Fwd: National Security Update – It’s (Mc)Crystal Clear: It’s about the Mission, not the Man

heritage.org | Heritage research | Blog |                         June 28, 2010 Issue in Depth: Afghanistan Following the release of an article in Rolling Stone, President Obama replaced Gen. Stanley McChrystal with Gen. David Petraeus as the man in charge of leading our troops in Afghanistan. This decision, however, does not change the nature of the battle we are facing. With a timeline in place that puts political interests before national security interests we continue to send the wrong message to both our friends and our allies. Furthermore, this administration needs to pledge to give our military the full resources they need to carry out the job. Afghanistan is a battle we can afford to fund, but cannot afford to lose. Please see our most recent research on the conflict in this week's National Security Update. Latest Research: The Heritage Foundation: The U.S. Can Afford the Troop Increase in Afghanistan In 2010, President Obama's proposal to increase U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan will cost an estimated $30 billion. Designed to protect the lives and well-being of the American people, the President's proposal will defend the vital interests of the United States. To put this additional $30 billion in perspective, it amounts to roughly 0.2 percent of the estimated size of the economy in 2010. The Heritage Foundation: Taliban Reconciliation: Obama Administration Must Be Clear and Firm As 30,000 additional American soldiers are deployed to Afghanistan, the U.S. is also focusing on reintegrating Taliban insurgents into Afghan society. There has been speculation that this new focus is part of a quick-exit strategy for the U.S. While reintegrating as many local Taliban fighters as possible is a vital part of the counterinsurgency strategy, premature negotiations with Taliban leaders based in Pakistan could easily backfire. The Heritage Foundation: President Obama's Afghanistan Speech: An Uncertain Message President Obama's West Point speech announcing his long-awaited decision on Afghanistan sent mixed messages that raise more questions about his Administration's commitment to success than they answered. The Heritage Foundation: President Obama Should Give the Senate Access to the Negotiating History of New START Ambiguous language on strategic missile defense in the preamble of the recently signed strategic arms reduction treaty (New START) has prompted some Senators to request access to the negotiation records for the treaty. However, the Obama Administration and Democrat Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have denied all such requests, claiming precedent for not providing such access. In fact, Senate precedent supports granting the request. More Blogs and Commentary: The Foundry: Heritage Foundation Statement on the War in Afghanistan That deadline, which President Barack Obama announced to the American people, the military, our allies and our enemies on December 1, 2009, has provoked many — including the government in Kabul, the Afghan people, the military in Pakistan, and our enemies the terrorists – to question America's resolve to win the War in Afghanistan. The Foundry: Time to Dump the Afghanistan Timeline As long as we are being frank, we ought to acknowledge that problem #1 in the president's strategy was setting an artificial timeline for withdrawal. That led our military leaders to question the strategy in Afghanistan and put tremendous, unnecessary pressure on our armed forces to accomplish the task at hand. The Foundry: What Senator Kerry is Missing on Obama's Russian Reset As President Medvedev of Russia is coming to visit Barack Obama, the Administration's spokesmen are desperately trying to convince us that the "reset" policy with the Russia has paid off.   More Events: June 30, 2010, 10:15 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.  Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Afghanistan: Standing Shoulder to Shoulder with the United States Please join The Heritage Foundation as the new Secretary of State for Defence, The Rt. Hon. Liam Fox MP, outlines the fundamental importance of Britain's mission and campaign in Afghanistan, and the vital role of the Anglo-American Special Relationship. June 30, 2010, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: A Good or Bad START? Join us for a panel discussion as we examine the New START Treaty in the context of the Obama Administration's wider nuclear, missile defense, and strategic agenda. July 8, 2010, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: U.S. Capabilities to Manage Irregular Conflicts in the 21st Century Dr. Roy Godson and Dr. Richard Shultz argue that the United States needs a set of tools and skills suited to the world as it is and as it is likely to evolve, not as it was. Copyright All Rights Reserved © 2009, The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400