Obama to unveil new Afghan strategy in upcoming speech

    Although the speech is still in draft form, senior U.S. officials were quoted by the New York Times on Monday as saying that the president wanted to use the address not only to announce the immediate order to deploy roughly 30,000 more troops, but also to convey how he intends to turn the fight over to the Kabul government."

    "It's accurate to say that he will be more explicit about both goals and time frame than has been the case before," a senior official said on condition of anonymity.

    "He wants to give a clear sense of both the time frame for action and how the war will eventually wind down," he added.

    The officials said the time frame would not be tied to particular conditions on the ground nor would it be as firm as the current schedule for withdrawing troops in Iraq.

    Officials of one allied nation who have been briefed on the speech said while Obama would describe how the American presence would be ratcheted back after the buildup, he would also make it clear that a significant U.S. presence in Afghanistan would remain for a long while.

    As the public is turning negative toward the Afghan war and his fellow Democrats are increasingly vocal in their opposition to a troop buildup in Afghanistan, the incoming decision is regarded as one of the most critical moment to shape his presidency; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.