Sen. Durbin Skeptical About Obama's Afghan Exit Strategy

Dick Durbin Won't Commit To Support Budget For Afghanistan


One of President Barack Obama's closest allies in the Senate would not commit on Sunday to voting in favor of the proposed surge of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, saying he had outstanding questions about how serious the administration was about its withdrawal timeline.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told Fox News Sunday that he was "skeptical as to whether 30,000 more troops will make a difference," noting that there were now "over 200,000" troops in the country, when counting those from NATO, the Afghan army and the United States.

Asked specifically if he would vote in favor of a budget to pay for the additional troops that the president -- his one-time Senate colleague -- has requested, Durbin merely said he would make up his mind after more consultations.

"I will meet with the president...and have conversations about that deadline which appears to be interpreted different ways by different people. But I would like to believe that by July of 2011 that we will be in a position where we are going to see our troops really coming home," said the Illinois Democrat.

"The thing that I find encouraging, you probably find discouraging," Durbin earlier told host Chris Wallace. "And that is the fact that he has said to the leader of Afghanistan, Mr. Karzai; 'There is a limit beyond which we will not leave American troops. We are not going to make Afghanistan a protector of the United States. You have to change your government. You have to show that you are willing to stand up and fight for your own country.' I think that message is long overdue."






Clinton, Gates Walk Back Obama's "Locked In" Afghan Withdrawal

Despite the president's commitment on Tuesday that a surge of US and international troops in Afghanistan would "allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011," that date is not a "drop dead deadline"--at least according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates recorded an interview with David Gregory that's set to air Sunday on NBC's Meet The Press. Both Clinton and Gates contradicted Obama's withdrawal language:

HILLARY CLINTON: We're not talking about an exit strategy or a drop dead deadline. What we're talking about is an assessment that in January 2011, we can begin a transition. A transition to hand off -- responsibility to the Afghan forces.


ROBERT GATES: We're not talking about an abrupt withdrawal. We're talking about something that will take place over a period of time.... Our military thinks we have a real opportunity to do that. And it's not just in the next 18 months. Because we will have a significant -- we will have 100,000 forces -- troops there. And they are not leaving-- in July of 2011. Some handful or some small number or whatever the conditions permit, we'll begin to withdraw at that time.

After the president's speech, CBS News's Chip Reid sought clarification as to whether July 2011 was a "target" or a deadline and asked Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about the date. Reid reported that Gibbs then called him to his office "to relate what the president said. The president told him it IS locked in - there is no flexibility. Troops WILL start coming home in July 2011. Period. It's etched in stone. Gibbs said he even had the chisel."



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Sources: Huffington Post, Fox News, Politico, Google Maps