President Trump offering
tough talk...calling
terrorists in Afghanistan
quote "thugs, criminals,
predators and losers".He's
vowing to fight to
win...indicating the U-S will
expand its presence in
Afghanistan.But he offered few
SPECIFIC details on HOW it
would do so.U-N-F Political
Science professor, Doctor
David Schwam-Baird joins us on
The Morning Show.
3
3
.
>> WHAT IS OUR EXIT STRATEGY?
IT IS STILL SEEMS LIKE IT IS AN
OPEN-ENDED COMMITMENT.
HE DIDN'T GIVE DETAILS HOW MANY
TROOPS HE WOULD BE COMMITTING.
ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE SCUTTLEBUTT
OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE MAKES IT
SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL BE BETWEEN 4
AND 6,000 WHICH WOULD AUGMENT
OUR PRESENCE THERE TO SOMEWHERE
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 14,000
AMERICAN TROOPS.
>> THE AMERICAN OFTEN SPEAKS IN
THE ABINGSTRACT, AS A CANDIDATE
HE DENOUNCED AFGHANISTAN WHY
MAKING COMMITME NOW?
>> HE IS CLEARLY LISTENING TO
THE GENERALS WHO DO NOT WANT TO
ABANDON THE SITUATION NOW WITH
WEAK AFGHAN ARMY WITH WEA
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT AND ALLOW THE
TALIBAN FOR SPREAD.
AND THAT IS A LEGITIMATE
CONCERN.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT WILL
REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE
LONG RUN?
THE AFGHANISTAN HAS BEEN
INCREASING CONTROL OVER THEER
TERRITORY.
THE AFGHANI GOVERNMENT IS
INCREASINGLY WEAK, UNSTABL
CORRUPT, ET CETERA.
WE CAN WANT TO SUPPORT THE
AFGHAN ARMY AS MUCH AS WE WANT
WITHOUT CLEARLY DEFINING WHAT IS
GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND
ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION AND A
GAINABLE SOLUTION IN
AFGHANISTAN.
HARD TO KNOW IF THERE IS EVER
GOING TO BE AN ENDS GAME IF
THERE IS EVER GOING TO BE AN
EXIT.
>>> YOU MENTIONED PAKISTAN AND
THISs IS A MUCH ABOUT PAKISTAN
AS AFGHANISTAN.
AND THE GOAL IS TO PRESSURE
PAKISTAN STEPPING UP THE FIGHT
AGAINST TERRORISM.
>> RIGHT.
THE PROBLEM WITH PAKISTAN IS
THAT PAKISTAN ITSELF AND
PAKISTAN ARMY AND PAKISTAN ISI
WHICH IS LIKE THEIR CIA, ARE
DIVIDED.
THEY ARE -- THERE ARE GENERAL,
THERE ARE OFFICIALS WHO WHO
SHARE OUR GOALS THERE ARE ALSO
GENERALS ARE ALSO OFFICIALS WHO
ARE SUPPORTING THE TALIBAN AND
SUPPORTING OTHER GROUPS.
AND WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO
GET THEM TO HAVE A CONSISTENT
POLICY THAT ISN'T UNDERMINING
OUR POLICY THERE.
AND THIS HAS BEEN TRUE SINCE THE
1980s WITH THE WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN AGAINST THE
SOVIETIATS.
>> Bruce: CERTAINLY A
SITUATION WHERE TIME WILL TELL.
