Afghanistan

Emanuel: ‘Afghan Partner Needed’

Before more troops committed.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday that any decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan would have to first carefully weigh the soundness and stability of the Afghan government. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Emanuel said that it would be “reckless” to commit more troops to Afghanistan without making a “thorough analysis” of the Afghan government’s ability to match that commitment. “The question,” said Emanuel, “is not how many troops you have, but whether in fact there’s an Afghan partner.” Emanuel’s comments paralleled similar statements made earlier this week by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry. Emanuel also touched on the other hot topic in the Obama administration—Fox News. “It’s not a news organization so much as it has a perspective, and that’s a different take…it’s important not to have the CNN’s and the others of the world being led and following Fox, as if what they’re trying to do is a legitimate news organization,” Emanuel said.