Timeline for Afghanistan?

It is being reported that President Hamid Karzai recently told a visiting U.N. Security Council delegation that the international community should set a timeline to end the war in Afghanistan. This appears to be the first time President Karzai has called for a limit on the time that US and international efforts to defeat Taliban militants.

Karzai was quoted as saying:

"If there is no deadline, we have the right to find another solution for peace and security, which is negotiations."

Now Karzai didn't specify when he wants the deadline set by. Currently the international community and the United States are ramping up military and aid efforts for Afghanistan. The U.S. now has some 32,000 troops in the country, but U.S. military leaders say up to 20,000 more American forces could be sent to Afghanistan in 2009.

President-elect Barack Obama has made it clear that he plans to send more support to Afghanistan. It is interesting to see how this will affect Obama's plans.

The Afghani president also told the U.N. team that airstrikes by international military forces and searches of Afghani homes must stop. President Karzai has made this demand repeatedly.

Rachel Maddow spoke about this on her television show:

LibertyAir Blog