Qaeda Woes Fuel Talk of Speeding Afghan Pullback

[xchrom]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/world/asia/19policy.html?ref=world

WASHINGTON — As the Obama administration nears a crucial decision on how rapidly to withdraw combat forces from Afghanistan, high-ranking officials say that Al Qaeda’s original network in the region has been crippled, providing a rationale for an accelerated reduction of troops.

The officials said the intense campaign of drone strikes and other covert operations in Pakistan — most dramatically the raid that killed Osama bin Laden — had left Al Qaeda paralyzed, with its leaders either dead or pinned down in the frontier area near Afghanistan. Of 30 prominent members of the terrorist organization in the region identified by intelligence agencies as targets, 20 have been killed in the last year and a half, they said, reducing the threat they pose.

Their confidence, these officials said, was buttressed by information found in Bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan. They said the trove revealed disarray within Al Qaeda’s leadership, with a frustrated Bin Laden indicating that he could no longer direct terrorist attacks by lieutenants who feared for their own lives.

[Edweird]

1. Pull out. Deal with the bad guys the same way as OBL. Oh and stop the drone stupidity.

OBL should have been taken out long before 9/11.

[Bragi]

2. Yes, please, declare victory and end it

The faster and bigger the troop drawdown, the less chance voters will have in 2012 to reflect on Obama's unwise escalation of this pointless war.

For my part, I'm prepared to pretend it's a victory, and prepared to try to convince my friends that they should also pretend it's a victory.

Do it!

[obxhead]

3. Get them all out in 6 months.

From Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It can be done. Any equipment that can't be brought out in that time simply blow in place and walk away. Call it a jobs program replacing it if you have to.

Lives depend on it, no expense should be spared.

[DCBob]

4. There have been a series of reports recently indicating a change in the Admin position on AF...

I think we may be out of there sooner than many expected. Hope so.