from the Worchester Telegram & Gazette. This is one of the more detailed articles I've seen - and the quotes are interesting (though not surprising given the quotes in SFRC hearings)
“The president said our mission is to disrupt and dismantle al-Qaida and prevent them from coming back into this country,” Mr. Kerry said of the post 9-11 war plan. “They are not in Afghanistan now,” he said of al-Qaida, and if the U.S. and its coalition partners gear up military operations to suppress the Taliban as recommended recently by Gen. McChrystal, he said, “It is no longer an anti-terrorism strategy.”
<snip>
What Gen. McChrystal has outlined is a counterinsurgency strategy,” Mr. Kerry said. The general's call for as many as 45,000 more troops to add to 68,000 American forces already deployed, Mr. Kerry said, comes at a time of growing doubt over the central Afghanistan government of President Hamid Karzai and whether the U.S. can fight to support that government against a locally supported insurgency.
While developing a new strategy, Mr. Kerry said, he is asking whether the U.S. can continue waging war against the Taliban with the current military footprint in the country and succeed.
“Moreover,” he asked, “Do you have government that can make it happen? We don't have that now.”
http://www.telegram.com/article/20091007/NEWS/910070419/1052(Comment - choosing the 4 paragraphs was hard and there is a very nice photo - so clicking into the this is worth it.
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