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Fmr. U.S. Army Under Secretary Joe Reeder on Obama’s potential plans for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
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It's business electric countdown to the pull out -- little more than an hour the president's expected to tell the nation.
Says that he is beginning that withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan although it might not be as many and it won't be as fast.
As -- would like I think -- from about 101000.
This year maybe it'll be double that next year at this time.
Hard to say we'll get the firm words in the president in -- little more than our count former army undersecretary Joseph -- happy.
If the troop strength remains.
-- where it it is right I mean your big concern.
Secretary is what that we we overdo it now.
All I'm fine -- arm.
With.
The pull out that I think is going to be announced that 101000 troops we've got that'll leave.
Ninety -- and boots on the ground special ops.
Army Marines.
In air force.
And that's three times what what President Bush had on the ground and so I'm perfectly comfortable with the 101000.
I'm very uncomfortable when he pre announced all out kind of broadcast.
It would be a -- incredible.
Gift to the Calabar.
Now by that is telegraphed figure letting them sort of wait for -- that the troop draw down so what are you wanna hear out of them tonight.
Sued to alleviate those concerns.
Well it what what we don't want to hear.
-- outside don't wanna hear polio political expedience.
And taken away -- The flexibility of the commander.
The commanders would 9000 -- have got more than enough assets there to deal with any develop bomb threat we've eliminated.
Osama bin Laden and I think we've eliminated.
At least for -- the -- time future al-Qaeda.
Being there in Afghanistan as a training training ground.
I don't want to hear any promises.
Preordained about what we're gonna do as of election time in 2012.
What is it fairly inevitable sort of very that.
Come election time we will be seeing that down draft and that will be.
I don't know any Democrats way to put this political capital for the president.
Well it's political capital.
-- would -- if the recent Ford is that we've done our job we've established stability -- It's up to Afghanistan -- Afghans.
To bring about -- long term.
Tranquility and peace and stability there and that that nation.
But we give them stability.
And their troops or building up in training every single day it's perfectly -- Qaeda plot I just don't wanna see it is part of the the dialogue.
That dialogue that's political.
How long do you think this goes on you know you've heard all the -- -- about war fatigue in this country I even talked to.
On a -- earlier today a loss -- -- in Iraq who could sympathize with this war fatigue.
And that if it does.
Drag on much longer.
It's going to -- translates is zero support what what do you make -- -- Well -- court she got war for peak here in the US.
It is very costly.
You've got work to -- there and Afghanistan but look this we're going on ten years now since 9/11.
We have eliminated.
Osama bin Laden we've destroyed al-Qaeda.
Is that -- basically in Afghanistan it doesn't.
Function but but that's my -- so that's a that's have a because but because -- -- taking out with some of Enron a lot of people are gonna mistake.
That well that there and then our whole purpose of originally going into Afghanistan.
To to seek at the Taliban and and to go after al-Qaeda nefarious elements including.
Disarmament Iran.
Mission accomplished.
What -- you said.
Well I'd say mission is accomplished when we give the Afghan so reasonable stable reasonably stable basis to proceed forward because.
Hey -- they they can come right back if we leave and it's it's complete chaos there.
So mission a mission has been advanced measure -- Both administrations the path administration in the current administration.
Not finished yet.
-- finally we are involved in a lot of they're since directions and incentives are noble causes what we're doing in Libya went up.
We are spread kind of -- and I'm I'm wondering whether the president should address that and and separate Afghanistan from the.
Well you know.
We are spread then it's a very good -- I think any time our values are at stake we should deploy -- political diplomatic economic.
Assets never military.
And -- we have a national interest at stake.
We have a national interest its stake in pulling out of Afghanistan in a way that sends a message should not -- Afghan to tell abounds and al-Qaeda terrorists and what not.
But anybody else -- -- when United States of America come somewhere.
And they they don't leave job unfinished.
We -- in a way that's respectable and gives fighting chance to the people that we keep -- -- to deal with.
All right secretary thank you -- very much Joseph -- Former army undersecretary joining us.
