Where They Stand On: Afghanistan and Iraq
The Basics
•Favor a timetable for leaving Iraq?
•Backed the surge of additional U.S. forces to Iraq?
•Support talks with the Taliban, as with Sunni tribes in Iraq?
McCain
•Leery that security gains could be reversed, he opposes any timetable for pullout
•Was for an increase in troops even before Bush rolled out the surge strategy in 2007
•Supports targeted "engagement with insurgents" where it can help disrupt and thin their ranks
Obama
•Calls for pulling out all 15 combat brigades, roughly half of all U.S. troops, by May 2010
•Strongly opposed it when announced; now says it has succeeded beyond expectations
•Says U.S. should explore whether opportunities for productive talks exist with Taliban
The Big Question:
Does the worsening situation in Afghanistan require accelerating combat-troop withdrawals from Iraq?
MCCAIN
NO: The worsening situation in Afghanistan requires a national counterinsurgency strategy integrating all elements of power, unity of command, deployment of three additional brigades of U.S. and allied forces, doubling the size of the Afghan National Army, a White House Afghanistan coordinator, a presidential envoy for regional diplomacy and strengthened governance capacity in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The additional forces could come from conditions-based withdrawal from Iraq, nato and non-nato allies, U.S. forces not deployed overseas and a significantly large Army and Marine Corps.
OBAMA
YES: I have long called for a shift in focus from Iraq to Afghanistan. As President, I will responsibly redeploy our combat brigades out of Iraq, which will help us restore our military and free up resources for the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. I would send at least two or three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan. I would also increase training for Afghan security forces, nonmilitary assistance to help Afghans develop alternatives to poppy-farming, safeguards to prevent corruption and pursue a comprehensive strategy to crack down on cross-border terrorism from the al-Qaeda sanctuary in Pakistan.