Washington in Five Minutes

WHITE HOUSE

Kissinger rips Bush, mum on Obama

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Tuesday called the Bush government “a failed administration” and said the United States and the world could not afford a repeat of the past eight years.

Mr. Kissinger, addressing a dinner in Washington celebrating the 50th anniversary of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a Britain-based think tank, was asked to predict the Obama administration´s likely first mistakes in foreign policy.

While acknowledging that he supported Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, over Sen. Barack Obama, in the election, Mr. Kissinger said that Mr. Obama´s “success is extremely important to the U.S. and the world. We should not have another failed administration.”

Mr. Kissinger, who served as national security adviser and secretary of state in the Nixon and Ford administrations, added, “I´ve taken a pledge not to criticize [the Obama administration] for a period of months. When a new administration comes in, they bring a lot of people who have thought of foreign policy in theoretical and abstract terms. They have to be acclimatized. They should be given the benefit of the doubt and the ability to develop their own ideas.”

AFGHANISTAN

Murtha skeptical about troop surge

Rep. John P. Murtha said Tuesday the situation in Afghanistan is so challenging that he estimated it would take 600,000 troops to fully squelch violence in the country.

The Pennsylvania Democrat, who chairs the powerful subcommittee that funds the military, said his figure was based on the country’s history of rigorous fighting and its size.

“That’s what I estimate it would take in a country that size to get it under control,” Mr. Murtha said in an interview.

Mr. Murtha also said he’s uncomfortable with President Obama’s decision to increase the number of troops in the country by 17,000 before a goal was clearly defined. But he said he anticipates a plan will be developed to train Afghan security forces, and then the U.S. military will get out. He said he sees Afghanistan as more of a diplomatic mission than a military one.

“I think you’ll see a change,” Mr. Murtha said. “I’m confident you’re going to see them only adjusting for a short period of time with these additional troops.”

WHITE HOUSE

Obama restores species act rule

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