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WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama acknowledged on Monday that 13 years of a US-led war could not bring peace to Afghanistan.
In an interview to a CBS News talk show “60-Minute,” President Obama also rejected the suggestion to send more US troops to Syria and Iraq to combat the self-styled IS militants.
“Let’s take the example of Afghanistan. We’ve been there 13 years now close to 13 years. And it’s still hard in Afghanistan,” said Mr Obama while explaining why he was reluctant to send US troops to new fronts.
“Today, after all the investments we have there (in Afghanistan), and we still have thousands of troops there,” he said. “So the notion that after a year in Syria, … somehow we would be able to solve this quickly is an illusion”.
He noted that the situation in Syria was different from Afghanistan because the Afghan government had asked the United States and its allies to send their troops to fight the Taliban.
“Syria (is) … a country where the existing government hasn’t invited us in, but is actively keeping us out,” he said.
President Obama said he knew there were factions inside the Republican Party who wanted America to “send endless numbers of troops into the Middle East”.
For such people, he added, the only measure of strength was “sending back several hundred thousand troops” to war.
Mr Obama said the United States no longer could impose peace or police a region. Such an action, he said, would get thousands of Americans troops killed or injured and cost Washington trillions of dollars.
Published in Dawn, October 13th , 2015
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Comments (43) Closed
Oct 13, 2015 09:56am
Why no comments from anyone so far? Amazing!
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Oct 13, 2015 09:56am
Good that the Caesar of our time is realizing the limits of his power, after a million dead Iraqis, Afghanis, Libyans, Egyptians (common theme 'Muslims'). I will purposely not count the 5,000 dead American soldiers, as they willfully sacrificed themselves to Caesar's ambition.
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Oct 13, 2015 09:58am
No comments from anyone so far!
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Oct 13, 2015 10:05am
When will US understand the war in Afghanistan is a struggle between ethnic groups? US should not ignore the majority of population in the name of self interest. Iraq and Syria is another example where majority of the Sunnis and Shias are being ignored in both nations to align with self serving governments
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Oct 13, 2015 10:13am
At last America accepts that their Foreign Policy is a failure. Actually American business & economy is running with these war, Its known to all that Neither IS, Taliban nor any other Militant outfit produces weapons of its own, so from where they get?, They get it from these so called developed countries.
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Oct 13, 2015 10:14am
@Roger - After thirteen years, the president commented, should be good enough :)
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Oct 13, 2015 10:17am
He admits US defeat at Afghanistan?
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Oct 13, 2015 10:22am
What a nobel peace price winner!!
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Oct 13, 2015 10:22am
Afghanistan needs military rule
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Oct 13, 2015 10:25am
These (people) cannot live peacefully anywhere no use of interfering in their business let them do to each other
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Oct 13, 2015 10:27am
Well at least i admire his honesty about their failure as a super power and so called the world leader and champion of peace..One should know that every one has a certain limitation...discriminatory policies will never bring everlasting peace...what america need is a change of heart, a drastic change international policy and use her technological advancement in helping people in eliminating world hunger and promoting peace using its unbiased influence..in fact the revolution of hearts in much more needed than any thing else...The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us?....
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Oct 13, 2015 10:37am
Why they love to interfere in other countries??? They have badly damaged their image.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:02am
Result of wrong allies. US has been cheated here. And they like it.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:28am
This is also to make fool of American public. Every thing is going as per plan in all of the places, and new 'hot spots' to come. They want it this way. It serves to them better instead of peace and real democracy.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:56am
Can guns bring the peace you're talking about Mr. President? Mention any place where your guns and missiles have delivered peace except carnage and death of millions of innocent Muslims?
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Oct 13, 2015 01:34pm
its not only Afghanistan but you failed in Iraq as well.
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Oct 13, 2015 01:53pm
Dear All,
Afghanistan is the land which can never be conquered. Its the history and it will remain like this till the day of judgement, in course many mediums will try but nobody can conquer the people of Afghans....
Agree with AbuAshhad...its the history...NWO only want to create such ideological instances to increase the arms sales and custody of oil wells.....
Iraq is the most historical place of Muslim world and they looted most antique things from the museum, destroyed the historical places through their own fabricated groups....without coming into the picture.
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Oct 13, 2015 01:56pm
Obama just come to know after finishing his period in White House that war is not the solution to bring peace after 13 years of active participation in Afghanistan. what a realisation ?
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Oct 13, 2015 02:08pm
They came into Afghanistan and the first thing they did is to propel the minority northern Alliance to power in Afghanistan, steam rolling and sidelining the majority Pakhtoons. Then the icing on the cake was the invitation to all extra regional and irrelevant nations like India, as far as Afghanistan is concerned, to make the country as their base to destabilize Pakistan. They were warned by Pakistan, but they didnt listen, perhaps that was their intentions and game plan. They will never admit it, but subsequent events and the deliberate spread of this so called war of terror inside Pakistan from Afghanistan and resultant deaths of 50000 Pakistanis, will always be remembered, never forgotten, never forgiven by coming generations of Pakistanis.
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Oct 13, 2015 02:19pm
latest news america dropped tons of arms for the insurgents in Syria while Russia is helping the legitimate govt. Do not need a brain to understand who is the cause of all the terrorism in the muslim world.
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Oct 13, 2015 02:33pm
The war imposed on Afghanistan was based on lies. It was a false war on terror.
The whole region suffered as a result of increased terror. Pakistan lost the most both in monetary and lives.
The elites of the world created the problem and then tried to impose a solution.
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Oct 13, 2015 02:39pm
This is the so called super power ... can't even bring peace in a country like Afghanistan. US didn't learn anything from Vietnam, clearly. No distant foreign occupier can win in gorilla warfare no matter how much you bomb and kill the locals.
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Oct 13, 2015 02:54pm
it is amazing that the US could not bring peace in Afghanistan in 13 years, although Afghanistan was a peaceful country 13 years back - when the US attacked Afghanistan..
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Oct 13, 2015 03:12pm
Afghanistan nor Iraq invited USA for bombing. In 1990, Iraq was bombed for occupation of Kuwait. The Kuwait occupation vacated. but similarily Arab land occupation remain intact with Israel. Later 2003, illegal war with awesome bombing to finish all infrastruture. All in the interest of Israel. Afghanistan was bombed for few people but whole country damged. None can finish Taliban if they are supported by people. Why USA support illegal criminal behaviour of Isreal killing daily poor innocent people since they are muslims. Stop all wars, negotiate with all and solve the problems; as none wants gun culture. How long USA will save corrupt/dictator/autocrat leaders who are in control by bombs.
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Oct 13, 2015 03:25pm
Respected Sir, there is no peace any where your country intervene
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Oct 13, 2015 03:44pm
The west's most 'lucrative' exports are of armament to 'unstable' parts of the world!
The west would bode well if they stopped interfering in others' affair. What have they achieved in Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya. The refugee/migrants to Europe are a result of the West's in sensitive foreign policies. The Middle East is tinderbox!
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Oct 13, 2015 03:50pm
Mr. Obama, This is what you had planned before attack on Afghanistan. There will be no peace in Afghanistan until your forces will stay there.
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Oct 13, 2015 03:54pm
Ofcourse Mr President you have failed, because you never listened to pakistans advice. Bringing India, Northern Alliance goons , in other words, every one but pakistan and you failed. Then you turned to pakistan to get you out of pakistan, and you are succesfully beating retreat in a slightly more dignified way then in Vietnam and that is thanks to pakistan, it's army and ISI, who know the region, Afghanistan and are guiding you out through the abysmal complex lost situation you have got yourself into.
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Oct 13, 2015 03:58pm
@Dilip Thorat US relied on a loser India to back it in Afghanistan and they failed taking US down with it. Now US is asking Pakistan to get them out, not India. US policy is ' India is only for name, but Pakistan is for the real game'. Only pakistan can deliver in this entire region because it is the only real viable regional power.
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Oct 13, 2015 04:02pm
How can Obama blantantly Lie to the world that the Afghan government had asked the United States and its allies to send their troops to fight the Taliban. Does he think people have short memories? Infact Talibans were in power when on a false pretext the US and its allies invaded soverign Afghanistan. Good that Obama has learned and said that the United States no longer could impose peace or police a region. Such an action, he said, would get thousands of Americans troops killed or injured and cost Washington trillions of dollars. Afghan Talibans have finally taught America a lesson they'll never forget.
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Oct 13, 2015 04:47pm
Regardless of what Obama says in public, US had Plan B and that is working fine. It may take some time but no one said US was in a hurry.
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Oct 13, 2015 05:04pm
Sincere efforts are required to bring peace in Afghanistan.
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Oct 13, 2015 05:26pm
God has kept America geographically away from the rest of the world for a good reason.
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Oct 13, 2015 05:32pm
I can accept your failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying... so please try again this time fix the problem make sure it is based on humanity and not on American interest...
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Oct 13, 2015 05:34pm
@Roger I am pleased by his comment...The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
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Oct 13, 2015 05:48pm
Thank you for accepting that you were wrong. What about the thousands killed? What about the millions whose lives you disrupted? Would you accept to pay damages? If not, then please get lost from this region forever.
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Oct 13, 2015 06:46pm
A candid statement.US should have understood it earlier before Afghanistan invasion.When it will realise that Israel is the epicentre of all Middle East troubles.
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Oct 13, 2015 10:54pm
@Taimoor Khan ... Pretty crisp analysis. Just remember "they" are the US State Department. Not the President or the military. They make the decisions. The US State Department actually works inside the White House.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:09pm
@Arslan .... America did learn a great deal from the Vietnam War. The American military learned a great deal from the Vietnam War. They built Highway One which has allowed goods and produce to travel north and south. The Vietnamese economy is pretty out standing for a developing country. They have great natural resources, and are the second leading exporter of rice and the third leading exporter of coffee in the world. Americans are allowed to come and go freely. Even former American servicemen are welcome. The Vietnamese were never converted to Islam, although one of China's Muslim provinces are right next door. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have gotten a new start.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:26pm
@Pakistani .... The US intervened in the former Yugoslavia to save Bosnian Muslims and it is peaceful there now. I know young Bosnians in Chicago and Hawaii who want to forget the war. The best way to do that was to leave their country behind and make new lives. The US did not intervene in Syria, and the Syrians are worse off. I know an older Bosnian with a sheep farm who travels back and forth from Chicago. When he makes enough money he will go back home permanently.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:36pm
@HUBAHU .... Pakistan and Afghanistan are still left with a disease called Taliban.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:41pm
@Zahid .... America is the country Pakistan and India wishes they were.
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Oct 13, 2015 11:47pm
@Roger ... Obama promised to pull out all US military personnel if elected president. What he found out was that the State Department runs the Executive Branch and not him.
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