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Obama: Leaked Afghan War Documents Reveal Nothing New

   VOA News 27 July 2010
   President  Obama speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, after
   a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress, 27 Jul 2010

Photo: AFP

   President  Obama speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, after
   a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress, 27 Jul 2010

   Mr.  Obama  said  Tuesday  that  while  the leak of sensitive military
   information  is  a matter of concern, the documents failed to generate
   any  information  that  has  not already been addressed in his new war
   strategy implemented last year.
   The  documents  covering  the  last  six  years of the Afghan war were
   released  Sunday  by  the  website  WikiLeaks. They include details of
   civilian   casualties   allegedly   caused  by  coalition  forces  and
   allegations Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, supports some of
   the insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan.
   President  Obama  told  reporters  at the White House that under a new
   strategy,  the  United  States has greatly increased its commitment to
   Afghanistan  and insisted upon greater accountability from the country
   and its neighbor, Pakistan.
   On  Tuesday,  Afghanistan's  National Security Council said the leaked
   documents  show  the  U.S.  has  ignored Pakistan's role in the Afghan
   insurgency.
   In a statement referring to Pakistan, the Afghan council said the lack
   of  a  clear  U.S.  policy towards forces who use terrorism has led to
   devastating results.
   Council head and Afghan national security advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta
   later  questioned U.S. aid to Pakistan, saying it is "not justifiable"
   for  the  U.S.  to give $11 billion to Pakistan for reconstruction and
   security and see those "same forces training terrorists."
   Pakistan  Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit dismissed allegations
   that his country supports elements of the Afghan insurgency on Monday,
   calling them "far-fetched and skewed." Â
   The  U.S.  Chairman  of  the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen
   said  Tuesday  the  unauthorized  release of the papers could put U.S.
   troops in Afghanistan at risk.
   U.S.  officials  say  they  are  launching  an  investigation into who
   provided   WikiLeaks  with  the  classified  documents.  One  military
   official  says  it  could  be "days if not weeks" to determine how the
   documents  released  online  could  impact  the  lives of U.S. service
   members and coalition partners.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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