in the forty-eight hours and some since President Obama spoke to the nation to outline his new strategy on Afghanistan, I’ve moved from concern about the absence of conviction in his rhetoric to cautious optimism about his relative indifference to the war effort. Now, don’t get me wrong; I don’t think he wants us to lose the war there, far from it. It’s just that I think he’d rather focus on other things.
And as far as Afghanistan is concerned, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it may be a good thing, indeed, a very good hence my slight change of heart since I heard him speak.
When he addressed the nation, he didn’t seem to have his heart in his speech as he has in past addresses. Yet, the nut and bolts of his strategy are pretty sound. Not just that, he has in charge of the effort two men involved in the successful “surge” in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates who supervised that shift his strategy from his then-new perch at the Pentagon and General Stanley McChrystal who, as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command in 2007, helped General David Petraeus implement the surge in Iraq.
If the President’s heart is not as much in this effort as it is in overhauling our health care system, he likely won’t micromanage the war as LBJ micromanaged Vietnam, devoting his time to his domestic agenda. He’ll let the generals win the war based on the broad guidelines he set and the conditions on the ground. With General McChrystal in charge, the President has picked a good man. Should he let his fight the war according to the plans that outstanding soldier has outlined, we’re likely to succeed in Iraq, achieving the victory Obama refused to call by its name.
Even so, should we win Iraq, Obama will deserve a substantial share of the credit. He’s the guy who tapped McChrystal. And he’s the one who signed off on his strategy.
RELATED: Charles Krauthammer disagrees.
I can’t see how he gives a damn about Afghanistan. He picks McChrystal and then promptly tosses him under the bus, along with our soldiers, backs up and runs over them a few more times. 116 soldiers died while his happy ass was out on the golf course “agonizing” about what he should do and convincing the stupid that he didn’t want to rush things.
The “strategy” we get from his speech is that he’s sending over LESS than the minimum estimated to do the job so they can prepare to pull out, and maybe serve as Taliban targets, in 18 months just in time, conveniently, for an election. This has nothing to do with winning and everything to do with keeping the team-killing fucktards on the liberal douchebag left happy.
If we win in Afghanistan, it will be DESPITE the elitist snob POSIC in the WH.
Obama has not passed the posing and posturing stage of being president. In fact, this is his “A” game and his coaches and trainers are no better. We are looking at the President and All The Presidents Men and it is a clown car full of nasty or foolish (or both) political hacks.
When Obama was in Alaska on his way to Asia, he told the troops there he would never put them in harms way without 100% backing, a clear mission, etc. etc. etc. But it seems not to occur to his perfect self that he was dithering and hemming and hawing with tens of thousands of troops squarely in harms way without a clear mission from him. What explains his inability to understand the office and the job? His constant grasping to be the guy who comes out on top is so stupid when he is coming out on top of a pile of his own manure.
I want the troops home tomorrow. They are not pawns in a game of politics.
There is no “winning” in Afghanistan. There is no reason for us to be there. Who are we fighting? Who, in Afghanistan, has attacked or is planning to attack America? This is insane and evil. The blood of every young American who dies in Afghanistan is on the hands of every liberal who voted for Obama.
I’m with Krauthammer on this one. I don’t want him micromanaging the war, but it would be nice if he actually showed that he cares and supports the troops.
Most on the Left are strictly enamored of Obama: hindering their ability to see him for the ineffective leader he is. Organizational talents are soon meaningless if a CEO is devoid of knowledge necessary to implement policy. After 3 months Obama welcomed clover, much to the consternation of the public. Americans will not tolerate being played for time while so much is at stake.
Agreed. I am also a bit torn over this one.
The Teleprompter’s unwillingness to state the essential truth of war – that our exit strategy must be, and can only be, to WIN – is a giant red flag, making me worried for our troops under such a leader.
On the other hand, he is making his liberal base eat sh*t and face up to the fact that we are in Afghanistan (and Iraq for that matter) for real reasons and will continue to fight under some reasonable strategy. You could call that, the American political system at work.
What reasons?
Hello? Can you read this back there on 9/10/01?
TGC, thanks. Sometimes I’m too tired.
Those people are in Pakistan now. So why are we in Afghanistan?
Sweet Jesus!!! Are you serious?
Sometimes, the only way to win the fight with evil is to show up for it. And then kill the other guy, when he shows up.
Since we are in in Afghanistan, the Islamists certainly are there – to fight us. And as Islamists, are in need of being killed. (Not talked to, or “understood” and allowed to go on.)
Equally, if we weren’t in Afghanistan, the Islamists would be there – to oppress the people of Afghanistan, especially killing the gays and anybody who won’t bow to their vision of Islam.
So either way, a bunch “those people” would be and are in -Afghanistan- now. And because they can slip across the border to Pakistan, they need to drawn into battle in Afghanistan with our brave troops – and killed that way. If we leave Afghanistan without killing them, they will take over not only Afghanistan first, but then Pakistan as well – and since Pakistan has a stockpile of nuclear bombs for them to take over, then the whole world would really be screwed.
It’s not a fight I’m capable of carrying out. But others are capable of it, and I support them. (I donated a car to a soldiers’ charity this year but that is another story.)
P.S. Ash, if your suggestion here is to invade Pakistan, then make it openly. But then “those people” who are not already in Afghanistan, will only cross the border back into Afghanistan.
My suggestion is to leave the region completely. There is nothing to win and no reason to be there. Unless part of Obamacare is giving away free heroin.