Obama has repeatedly emphasized the need to address the threat to U.S. security coming from Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Western Pakistan along the Afghan border. He has pressed for an increased U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, and criticizes the Bush administration for focusing on the Iraq war instead of Afghanistan.
His opponent, GOP Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), also has said he wants to see more troops in Afghanistan.
But McCain has said he may call on the NATO countries to send in their reinforcements rather than deploying mostly U.S. troops.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gates-biggest-threat-coming-from-pakistan-2008-09-23.html
Senator Barack Obama is proposing that the United States deploy about 10,000 more troops to battle resurgent forces in Afghanistan, a plan intended to shift the American military focus from the Iraq war to the marked rise in violence from the Taliban.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/us/politics/14campaign.html
Obama applauded Bushâs decision to divert some troops that were scheduled to deploy to Iraq to Afghanistan instead,
but said that not enough are being sent and since they wonât arrive until February, they arenât being sent soon enough.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/09/09/politics/fromtheroad/entry4432480.shtml
AFGHANISTAN
McCain: Favors unspecified boost in U.S. forces.
Obama: Would add about 7,000 troops to the U.S. force of 36,000, bringing the reinforcements from Iraq.
Has threatened unilateral attack on high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan as they become exposed, "if Pakistan cannot or will not act" against them.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/23/AR2008092300897.html
On Afghanistan, Obama wants to send in more troops and win the war. But more troops doing what U.S. troops now do -- fighting the Pashtun and calling in airstrikes on anything that moves -- guarantee we will lose the war. As was the case in Iraq, the first necessary step is to change what our troops are doing. From what I have seen, Obama has said nothing on that score, probably because his position on Afghanistan is mere posturing intended to show he will be "tough on terrorism."
Obama's position on Pakistan is even more dangerous. In August 2007 Obama called for direct U.S. military action in Pakistan, with or without Pakistani approval. Speaking to the Woodrow Wilson Center, he said, "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and (Pakistani) President (Pervez) Musharraf won't act, we will." U.S. President George W. Bush took Obama's recommendation this past July, authorizing such actions.
http://74.125.45.104/search?q=cache...4554/+obama+pakistan&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us