Obama: Leaked Afghan War Documents Reveal Nothing New

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 militaryinformation is a matter of concern, the documents failed to generateany information that has not already been addressed in his new warstrategy 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 bycoalition forces and allegations Pakistan's intelligence service, theISI, supports some of the insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan.

PresidentObama told reporters at the White House that under a new strategy, theUnited States has greatly increased its commitment to Afghanistan andinsisted upon greater accountability from the country and its neighbor,Pakistan.

On Tuesday, Afghanistan's National Security Councilsaid the leaked documents show the U.S. has ignored Pakistan's role inthe Afghan insurgency.

In a statement referring to Pakistan, theAfghan council said the lack of a clear U.S. policy towards forces whouse terrorism has led to devastating results.

Council head andAfghan national security advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta later questionedU.S. aid to Pakistan, saying it is "not justifiable" for the U.S. togive $11 billion to Pakistan for reconstruction and security and seethose "same forces training terrorists."

Pakistan ForeignMinistry spokesman Abdul Basit dismissed allegations that his countrysupports elements of the Afghan insurgency on Monday, calling them"far-fetched and skewed."

The U.S. Chairman of the JointChiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said Tuesday the unauthorizedrelease of the papers could put U.S. troops in Afghanistan at risk.

U.S. officials say they are launching an investigation into who provided WikiLeakswith the classified documents. One military official says it could be"days if not weeks" to determine how the documents released onlinecould impact the lives of U.S. service members and coalition partner