by Xinhua Writer Wang Fengfeng
WASHINGTON, June 23 (Xinhua) -- After U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement that he is pulling 10,000 troops out of Afghanistan this year and another 23,000 by next summer, experts are on Thursday questioning the pace and scope of the drawdown, saying it may incur too much risk.
Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Xinhua in an interview while he thinks Obama should take credit for the progress made in Afghanistan, the plan for gradual stabilization of the East and the continued build up of the Afghan forces "requires a bit more time to work."
"It's on a bit of a halfway point. What we are seeing is that the Afghan army and police are getting better, but they are not yet good enough, they are not yet big enough. We are seeing progress in the south of Afghanistan, but we don't yet know that it's going to really hold up in the face of Taliban counter offensives."
He also said not seen enough progress was being made in the east, and overall, Obama's plan for drawdown is "probably about half year too fast."
DOMESTIC PRESSURE
Although situation in Afghanistan does require a bit more time for the U.S. plan, Obama is facing more pressure at home than in Afghanistan.
The first issue is war fatigue. With nine and half years at war in Afghanistan, about half a trillion dollars spent and more than 1,500 soldiers dead, polls show Americans are increasingly unsupportive of the war. After the killing of al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden, percentage of Americans supportive of a quick withdrawal from Afghanistan reach an all time high.
Cathy McVicaer and her husband Tim, who are from Seattle, told Xinhua in Washington that they believe 10,000 troops this year is a start, but they'd like to see all U.S. troops in Afghanistan come home as swiftly as possible.
"We need to be out, we need to be out of Afghanistan. We need to be out of Iraq, (there's) no real reason for us to be there at all," said Tim McVicaer.
Republicans, especially those vying for the presidency, seized the sentiment. Led by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, presidential aspirants are calling for a swift withdrawal and refocus on domestic issues.
And that's what Obama did Wednesday night.
"America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home," said the president.
RISKS INCURRED
Although it's still up for debate, a decision centered on domestic politics could pose risks in the way forward in Afghanistan.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Thursday told the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee that even though he supported Obama's decision, "the president's decisions are more aggressive and incur more risk than I was originally prepared to accept." The view was shared by Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan who is in Washington to attend Congressional hearings on his nomination to become director of the CIA.
"I'm a little worried that domestic politics, domestic economics, and also the president's own previous rhetoric did influence the decision more than they should have," said O'Hanlon of Obama's announcement.
In response to a question about reactions to Obama's decision, White House Spokesman Jay Carney on Thursday said this is all about looking forward, as "this is about implementing his (the president's) strategy and taking another step, as he committed to, that demonstrates the ongoing success in the strategy and the progress we've made."
Discussing Obama's decision, Kristin Lord, vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security said she thinks Obama made a "difficult but correct decision."
"While U.S. military commanders should retain maximum flexibility to shape the nature of this drawdown, and while it will create new risks in Afghanistan, the sapping of American economic power is now a greater risk. The costs of such a high level of commitment in Afghanistan now exceed the benefits to American security interests, and the president's announcement should spark a broader reconsideration of U.S. priorities," said Lord.
