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 President Obama is reviewing US strategy on Afghanistan |
US President Barack Obama has said the US is not winning in Afghanistan, saying it is more complex than Iraq.
In an interview with the New York Times, he said reaching out to the Taleban could be an option, in the same way outreach had worked in Iraq.
However, the "fierce independence among tribes" in Afghanistan presented different challenges, he said.
A month into his presidency, Mr Obama authorised the deployment of up to 17,000 extra US troops to Afghanistan. [It would appear this is a giant scheme to get attention off of Iraq. This way he doesn't have to carry through with all his promises on what would happen in Iraq.]
Asked if the US was winning in Afghanistan, Mr Obama replied: "No." [When the Pope was asked, he said "No." as well.]
Mr Obama and his advisors are reviewing the US strategy on Afghanistan, and have looked at what has worked in Iraq.
 |  Those tribes are multiple and sometimes operate at cross purposes, and so figuring all that out is going to be much more of a challenge -President Obama |
"There may be some comparable opportunities in Afghanistan and in the Pakistani region," he said on board Air Force One.
Mr Obama, referring to the US policy in Iraq, said: "If you talk to General [David] Petraeus, I think he would argue that part of the success in Iraq involved reaching out to people that we would consider to be Islamic fundamentalists, but who were willing to work with us because they had been completely alienated by the tactics of al-Qaeda in Iraq." [The whole "reaching out" buisness just make me smile concidering how that word is used in the modern Church. Perhaps the Catholics would be our best bet in Afghanistan.]
However, Afghanistan could be a different situation.
"The situation in Afghanistan is, if anything, more complex," he told the newspaper.
"You have a less governed region, a history of fierce independence among tribes.
"Those tribes are multiple and sometimes operate at cross purposes, and so figuring all that out is going to be much more of a challenge."
Terror suspects
He also discussed what the US would do if a terror suspect appeared in a country without an extradition arrangement with the US. [This is what president Obama would do if he was in the same room as a terror suspect (or so I hope):
Terror Suspect: First things first, to the death.
President Obama: No. To the pain.
Terror Suspect: I don't think I'm quite familiar with that phrase.
President Obama: I'll explain and I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog faced buffoon.
Terror Suspect: That may be the first time in my life a man has dared insult me.
Obama: It won't be the last. To the pain means the first thing you will lose will be your feet below the ankles. Then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose.
Terror Suspect: And then my tongue I suppose, I killed you too quickly the last time. A mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight.
The One: I wasn't finished. The next thing you will lose will be your left eye followed by your right.
Terror Suspect: And then my ears, I understand let's get on with it.
Neo: WRONG. Your ears you keep and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God! What is that thing," will echo in your perfect ears. That is what to the pain means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
Terror Suspect: I think your bluffing.
Superman: It's possible, Pig, I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable, vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. But, then again... perhaps I have the strength after all.
[slowly rises and points sword directly at the prince]
The one who was born in a manger who defied the Matrix and came from another planet: DROP... YOUR... SWORD!
"There could be situations - and I emphasise 'could be' because we haven't made a determination yet - where, let's say that we have a well-known al-Qaeda operative that doesn't surface very often, appears in a third country with whom we don't have an extradition relationship or would not be willing to prosecute, but we think is a very dangerous person," he said. ["Hypothetically speaking, lets say I have this friend and he has finals next week and he hasn't studied yet, would he be in trouble--hypothetically speaking..." Could he be anymore vague?]
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