US President Barack Obama's decision to set a deadline for drawdown of troops from Afghanistan was a mistake as it sent out wrong signals to the people on the ground - both allies and enemies - an influential senator Joe Lieberman has said. Senator Lieberman, on a trip to the war-torn country, however said Obama's motive while announcing a timeline was to send out a message that US troops would not stay in the country forever. “On balance, I think it was a mistake, because it sent a message to the Afghans, to the Taliban, to people in the neighbourhood that we're going to leave, regardless. And that's not the fact,” Lieberman told the Fox News. At the same time, Lieberman noted that he understands why Obama made such an announcement. “With regard to the date of July 2011, which President Obama said was the date by which he would begin withdrawing troops, I understand why President Obama said that when he committed to Afghanistan and winning in Afghanistan last December. I think he did it so the Afghans wouldn't think we'd stay here forever,” he said. Lieberman said Gen David Patraeus, the new commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan has already clarified that the decision would be based on the ground realities in the July of 2011. “The President has come some distance now in the last couple of weeks and clarified that. Whatever we do in July of 2011 will be based on conditions on the ground at the time,” he said. “You know, the President made the right decision last December that America has a vital, national security interest on the line here in Afghanistan. We've got to win it. And therefore, you don't put that on a timeline,” Lieberman said. The Senator said the country would want to bring back the troops home as soon as possible. “But if conditions don't allow it next July, I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think General Petraeus will let it happen,” he said.
