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan's security forces to ensure their long-term success, ultimately the Afghan people and their government are responsible for their country.
The additional American forces will bring the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to about 100,000.
Senior administration officials say all the forces will be in place in about six months.
The Obama administration is struggling to counter declining U.S. public support and rising casualties in the eight-year war against Taliban and al-Qaida militants.
In his address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, President Obama outlined ways the Afghan government can address corruption and poor governance.
Mr. Obama also sought to reassure Afghans worried about a long-term U.S. presence in their country, saying the United States has "no interest" in occupying the country. He says America seeks "an end to this era of war and suffering."
In a nationally broadcast address, Mr. Obama says additional forces will help accelerate transfer of responsibility to Afghan forces
He rejected political criticisms that he took too long to decide how to move forward in Afghanistan, saying his three-month review of war strategy allowed him to ask "hard questions" and explore options.
The president said after that review, he determined it is in the "vital national interest" to send an additional 30,000 troops. After 18 months, he says they can begin coming home.
The White House says Mr. Obama emphasized in a video teleconference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai that the U.S. and international commitment in Afghanistan is not open-ended.
In the approximately hour-long video teleconference late Monday Washington time, Mr. Obama also "underscored the need for more rapid development" of Afghan forces so the country can assume greater security responsibilities.
The White House says the president spoke by telephone Tuesday with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on the "way forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Tuesday's announcement follows months of deliberations by President Obama and his national security team.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is traveling to Brussels next week to speak with her NATO counterparts about the war strategy. Diplomats say Washington is asking its international partners for up to 10,000 more troops.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday Berlin is not ready to contribute more troops to the war. She said Germany will make a decision after an international conference on Afghanistan next month in London.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged 500 more troops, adding to the 9,500 British forces already in Afghanistan.
French Defense Minister Herve Morin says his country is not likely to contribute any more troops to the war.
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12.01.2009
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11.25.2009
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President Obama Expected to Announce Afghanistan Policy at West Point
Color Daily Military
Reports in Washington say President Barack Obama plans to announce his new strategy for Afghanistan next Tuesday evening, during a prime-time television address.
The reports say the president is most likely to back a plan to send between 30,000 and 35,000 additional U.S. troops to the country.
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan earlier this year told the president that up to 40,000 troops are needed to combat Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the region.
Since then, President Obama has been meeting with advisors and considering future U.S. strategy in the region. On Tuesday, Mr. Obama said he intends to "finish the job" in Afghanistan.
Read more at Color Daily Military
Reports in Washington say President Barack Obama plans to announce his new strategy for Afghanistan next Tuesday evening, during a prime-time television address.
The reports say the president is most likely to back a plan to send between 30,000 and 35,000 additional U.S. troops to the country.
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan earlier this year told the president that up to 40,000 troops are needed to combat Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the region.
Since then, President Obama has been meeting with advisors and considering future U.S. strategy in the region. On Tuesday, Mr. Obama said he intends to "finish the job" in Afghanistan.
Read more at Color Daily Military
11.20.2009
0
Senate to Hold First Key Health Care Vote
The Senate will hold its first crucial vote on a sweeping health care reform bill this Saturday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced the test vote Thursday, a day after he unveiled the Senate's health care bill that aims to extend health insurance to 31 million more Americans.
Saturday's procedural vote will decide whether the bill can be brought to the Senate floor for full debate, although Reid would not comment on whether he had the 60 votes needed to do so.
To avoid Republican maneuvers to delay a vote, all 58 Democrats and the two Independent Senators have to favor the bill. A few moderate Democrats have signaled strong opposition to components of the bill, which includes a government-run option to compete with private insurers.
However, the Senate bill does allow states to opt out of providing a government-run option.
The Congressional Budget Office said the Senate bill unveiled Wednesday night would cost a total of $849 billion over the next decade. Analysts say the plan would also reduce U.S. deficits by nearly $130 billion in the same period, a report that could boost the bill's chances of passage.
If the bill passes, it will have to be merged with a much larger bill passed earlier this month by the House of Representatives. The House narrowly approved its bill on a sharply divided vote of 220 to 215.
President Barack Obama has asked Congress to deliver legislation to him for signing by the end of the year.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced the test vote Thursday, a day after he unveiled the Senate's health care bill that aims to extend health insurance to 31 million more Americans.
Saturday's procedural vote will decide whether the bill can be brought to the Senate floor for full debate, although Reid would not comment on whether he had the 60 votes needed to do so.
To avoid Republican maneuvers to delay a vote, all 58 Democrats and the two Independent Senators have to favor the bill. A few moderate Democrats have signaled strong opposition to components of the bill, which includes a government-run option to compete with private insurers.
However, the Senate bill does allow states to opt out of providing a government-run option.
The Congressional Budget Office said the Senate bill unveiled Wednesday night would cost a total of $849 billion over the next decade. Analysts say the plan would also reduce U.S. deficits by nearly $130 billion in the same period, a report that could boost the bill's chances of passage.
If the bill passes, it will have to be merged with a much larger bill passed earlier this month by the House of Representatives. The House narrowly approved its bill on a sharply divided vote of 220 to 215.
President Barack Obama has asked Congress to deliver legislation to him for signing by the end of the year.
11.18.2009
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al-Qaida ‘wanna be’ Gets Six-Year Sentence
One of the five Miami men convicted of plotting to join forces with al-Qaida to attack Chicago's Sears Tower has been sentenced to six years in prison.
A U.S. District Court Judge, Joan Leonard imposed the sentence on Burson Augustin in a Miami court Wednesday. Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence of at least 30 years, but the judge said he believed Augustin played a minor role in the conspiracy.
Augustin and the four other men were convicted in May on charges of terrorism-related conspiracy. They had allegedly plotted to attack what is now the Willis Tower in Chicago and bomb FBI offices in several other cities. Two other men were acquitted.
The men were arrested in Miami in 2006 following an FBI investigation. They were accused of seeking to form an alliance with al-Qaida during a meeting with an FBI agent posing as a terrorist operative.
The men denied being terrorists and said they were pretending to support al-Qaida in hopes of obtaining $50,000 from the agent they believed was an al-Qaida operative.
The five men were found guilty in the third attempt by prosecutors to convict them. Two earlier trials, in 2007 and 2008, ended with deadlocked juries.
The defendants were initially known as the Liberty City Seven, a name taken from the poor Miami neighborhood, Liberty City, where they met.
Prosecutors had hailed the group's arrest in 2006 as a major crackdown on home-grown terrorists. The case was criticized by civil liberties groups because prosecutors said no attack was imminent, and that the men's plans were more "aspirational" than "operational."
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A U.S. District Court Judge, Joan Leonard imposed the sentence on Burson Augustin in a Miami court Wednesday. Prosecutors had sought the maximum sentence of at least 30 years, but the judge said he believed Augustin played a minor role in the conspiracy.
Augustin and the four other men were convicted in May on charges of terrorism-related conspiracy. They had allegedly plotted to attack what is now the Willis Tower in Chicago and bomb FBI offices in several other cities. Two other men were acquitted.
The men were arrested in Miami in 2006 following an FBI investigation. They were accused of seeking to form an alliance with al-Qaida during a meeting with an FBI agent posing as a terrorist operative.
The men denied being terrorists and said they were pretending to support al-Qaida in hopes of obtaining $50,000 from the agent they believed was an al-Qaida operative.
The five men were found guilty in the third attempt by prosecutors to convict them. Two earlier trials, in 2007 and 2008, ended with deadlocked juries.
The defendants were initially known as the Liberty City Seven, a name taken from the poor Miami neighborhood, Liberty City, where they met.
Prosecutors had hailed the group's arrest in 2006 as a major crackdown on home-grown terrorists. The case was criticized by civil liberties groups because prosecutors said no attack was imminent, and that the men's plans were more "aspirational" than "operational."
11.15.2009
0
Nearly 4,000 Americans Killed by Swine Flu
The CDC estimates that 22 million Americans have gotten the virus and close to 100,000 have been hospitalized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that counting related illnesses the number of deaths from the H1N1 virus is about four times earlier estimates.
Federal health officials now say nearly 4,000 Americans have died from the H1N1 virus since it first emerged in April. Previous estimates put the number of fatalities at around 1,000, but the death toll has been recalculated to include deaths from flu-related complications, such as pneumonia and bacterial infections.
The CDC estimates that 22 million Americans have gotten the virus and close to 100,000 have been hospitalized.
Eight million children have been infected. 540 have died.
The CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat, calls these numbers alarming. "I have already seen a larger number of deaths than we have had for several years - I do believe that pediatric death toll from this pandemic will be extensive and much greater than what we see with seasonal flu," she says.
Last week, the World Health Organization announced that more than 6,000 people worldwide have died from H1N1 flu. The WHO says that, as of November 1, some 200 countries and territories have reported close to a half-million confirmed cases. WHO officials say the actual number is probably higher.
Dr. Schuchat says people in high risk categories such as those with diabetes have to be especially cautious. "When people with diabetes get flu, it can be more difficult for them to manage their blood sugar. They can suffer high and low blood sugar. So paying special attention with flu when you have diabetes is important," she says.
Many doctors say the H1N1 vaccine is the best protection against the virus. The problem is -- there is still a shortage. The only company making the vaccine in the U.S. is behind schedule, but supplies are expected to increase before the year's end. "As the supply increases we do think that access and convenience and ease to getting vaccinated will improve," she says.
That's little comfort for Margaret Savitts. Her husband Walter contracted a serious case of H1N1. "By Saturday night he couldn't breathe. He was having a really hard time. And by 2 am Monday morning, he was in full respiratory failure," she says.
The H1N1 virus is different from normal, seasonal flu, in that it persisted during the summer months and affects relatively healthy people.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that counting related illnesses the number of deaths from the H1N1 virus is about four times earlier estimates.
Federal health officials now say nearly 4,000 Americans have died from the H1N1 virus since it first emerged in April. Previous estimates put the number of fatalities at around 1,000, but the death toll has been recalculated to include deaths from flu-related complications, such as pneumonia and bacterial infections.
The CDC estimates that 22 million Americans have gotten the virus and close to 100,000 have been hospitalized.
Eight million children have been infected. 540 have died.
The CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat, calls these numbers alarming. "I have already seen a larger number of deaths than we have had for several years - I do believe that pediatric death toll from this pandemic will be extensive and much greater than what we see with seasonal flu," she says.
Last week, the World Health Organization announced that more than 6,000 people worldwide have died from H1N1 flu. The WHO says that, as of November 1, some 200 countries and territories have reported close to a half-million confirmed cases. WHO officials say the actual number is probably higher.
Dr. Schuchat says people in high risk categories such as those with diabetes have to be especially cautious. "When people with diabetes get flu, it can be more difficult for them to manage their blood sugar. They can suffer high and low blood sugar. So paying special attention with flu when you have diabetes is important," she says.
Many doctors say the H1N1 vaccine is the best protection against the virus. The problem is -- there is still a shortage. The only company making the vaccine in the U.S. is behind schedule, but supplies are expected to increase before the year's end. "As the supply increases we do think that access and convenience and ease to getting vaccinated will improve," she says.
That's little comfort for Margaret Savitts. Her husband Walter contracted a serious case of H1N1. "By Saturday night he couldn't breathe. He was having a really hard time. And by 2 am Monday morning, he was in full respiratory failure," she says.
The H1N1 virus is different from normal, seasonal flu, in that it persisted during the summer months and affects relatively healthy people.
11.13.2009
0
Justice Dept. Moves to Seize Mosques, Properties of Group Linked to Iran
Federal prosecutors continued legal action on Friday to seize properties, including several mosques, owned by a non-profit Muslim organization with alleged ties to the Iranian government.
Federal Marshals delivered notices initiating possible seizure proceedings against the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland just outside Washington.
Authorities are moving against properties linked to the New York based Alavi Foundation.
Prosecutors accuse the foundation of funneling millions of dollars to Iran's state-owned Bank Melli through a front company called the Assa Corporation.
The U.S. Treasury accuses the bank of supporting Iran's nuclear program and has banned U.S. citizens from doing business with the financial institution.
A Muslin rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticized the move to seize the mosques.
The group's communications director is Ibrahim Hooper.
"What we are really concerned about is the U.S. government seizing houses of worship," said Ibrahim Hooper. "Whether it is a mosque, a synagogue, a church, I think it sends a very chilling message in terms of freedom of religion to people of all faiths and it is something that all Americans should be concerned about."
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York made it clear there are no allegations of wrongdoing and no action taken against tenants or occupants of the properties.
In addition to the mosque in Maryland, court documents say the Alavi Foundation also owns mosques in Queens, New York, Carmichael, California and the Islamic Education Center of Greater Houston in Texas.
Faheem Kazimi is chairman of the board of the Houston organization.
"I want to make it very clear to people that the Islamic Education Center of Houston is a non-profit organization," said Faheem Kazimi. "It is an independent organization not affiliated with any of these other organizations."
A New York skyscraper involved in the case is known as the Piaget building. A report by the Associated Press says the structure is worth more than $500 million.
An attorney for Alavi says the foundation has been cooperating with the U.S. government and is disappointed with the lawsuit.
He says the foundation will dispute the government's claims in court.
On Thursday U.S. President Barack Obama renewed long-standing sanctions against Iran for another year, saying relations with Tehran have not yet returned to normal.
The United States and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since the hostage crisis that followed the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the storming of the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
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Federal Marshals delivered notices initiating possible seizure proceedings against the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland just outside Washington.
Authorities are moving against properties linked to the New York based Alavi Foundation.
Prosecutors accuse the foundation of funneling millions of dollars to Iran's state-owned Bank Melli through a front company called the Assa Corporation.
The U.S. Treasury accuses the bank of supporting Iran's nuclear program and has banned U.S. citizens from doing business with the financial institution.
A Muslin rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticized the move to seize the mosques.
The group's communications director is Ibrahim Hooper.
"What we are really concerned about is the U.S. government seizing houses of worship," said Ibrahim Hooper. "Whether it is a mosque, a synagogue, a church, I think it sends a very chilling message in terms of freedom of religion to people of all faiths and it is something that all Americans should be concerned about."
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York made it clear there are no allegations of wrongdoing and no action taken against tenants or occupants of the properties.
In addition to the mosque in Maryland, court documents say the Alavi Foundation also owns mosques in Queens, New York, Carmichael, California and the Islamic Education Center of Greater Houston in Texas.
Faheem Kazimi is chairman of the board of the Houston organization.
"I want to make it very clear to people that the Islamic Education Center of Houston is a non-profit organization," said Faheem Kazimi. "It is an independent organization not affiliated with any of these other organizations."
A New York skyscraper involved in the case is known as the Piaget building. A report by the Associated Press says the structure is worth more than $500 million.
An attorney for Alavi says the foundation has been cooperating with the U.S. government and is disappointed with the lawsuit.
He says the foundation will dispute the government's claims in court.
On Thursday U.S. President Barack Obama renewed long-standing sanctions against Iran for another year, saying relations with Tehran have not yet returned to normal.
The United States and Iran have had no diplomatic ties since the hostage crisis that followed the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the storming of the U.S. embassy in Tehran.