AMPHI TV

According to reliable sources the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan has given in writing to the President his opposition to sending more troops to Afghanistan. He had earlier expressed his reservations about the amount of corruption in the Karzai government. His opinion would also influence the President as it would be a first hand on the ground assessment. He says that committing more troops to such a corrupt and inefficient government would serve no purpose. The Obama administration is under pressure to take a quick decision on the number of additional troops to be deployed to Afghanistan. The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan was the commander of the ground troops in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007. After retiring from the military he was made the Ambassador to Afghanistan. His position puts him at odds with the top NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal. He had asked for an additional 40000 troops. Without that he said the situation in Afghanistan would become untenable. The government is also considering sending as few as 10000 troops also. The Republicans have been in favor of sending more troops while most Democrats do not want the administration to commit more troops for a government they feel is not efficient. There are widespread allegations of corruption against the Karzai Government.

Finally the contentious healthcare bill backed by the Democrats has been passed in the US house of representatives. The bill totaling more that $1 trillion is expected to totally change the face of the US healthcare system. President Obama had made this his first priority after he has taken office. He has staked his reputation on this Bill. The debate on the bill has been based entirely on party lines. The Democrats have been nearly unanimously in favor of the bill. Republicans have been opposed to the Bill. The president has been trying to get bipartisan support for the bill. Senator Edward Kennedy who recently passed away was one of the strongest proponents of the bill. It aims to bring more citizens in the ambit of health insurance. He had written a letter that was to be read in the House after his death. In the letter he says that Healthcare reform was his lifelong goal and he urged Congress to pass the bill. The final vote was 220 – 215. 39 Democrats did not vote along expected lines. The Republicans opposed the bill on the grounds that it would greatly increase government spending . Also a source of controversy was the option of government run insurance. Now what has to be seen is whether the bill will pass the Senate where the Democratic party has a smaller majority.