President Obama said more progress needs to be made on the political front in Afghanistan, while also calling on Pakistan to continue its military operations against the Taliban. In its latest strategy review, the White House says progress is being made in Afghanistan, but those gains are fragile and reversible.
Immediately following the president, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates discussed the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Clinton has been meeting with President Obama and other senior officials this week to discuss the war.
She later appeared at a State Department briefing on the report and was joined by joined Frank Ruggiero, who was promoted to acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan after Ambassador Richard Holbrooke passed away Monday. In the briefing Ruggiero discussed the main objectives of the review, which include counterterrorism operations against the Taliban, reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan and U.S.-Pakistan relations.
At a Pentagon briefing Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman James Cartwright discussed the goal to begin withdrawing U.S. troops by July of next year.