Over a month ago, I was optimistic that President Obama would act decisively on Afghanistan. With each passing week, it grows more clear that I was wrong.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel signalled today that no decision will be made any time soon on the military’s request for more troops for Afghanistan, because there are questions that need to be asked and answered:
“The president is asking the questions that have never been asked on the civilian side, the political side, the military side and the strategic side,” White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Among the things the Obama administration wants to know from Afghan leaders: “Do you have a credible Afghan partner for this process that can provide the security and the type of services that the Afghan people need?” …
Echoing comments from Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, Emanuel said it would be “reckless to make a decision on U.S. troop levels if, in fact, you haven’t done a thorough analysis of whether, in fact, there’s an Afghan partner ready to fill that space that the U.S. troops would create.”
Excuse me, Mr. Emanuel. Your boss has been the President for nine months. He campaigned for almost two years on the premise that Afghanistan was the necessary and just war.
And now he’s just getting around to asking questions?
I have some questions too.
The problems with the Karzai regime in Afghanistan are not new. Knowing the problems, why didn’t the Obama administration get started on day one dealing with the problems?
And why didn’t the Obama administration take a proactive stance in advance of the recent elections to prevent voter fraud? Since the election results are the reason why there is doubt if we have a “partner” in Afghanistan, why did the Obama administration ignore the warning signs and only deal with the electoral problem after the fact?
And what about the Obama administration’s new strategy announced last March:
“Today, I am announcing a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. And this marks the conclusion of a careful policy review, led by Bruce [Reidel], that I ordered as soon as I took office.”
Did Obama and his advisers not ask the civilian, political, military and strategic questions which now are being asked before implementing the March strategy?
Obama complained that George Bush ignored Afghanistan because Bush was distracted by Iraq. Will the Obama administration accept that Obama and his inner-circle have been distracted by the full-court press to restructure the health care system? As relates to Afghanistan, health care reform has been Obama’s Iraq.
Last, but not least: Will the Obama administration ever accept any responsibility for anything that goes wrong on Obama’s watch? Never mind, I know the answer to that question.
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Related Posts:
Clean Up Your Own Mess First, Mr. President
Farce Repeats Itself As History
Support Obama On Afghanistan
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Comments
Plus, the Democrats have owned the various Senate and House oversight committees for the past 2 years and 9 months.
Is anyone keeping a running tally of how many men and women we've lost since the jackass in the White House has been dithering on the Afghanistan issue?
It seems that the Bush Administration read a little more then the Obama Administration — Unless you have read Hopkirk's Great Game series, don't venture into Afghanistan.
The Bush Admin read that series and changed the battlefield. The Bush Admin took the side of Wilsonianism.
The Democrats believe in dictators and they have never honored "Politics stops at the waters edge,"
The Obama campaign never had a plan for Afgahnistan, nor the democrats. They won. Let them own it.
In my lifetime, only democrats have sold out America's allies. Why? Because even foreign policy can be politicized.
No principle or staffer on capitol Hill or former Bush Admin should help the Obama Admin with Afghanistan — aftwer all they have "The best and the brightest,"
Again, let their left's policies take them down the Khyber Pass. Bush knew of the trap there.
Not Obama.
This is insanity. Its obvious how the Democratic Party would have benefitted from the failure of the Iraqi govt during the Surge, but what the hell are they doing now?
Do domestic politics completely rule 100% of all foreign policy decisions of the Democratic Party?
They are utterly incompetent.
Certainly no one, possibly not even the President, knows what direction our Afghanistan “policy” will take. There are some hints:
1. The Obama administration will let the “decision” on GEN McChrystal’s troop request hang out there until his friends in the media lose interest and stop asking about it.
2. Everyone (even me) knows that the President’s party is adamantly opposed to entering any conflict with the objective of “winning the war.” GEN Biden has verbalized the typical Democratic Party battle plan: Fire missiles from far away ships; declare victory; sail away. But, even the President knows this solution is a non-starter. So…
3. Recently, the administration let it be known that an additional 13+ thousand troops are being sent to the Theater. These are in addition to the 22+ thousand already due to move in country in the future – but are now there now.
4. That would leave an approximate balance of 26-27 thousand troops short of McChrystal’s request. This number is roughly equal to 1 ½ army divisions including support troops. Therefore…
5. Sometime in the next few months the administration will announce it is sending fewer troops to Afghanistan than the General requested thus pleasing the anti-war left, but he will send just another infantry division and several independent brigades (approximately 3,500 troops each).
6. The left will weep. The right will rage. And, the General will have what he asked for anyway.
News from Iowa: The Des Moines Register is reporting that the Iowa National Guard is undertaking its largest unit mobilization since WWII. The (Iowa-based) 2nd Brigade of the 34th Infantry Division is being called to active duty for deployment in 2010. See what I mean?
Obama's answer to Afghanistan is quite clear if you use the following equation: T + NA = NO: Time plus no answer equals no. (Sam Goldwyn?)
Obama has Twiddle Dee Dum's famous quote as his guide; "Don't just do something–Stand there!"
Obviously, His Won-ness is trying to vote "Present" yet again. After all, he doesn't want to get caught on the "wrong" side of an issue; his self-esteem couldn't stand it.