People's Daily
U.S. House Speaker pressures Obama on Afghan strategy
John Boehner, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, on Wednesday pressured the Obama administration on its Afghanistan strategy, saying that troops withdrawal should not be "on political calculations."
Boehner led a six-member congressional delegation on an Afghan visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, and met with Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan David Petraeus and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"During our meeting with General Petraeus, he noted that security gains have been made in Afghanistan, but that they are fragile and reversible," the Speaker said in a statement.
"That is why we must remain steadfast in our commitment to the counterinsurgency strategy our commanders on the ground have put in place and to ensuring its success, rather than focusing on meeting arbitrary deadlines for withdrawal," he said.
The Obama administration planned to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July, with the goal of handing lead security responsibility to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. Many Republicans have raised concern about this timetable, saying it might undermine the tenuous progress the U.S. has made there.
"Any drawdown of U.S. troops must be based on the conditions on the ground, not on political calculations," Boehner said.
Source: Xinhua
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7356761.html
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