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US President Barack Obama greets cadets at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York - Source: Reuters -
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The top US battlefield commander said that President Barack
Obama's 30,000-strong troop increase for the Afghan war would make
a huge difference, as the White House prepared to sell the new
strategy to Congress.
Rising combat deaths and military costs have sapped US public
support for the eight-year-old war and Obama's troop increase plan
has prompted protests from left-leaning leaders of his Democratic
Party ahead of congressional elections next year.
Within hours of Obama's speech announcing the extra troops -
delivered as Wednesday dawned in Afghanistan - top US and NATO
commander General Stanley McChrystal set off on a battlefield tour
to rally his forces.
Paraphrasing Winston Churchill in a rousing speech by videophone to
his commanders, McChrystal called Obama's pledge of reinforcements
the end of the beginning of the war.
But the Taliban, in a statement issued by email, said the increase
would only increase their resolve.
"This strategy by the enemy will not benefit them," it said.
McChrystal told his commanders the additional forces would at last
give them the troops they need to speed up the training of Afghan
security forces and protect towns and villages.
Training Afghan troops was now their main effort, he said.
"At the end of the day, the success of this operation will be
determined in the minds of the Afghan people," he said.
"It's not the number of people you kill; it's the number of people
you convince. It's the number of people that don't get killed. It's
the number of houses that are not destroyed. It's the number of
children that do get to go to school."
Asked later if he was getting enough new troops, he told reporters:
"I think it is going to make a huge difference. I think we'll be in
great shape."
Top Obama administration officials were due in Congress later on
Wednesday where they can expect a grilling from Democrats dubious
of escalating the war, and Republicans suspicious of Obama's call
for an 18-month timeline to begin withdrawing.
In his televised speech on Tuesday, Obama said the goal of raising
US troop levels to nearly 100,000 was to step up the battle against
the Taliban, secure key centres and train Afghan forces so they can
take over, allowing for a US withdrawal.
"We always wanted to take over the responsibility for the destiny
of our nation," Afghan Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak
told reporters, adding that Obama's speech confirmed that the US
wants to help them do that.
"We just asked the international community to equip us quickly, to
train us quickly, so that we can fulfil our historic
responsibility."
Allies were also expected to send more soldiers, with Obama saying
the common security of the world was at stake.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged coalition countries to
back Obama's initiative.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed the plans, but did not commit France to following suit.
Poland said it might send 600 troops to boost its contingent of
2,000.
Shorter timeline
There was no initial word from President Hamid Karzai, whose
relations with the Obama administration are strained amid a
re-election which involved widespread voter fraud.
But after meeting Karzai, McChrystal said the Afghan president
backed the plan.
"It was really positive. The president was very upbeat, very
resolute."
Karzai is due to announce the makeup of his new government in
coming days, and Washington says it is watching closely for signs
he will combat corruption and appoint competent ministers.
Obama's pledge to start bringing US troops home in 2011, provided
conditions on the ground allow it, may help him contain rebellion
among Democrats but drew swift condemnation from Republicans, who
argue that setting withdrawal timelines emboldens the Taliban and
undermines support for US-backed governments in Afghanistan and
Pakistan.
Congressional committees scheduled hearings on Wednesday and
Thursday to review the revised strategy, estimated to cost $US30
billion this fiscal year.
Obama has the authority to send the soldiers, but Congress must
approve the cost.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen,
are scheduled to appear before Congress.
McChrystal, who had recommended sending 40,000 troops, will testify
next week.
Troop moves from January
Major US troop movements are likely to begin in January and all
30,000 should be in place by the end of August, far faster than
planners had earlier suggested but in line with McChrystal's
request for reinforcements before the summer fighting season.
Other NATO members are expected to commit between 5,000 and 7,000
additional troops, although some of them are already deployed as
part of the alliance's 42,000-strong contingent.
Marking a major shift in US strategy, McChrystal said the vast
majority of the new combat troops would be fielded in partnership
with Afghan units; a counter-insurgency mentoring tactic he said
had not been fully possible in the past because the Afghan army and
police were too small.
In his speech, Obama also focused on Pakistan, saying a cancer had
taken root in its border region with Afghanistan and promised US
help to end it. Some officials in Islamabad fear the US surge in
Afghanistan will further destabilise their country.
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