Obama unveils new Afghan-Pak policy

From NBC's Athena Jones The future of Afghanistan is "inextricably linked" to the future of Pakistan, President Obama argued today as he announced a sweeping new policy toward Afghanistan that will include more troops for the country and more aid for its increasingly unstable neighbor. In stern, forceful language, the president sought to make the case to the American people -- and to the world -- that the security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan was a shared responsibility that would require a sustained international effort to go after Al Qaeda and to help with economic development in the region. "For the American people, this border region has become the most dangerous place in the world," he said. "I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future." Obama has already ordered 17,000 additional troops be sent to Afghanistan ... (link)