George Stephanopoulos reports on events in politics, Congress and the White House for ABCNews, on the air and online. He interviews top newsmakers, discusses the events of the week and looks to the week ahead each Sunday on 'This Week.'
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Jones: 'Imprudent' to End U.S.Airstrikes in Afghanistan Despite Civilian Casualties
May 10, 2009 10:59 AM
President Barack Obama's national security adviser Gen. Jim Jones told me this morning that it would be "imprudent" to end U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan.
During his visit to the U.S. this past week, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan demanded all U.S. airstrikes end. He said a recent airstrike may have killed as many as 130 civilians.
"I think that we're going to take a look at trying to make sure that we correct those things we can correct, but certainly to tie the hands of our commanders and say we're not going to conduct air strikes, it would be imprudent," Jones said in his first television interview.
"That's part of the combined arms package and so we probably would not do that. But we are going to take very seriously the -- and redouble our efforts to make sure that innocent civilians are not killed."
Of Karzai's demand, Jones said, "I think he understands that we have to have the full complement of our offensive military power when we need it. We have to -- we can't fight with one hand tied behind our back. But on the other hand, we have to be careful to make sure that we don't unnecessarily wound or kill innocent civilians."
However, Jones argued the Taliban aren't "playing by the same rules."
"They're using civilians as shields," he said, "So we have to take a look at this, make sure that our commanders understand the -- you know, the subtleties of the situation, the complexity of it, and do the right thing. So it's a difficult problem, but it's not unsolvable."
--George Stephanopoulos
May 10, 2009 in This Week with George Stephanopoulos | Permalink | Share | User Comments (7)
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a comment was made wouldn't it have been a tragedy if edwards had won what about clinton how about other presidents he is high profile of today why not talk about him it will go on and on
Posted by: anne palilonis | May 10, 2009 11:25:18 AM
No wonder these Muslims hate us!
Posted by: Huh | May 10, 2009 2:33:01 PM
Long as Osama Bin Laden feels his God is saying, it is ok to blow up women, innocent children, and the elders this will not stop. Real men would take this fight to the desert and meet their enemy preventing harm falling on their love ones. It seeems they must hide behind the skirts of their women and diapers of children to fight their battles. How strange to call one a mortor who do this. If they believe what they are trying to achieve is worth using their brains rather than bombs and chemicals, they should do that. This is what President Obama is saying. They are refusing to even talk about their de-mans. All they seem to be doing is acting on hate within thenselves. Please, don't associate all Muslims with these people. Many good Muslims around the world to include Osama's own children do not agree with what he is doing. This needs to stop, now.
Posted by: Pedro | May 10, 2009 3:22:46 PM
Of course it would be imprudent to stop airstrikes in Afghanistan. It doesn't matter. This is Obama's watch now and he is guilty of murdering innocent civilians and should be put on trial. If not now, do it when the next administration takes over
Posted by: leonard | May 11, 2009 12:25:29 PM
It is ironic the General says stopping airstrikes -'we can't fight with one hand tied behind our back.
Isn't that exactly what we're doing with our 'hands off' Pakistan approach?
It isn't much different than Cambodia in 1969.
How can we defeat AQ in Pakistan when we can't even put Americans on the ground there?
Either fight the war, or get out.
Posted by: J House | May 11, 2009 9:19:05 PM
J House,
Politicians never seem to learn, from EITHER Party.
YOU CANNOT win a war if you decide to play by a more stringent (moral) set of rules than your opponent. Wars & battles are messy, ugly and horrifying events. The only good thing about them is their end. Lately it seems Liberals want to engage in these events only when they can be made clean and antiseptic. We can fight so long as we never hurt anyone but the worst of the enemy. Then, in the case of terrorists, it is ok to kill, but not to agressively interrogate.
Inherently, they create the paradox that they then spend the remainder of the time criticizing.
Posted by: Mike_C | May 12, 2009 10:26:41 AM
George, first time I've watched your show through, and I have to say fair and honest debate. Good show. I thought Liz Cheney rocked (personal bias), but Carville is the one Liberal I never mind, he's in your face and honest. If waterboarding stopped a nuclear attack, and saved 500,000 American lives, was it worth it? If we stop it, and downtown Manhattan disappears in the next couple of years in the mushroom cloud of a Ukraine suitcase nuke, how will you feel about stopping it?
Posted by: Nathan Hale | May 17, 2009 4:52:24 PM
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