Turning Circles in Afghanistan

Karl W. Eikenberry
Ambassador to Afghanistan
"Now, America’s successful partnerships with the international community and the Afghan people have brought us to a turning point in our campaign to establish security and stability in this country." 
July 2, 2011 http://1.usa.gov/mQ0n0C

Barak Obama
President of the United States
“…we are now preparing to turn a corner in Afghanistan by transitioning to Afghan lead. And during this transition, we will pursue a lasting peace with those who break free of al Qaeda and respect the Afghan constitution and lay down arms.”
http://1.usa.gov/kpVLiQ
May 25, 2011

Robert Michael Gates
Secretary of Defense
“I would say that we are getting the upper hand. We have over the last 18 months put in place, for the first time, the resources necessary to ensure that this threat does not rebuild, does not reemerge once we're gone. I think we could be in a position by the end of this year, where we have turned the corner in Afghanistan.”
http://usat.ly/igUUSK
May 16, 2011 USA Today

Major General John Campbell
101st Airborne Commanding Officer
“But I really do think that as people look back, and they'll say 2010 was the year in Afghanistan. It's the year that we finally put more resources in here. We had the right leadership, the right strategy. And I think that was a turning point”
Interview with channel 5 news http://bit.ly/iNgVcJ

Hilary Clinton
Secretary of State
“Today was a real turning point”
http://wapo.st/aqk01y Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Tommy Franks
Retired U.S. Army General
"We don't need the president to decide whether to send 40,000 more people or 60,000 more people... What we need is for the president to define the desired end-state for Afghanistan. We need to have a national objective. What do you want?"
http://bit.ly/qff9i9 October 27, 2009

Joe Biden
Vice President of the United States
"Our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan ... He said we need more troops. We need government-building. We need to spend more money on the infrastructure in Afghanistan."
(October 2) http://reut.rs/g5fhkD Oct 14, 2008

George W. Bush
President of the United States
Interviewer: …Are we winning in Afghanistan?
Bush: I think we’re making progress in Afghanistan but there is a very resilient enemy…
Interviewer: ...but do you think we’re winning? Do you think we’re winning?
BUSH: I do, I think we’re making good progress. I do, yes.
http://bit.ly/pDYWk7 April 30, 2008

Hamid Karzai
President of Afghanistan
"We have now left a hard and dark past behind us… today we are opening a new chapter in our history. The tyranny has gone, the terrorist enemy is scattered... the people of Afghanistan are free."
http://bit.ly/nzxpoP September 27, 2006

Dick Cheny
Vice President of the United States
We will succeed in Iraq, just like we did in Afghanistan.
http://bit.ly/opkzpz June 24, 2005

George W. Bush
President of the United States
"Coalition forces, including many brave Afghans, have brought America, Afghanistan and the world its first victory in the war on terror… Afghanistan is no longer a terrorist factory sending thousands of killers into the world."
http://bit.ly/cLZ9dM June 15, 2004

Donald Henry Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
The U.S. has ended "major combat activity" in Afghanistan... we clearly have moved from major combat activity to a period of stability and stabilization and reconstruction activities."
http://ti.me/mOvuuh May 06, 2003