U.S. President Barack Obama has praised the British and pushing back the Taliban inside Afghanistan but still says there is a long way to go.
In an
interview with Sky News during his tour in Ghana Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama said that the Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan have been pushed back but there is still a long way to go, “We knew that this summer was going to be tough fighting ... They [the Taliban] have, I think, been pushed back but we still have a long way to go. We've got to get through elections.”
He continue to discuss future plans in Afghanistan and that the role of U.S. and NATO forces in the region could be altered a little bit after the August 20th Presidential elections, “It may not be on the military side, it may be on the development side.” Later he added, “We need to start directing our attention to how do we create an Afghan army, an Afghan police, how do we work with the Pakistanis effectively so that they are the ones who are at the forefront of controlling their own countries
Pres. Obama also gave accolades to the British and their role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Prior to the President’s visit in Afghanistan, eight British soldiers were killed.
In an article on Digital Journal
British Public Support for Role in Afghanistan has Grown, there has been growing support for Britain’s role in Afghanistan. Pres. Obama also iterated, “This is not an American mission. The mission in Afghanistan is one that the Europeans have as much if not more of a stake in than we do ... The likelihood of a terrorist attack in London is at least as high, if not higher, than it is in the United States.”
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and current
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have not committed troops in Afghanistan because they did not want to put their men and women in harm’s way.
