Doubt you will read much about this in the media as it goes against the talking points they want to tell. Just like that optimistic poll of Afghans the media largely ignored.
http://abcnews.go.com/...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/...
Senator Carl Levin and Senator Al Franken just returned from a trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, January 13th, Senate Armed Service Committee Chairman Carl Levin held a media conference call from the Dubai International Airport. It was about 10:30 at night for him -- and the Committee Chairman walked us through his general impressions of things in Afghanistan. He didn't speak for Senator Al Franken, who was not to the best of my knowledge on the call.
Levin reported that he and Franken had spent three days in the region -- the first day in Pakistan followed by two days in Afghanistan. He said that they had met with General Stanley McChrystal, General William Caldwell and General David Rodriquez -- who was the operations commander on the ground, according to Levin.
Will be interesting to hear what Al Franken has to say about all this. This probably would have been his first trip there so he would not be able to comment so much on any progress he sees.
Levin said "we went to places away from Kabul today. We saw real partnering with Afghans." He continued, "it's reassuring to see that happening...."
Senator Levin stated that he was in Afghanistan last September and that, compared to then, he had seen "a significant increase in optimism about possibility of success in Afghanistan."
He did add that the situation is "still very complicated, still far from certainty of success."
He said that the confidence level of our leaders in the region and of Afghan leaders that we are "making progress" is higher today.
Levin continued, "Our counterinsurgency strategy may be taking hold. We are offering terms of security better than the false security offered by the Taliban."
Here is the story on HP. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, HP desperately tries to put a negative spin on it. Conveniently ignoring the troop surge currently happening based on the troop increase Obama ordered almost immediately after taking office Jan20.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Here are Al Franken's comments which were not included in the above story:
After trip, Franken sees chance at success in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s troop buildup in Afghanistan began having an impact even before the first group of additional soldiers were deployed, Sen. Al Franken said Wednesday.
Franken, D-Minn., said Obama’s Dec. 1 announcement that he would send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and begin withdrawal in July 2011 spurred the Afghan government to accelerate recruiting for its army and police to provide security once U.S. forces leave.
"They got so many recruits they had to cut them off at a certain point because they don’t have enough trainers," Franken said.
Although Obama was soundly criticized for announcing a withdrawal date, Franken said it has turned out to be a "brilliant touch, because everyone there knows now they’re going to have to become full partners, and they are."
.....
Based on his talks with McChrystal and others, Franken said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the prospects for success under Obama’s new strategy. Part of that strategy, he said, involves an intense counterinsurgency against Taliban forces.
"I feel better than I did before I got there," said Franken, who has been leery of Obama’s plan.
"I don’t like sending 30,000 more troops there because Franni and I have attended 13 funerals since I’ve been sworn in," Franken said, referring to soldiers’ funerals he and his wife have attended. But he said he likely will vote to fund the surge.
While in Pakistan, Franken said he got a sense that the government there is strong and secure and is making inroads in uprooting terrorists.
"They’ve made some excellent steps in pursuing some of the violent extremists in Pakistan," he said.
http://blog.alfranken.com/...