Afghan troop decision soon: Obama
Source: Agencies |
November 14, 2009, Saturday
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UNITED States President Barack Obama, facing withering criticism for a prolonged decision-making process on Afghanistan, asserted yesterday he doesn't want the next move to be seen as an "open-ended commitment."
In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Obama also said he was bent on "getting this right."
He denied concerns that his administration has been dithering and said that whatever policy change he announces must be aimed at protecting America from terrorist networks.
Opening a weeklong trip to Asia, Obama said the US and Japan must "find ways to renew and refresh the alliance for the 21st century."
Hatoyama said the two leaders had agreed to spend the next year refining the nearly 50-year-old treaty that defines relations between the two World War II adversaries.
"Both Yukio and I were elected on the promise of change," Obama said. "But there should be no doubt that as we lead our nations in a new direction, our alliance will endure and our efforts will be focused so that it will be even stronger in meeting the challenges of the 21st century."
With Obama weighing a new strategy for Afghanistan, Hatoyama said Japan would end a refueling mission for the US military. But he promised US$5 billion in aid for Afghan civilian needs such as schools, agriculture and police.
The new Japanese leader also vowed to cooperate with the US on combatting climate change, with both men saying their counties "aspire" to reduce emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and nuclear proliferation.
Asked if he would visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only two cities destroyed by atomic bombs, Obama responded that he would be honored to do so - but not on this trip. Calls have grown in Japan for Obama to visit the cities after his speech in Prague in April calling for a nuclear-free world and his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize.
On Afghanistan, Obama said he was not waiting for any new information. Rather, he said, he wants to be sure he strikes the right balance before committing more US troops and billions of dollars to the eight-year-old conflict.
In a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Obama also said he was bent on "getting this right."
He denied concerns that his administration has been dithering and said that whatever policy change he announces must be aimed at protecting America from terrorist networks.
Opening a weeklong trip to Asia, Obama said the US and Japan must "find ways to renew and refresh the alliance for the 21st century."
Hatoyama said the two leaders had agreed to spend the next year refining the nearly 50-year-old treaty that defines relations between the two World War II adversaries.
"Both Yukio and I were elected on the promise of change," Obama said. "But there should be no doubt that as we lead our nations in a new direction, our alliance will endure and our efforts will be focused so that it will be even stronger in meeting the challenges of the 21st century."
With Obama weighing a new strategy for Afghanistan, Hatoyama said Japan would end a refueling mission for the US military. But he promised US$5 billion in aid for Afghan civilian needs such as schools, agriculture and police.
The new Japanese leader also vowed to cooperate with the US on combatting climate change, with both men saying their counties "aspire" to reduce emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and nuclear proliferation.
Asked if he would visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only two cities destroyed by atomic bombs, Obama responded that he would be honored to do so - but not on this trip. Calls have grown in Japan for Obama to visit the cities after his speech in Prague in April calling for a nuclear-free world and his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize.
On Afghanistan, Obama said he was not waiting for any new information. Rather, he said, he wants to be sure he strikes the right balance before committing more US troops and billions of dollars to the eight-year-old conflict.
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