Family Life

12.02.09 | FL News Team

President Obama's plan for Afghanistan is drawing a mixed reaction today from members of Congress. In a speech last night at West Point, Obama unveiled plans to send another 30-thousand troops to the war, while setting in motion plans to begin pulling troops out in 18 months. Arizona Senator and former Republican presidential candidate John McCain expressed support for the plan to send more troops to Afghanistan, but said he objects to setting a date for an exit strategy. "Dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions," McCain told reporters on Capitol Hill, adding, quote, "The way that you win wars is to break the enemy's will, not to announce dates that you are leaving."

 Meanwhile, Bloomberg.com reports Republicans in general weren't particularly thrilled with Obama's plan to start pulling troops out in 18 months and to see the war ended within three years. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, quote, "As this surge of forces produces results in security, governance and in capabilities of the Afghanistan Security Forces, we must ensure that the transition of responsibilities is based on conditions, not timelines."

 Democrats generally embraced the exit strategy. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid called the Obama plan a, quote, "sound strategy for sending our troops to Afghanistan, but also a clear plan to begin to bring them home." Reid called the Obama plan, quote, "an essential distinction between his approach to the war and that of the previous administration."

 Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was noncommittal after the President's speech, saying he, quote, "articulated a way out of this war with the mission of defeating al-Qaeda and preventing terrorists from using Afghanistan and Pakistan as safe havens" to launch attacks on the U.S. Pelosi said it's now up to the American people and Congress to fully examine this strategy. Last September, the House speaker told reporters there wasn't a great deal of support for sending more troops to Afghanistan.