In the Loop: December 4, 2009 Archive

Nation-building in Afghanistan

Posted at 11:51 AM on December 4, 2009 by Sanden Totten (1 Comments)

President Obama is hesitant to set an actual deadline for withdrawal in Afghanistan. But his new plan makes it clear that getting out in the next couple of years is a priority. To do that successfully though, U.S. forces need to make sure the Afghan government is willing and able to take over the mission when Americans leave.

Sounds like it's gonna require some nation building on our part.

In the past In The Loop has turned to the Center for New American Security for analysis of military strategy. And they are not shy about advocating for nation building as one way to solve problems abroad. So we called up the Center's Brian Burton, a researcher at the organization, to talk about how much building does Obama's plan call for and if he thinks it will be enough.

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