“The decision making process that led to the surge in Iraq began with a review of the assumptions upon which our strategy had previously been based. It found that most of those assumptions were no longer valid and therefore it pointed to the necessity of changing the strategy in some fundamental ways. Today I would say President Obama has to look at these assumptions and determine the relationships between certain realities on the ground.”

Meghan O’Sullivan, Kirkpatrick professor of the practice of international affairs and member of the Belfer Center’s board of directors, was interviewed for Harvard Kennedy School Insight, which is currently featured on the HKS homepage.

For the full interview, go to: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/publications/insight/international/meghan-osullivan

“The United States ambassador to Afghanistan, who once served as the top American military commander there, has expressed in writing his reservations about deploying additional troops to the country, three senior American officials said Wednesday. The position of the ambassador, Karl W. Eikenberry, a retired lieutenant general, puts him in stark opposition to the current American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who has asked for 40,000 more troops.”

Karl Eikenberry, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and former Harvard Kennedy School national security fellow (1992-93), was featured in “U.S. Envoy Urges Caution on Forces for Afghanistan,” which the New York Times published on November 12, 2009.

For the full article, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/us/politics/12policy.html?scp=2&sq=eikenberry&st=cse

“The lessons from Waziristan do not neatly prescribe an obvious course of action, but they will help us to make better judgments about the costs, benefits, and means of success, and they deserve to be considered carefully. Most of all, they will remind us that Afghanistan is neither Vietnam nor Iraq — it is Afghanistan.”

William Tobey, a Belfer Center senior fellow, wrote “Afghanistan is Neither Vietnam Nor Iraq,” which Foreign Policy published on November 10, 2009.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.org/publication/19692/

“No one is talking about leaving Afghanistan, or even standing pat. We are increasing our commitment.”

-Michele Flournoy, under secretary of defense for policy

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ht83_HM4xuTLmtOrA2ml8UqYTV3AD9BQJH4G0

“On the bottom line question - yes or no on McChrystal’s request - Kerry says no. He argues that McChrystal reaches ‘too far, too fast.’ Kerry recommends that further troop increases must meet three conditions: reliable Afghan troops to partner with American forces, local political leaders, and civilian advisers to speed development. Truth be told, none of these three will be in place soon.”

Belfer Center Director Graham Allison wrote “In Afghanistan, Kerry Keeps US Goals Modest,” which the Boston Globe published on November 4, 2009.

For the full oped, go to: http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/19673/

“‘I took this job because I was asked to take it, and because it is very, very important,’ McChrystal told me. ‘Admiral Mullen’ — head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — ‘specifically said to me: “You go out, you decide what needs to be done, and you tell me whatever you need to do that. Don’t constrain yourself because of politics. You tell me what you need.”’”

General Stanley McChrystal, top commander in Afghanistan and former Harvard Kennedy School national security fellow (1996-’97), was profiled in “His Long War,” which the New York Times published in its Sunday magazine on October 18, 2009.

For the full profile, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/magazine/18Afghanistan-t.html?ref=magazine
_________

McChrystal and Vali Nasr, a senior fellow with the Belfer Center’s Dubai Initiative, were interviewed in “Obama’s War,” which PBS’ “Frontline” aired October 13, 2009.

For the full show, go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/

“This is something that takes a tremendous amount of understanding. What I’m really telling people is the greatest risk we can accept is to lose the support of the people here…If the people are against us, we cannot be successful. If the people view us as occupiers and the enemy, we can’t be successful and our casualties will go up dramatically.”

General Stanley McChrystal, top commander in Afghanistan and former Harvard Kennedy School national security fellow (1996-’97), was interviewed on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on September 27, 2009.

For the full interview, go to:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5345009n&tag=related;photovideo

“President Obama should reaffirm his counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. It may be resource-intensive, difficult to execute and require untold patience. But the alternatives are no more attractive.”

Meghan O’Sullivan, a member of the Belfer Center’s board of directors, contributed to “Topic A: What’s the Right Strategy for Afghanistan?” which the Washington Post published on September 27, 2009.

For the full opinion article, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092502788.html

Is there a ‘Plan B’ for U.S. efforts in Afghanistan?
CNN.com
September 22
Quoted: Rory Stewart, Carr Center
Topic: U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan

… The call for more U.S. soldiers is “the right approach … and we back it,” Karzai said during an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

The United States now has about 62,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, with NATO and other allies contributing about 35,000 more.

Some observers have said attacking al Qaeda is fundamentally a counterterrorism strategy, requiring a limited number of new troops. It’s the Plan B strategy advocated by some in the White House according to a senior pentagon official.

“The last thing Afghanistan needs is for us to increase troops and then run out the door again,” said Rory Stewart, the director of Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights. “We’ve seen a lot of boom and bust. It needs a patient, long-term relationship.”

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