After Being Married For Over

Us Ambassador To Iraq Ryan Crocker And I Have Repeatedly Sought To Emphasize That The Progress In Iraq Is Fragile And Also, Possibly, Reversible.

If You Don't Want To Have To Kill Or Capture Every Bad Guy In The Country, You Have To Reintegrate Those Who Are Willing To Be Reconciled And Become Part Of The Solution Instead Of A Continued Part Of The Problem. And Then, Above All, The Resources.

President Obama Has Said That Our Aspirations Should Be Realistic. We Are Not Going To Turn One Of The Poorest Countries In The World, That Was Plunged Into 30 Years Of War, Into An Advanced, Industrialized, Western-style Democracy. What We Want To Achieve Is Afghanistan's Capacity To Secure And Govern Itself.

Reconciliation Is What Takes Place, Of Course, At Higher Levels. President Karzai Has Been Very Clear About The Red Lines For Reconciliation, Accept The Constitution, Lay Down Their Weapons, Cut Their Ties With Al Qaeda And Essentially Become Productive Or At Least Participating Members Of Society In That Regard.

The Question Is Always How You Get The Number Of Troops Needed. They Do Not Have To Be Coalition Forces. We Also Have To Expand The Training Program For The Afghan National Army And The National Police, In Particular. And Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Already Announced Support For A Significant Increase In The Afghan Army.