Friday, December 18, 2009

Prodigal Son

We really need to keep Pakistan on the line in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. No matter how imperfect their help has been, it is critical to keep what we can so that our efforts inside Afghanistan aren't a total waste of our time. This press conference addresses this front and our efforts to keep Pakistan fighting:

And we're -- important to stress that this, the July 2011, is not an end to U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. It's a transition point; it's an inflection point. It means that we're going to, on a conditions-based basis, start to transition -- on a conditions-based basis, start the transition to Afghan lead.


But the U.S. presence, the U.S. role in Afghanistan is going to continue. And that was a message that was very important to the Pakistanis, because they don't want us to leave Afghanistan, as we did in 1989 -- and the statements that I'm sure you all have heard from the secretary and others, that we are not going to do what happened in 1989 again; we're not going to abandon. We made that point. We discussed this issue with some great detail. They had a lot of questions. And I think -- and I'll have to leave for the Pakistani side to describe their feelings -- but I believe -- my belief is that we addressed their concerns and they left understanding that the commitment to the United States in Afghanistan is for the long term, and it is -- and that is what Pakistan -- the Pakistanis tell us they want, is a stable Pakistan -- I mean, I'm sorry, a stable Afghanistan -- of course, a stable Pakistani as well.

Let's tone down the talk of how fast we'd like to stampede for the exits, eh? Madam Speaker?

UPDATE: Strategypage discusses just why Pakistan is such an imperfect--but necessary--ally.