Overview of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Annual Review

A Summary of the Obama Administration's Strategy in Afghanistan   

A review of President Obama’s strategy for the war in Afghanistan, the first full-scale assessment of the administration's planning, concludes that American forces can begin withdrawing on schedule in July, according to a summary made public on Dec. 16, 2010.

CONTENTS

Overall Assessment 

Summary of Findings: Al Qaeda 

Summary of Findings: Pakistan 

Summary of Findings: Afghanistan 

Background



Boehner Statement on Administration’s Afghanistan Pakistan Annual Review 

Washington (Dec 16)

Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after thePresident’s speech on the Afghanistan Pakistan annual review:

“While the conditions are difficult, our troops serving in Afghanistan are making gains in our efforts to defeat al Qaeda and the Taliban and prevent them from using the region as a safe haven from which to launch attacks on the U.S. and our allies.  As the Administration’s review notes, the gains are ‘fragile and reversible’ and we must remain steadfast in our commitment to the counterinsurgency strategy our commanders on the ground have put in place and to ensuring its success, rather than focusing on meeting arbitrary deadlines for withdrawal. Any drawdown of U.S. troops must be based on the conditions on the ground, not on political promises.

“It is my hope that the President will use his platform to consistently articulate to the American people why engagement in the region is critical to our national security interests and why his strategy is the right one to address those interests.  The cost of war has been high for our nation, but succeeding in Afghanistan is critically important to the safety and security of our country. We sincerely appreciate the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform and their families are making every day on behalf of our nation, and we keep them in our prayers during this holiday season.”