WASHINGTON // Barack Obama shot back at critics who have accused him of taking too long to decide the way forward in Afghanistan, saying that he will not rush a decision on whether to significantly increase the US presence in the central Asian war zone.
"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm's way," Mr Obama told thousands of military personnel and their families at a gathering in Jacksonville, Florida. "I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary."
The president has been engaged in an intense review of the war effort, sitting down this week to the sixth closed-door meeting with his national security team in a little over a month. He still must decide whether to deploy an additional 44,000 troops, as requested by his top commander, Gen Stanley McChrystal, who has said that a failure to do so in the next year could result in defeat.
A major strategic shift would be the second initiated by Mr Obama, who approved the deployment of 21,000 troops in March.
But the amount of time the president has taken to arrive at a decision has increasingly become fodder for his critics, some of whom have said his indecisiveness could harm US troops.
In a speech last week, Dick Cheney, George W Bush's vice president and a prominent critic of the present administration's national security policy, called on Mr Obama to "stop dithering" and "do what it takes to win".
"Make no mistake," Mr Cheney said while accepting an award from the Center for Security Policy in Washington, "signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries."
In appearances on Sunday talk shows, some Republicans voiced a similar impatience with the president's pace. "I'm afraid that with every passing day, we risk the future of the success of the mission," Senator Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, said on Fox News Sunday.
"We already have men and women who are in danger there now," added John McCain, Mr Obama's rival in last year's presidential election, who appeared on CBS's Face the Nation. "The sooner we implement the strategy, the more we will be able to ensure their safety."
The Obama administration, for its part, has repeatedly dismissed such criticism or any suggestion that it is unnecessarily endangering troops. "What Vice President Cheney calls 'dithering,' President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public," Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said last week. "I think we've all seen what happens when somebody doesn't take that responsibility seriously."
The administration received some unlikely support from George Will, a prominent conservative columnist, who also criticised Mr Cheney's attack. "A bit of dithering might have been in order before we went into Iraq in pursuit of non-existent weapons of mass destruction," Mr Will said. "We have much more to fear in this town from hasty than from slow government action."
So far the White House has declined to give any indication of when a decision might come. In a press briefing on Monday, Mr Gibbs said the final decision could arrive "at any moment". He later said he expected a decision "in the coming weeks".
Some have speculated that Mr Obama will hold off until after the scheduled November 7 run-off election, which the administration has said is crucial to future political stability in Afghanistan and ensuring the United States has a credible Afghan partner.
Meanwhile, the number of casualties continues to rise. Eight soldiers and an Afghan civilian were killed yesterday in bomb attacks in the south and separate helicopter crashes killed 14 Americans on Monday, among them US drug-enforcement agents. 55 US troops have now been killed in Afghanistan in October, making it the deadliest month for US forces since the eight-year conflict began.
In a separate public appearance, Senator John Kerry, who was responsible for persuading Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, to accept evidence of fraud in the voting in August and participate in the second round of voting, said he thought Gen McChrystal's request for 44,000 troops "reaches too far, too fast".
"The bottom line is that deploying additional troops won't result in sustainable gains if the Afghan security, civilian, and governance capacity isn't there," Mr Kerry said in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent research organisation.
"Right now, as our generals will tell you, in many places, too many places, it isn't."
Mr Kerry, who met with Mr Obama last week, praised the president for taking the time to investigate all options on the table. "I believe President Obama has been right to deliberate and take the time necessary in order to find the best policy."
sstanek@thenational.ae
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82.500 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (Turf) 2,410m
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Dubai Trophy (TB) Conditions Dh183,650 (T) 1,200m
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,400m
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPOPC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAmna%20Aijaz%2C%20Haroon%20Tahir%20and%20Arafat%20Ali%20Khan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eart%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20u%3C%2Fstrong%3Endisclosed%20amount%20raised%20through%20Waverider%20Entertainment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg
Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg
Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed