[Newsbot]

Title: Obama: 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan by summer
Category: Military
Posted By: tritium
Date: 2009-12-01 13:42:35

[tritium]

Afghanistan, is it Obama's Iraq.

[PENATRATOR]

This is great news

[Akhenaten]

I don't think it's great news. The 'surge' part sure but the confirmation that they'll be leaving in July 2011 is a little silly.

So if you're Taliban just pack it up hang out in Pakistan and wait until July 2011 and then walk back in.

WHo knows. Maybe on the other hand if they did do that there would be clear time and space to get things done without interference. Then I suppose it's possible that the ANA could handle it themselves.

Still I think it owuld've been smarter for him to say July 2012 instead of 2011.

[ridenrain]

Putting more men in and then telling everyone that we'll pull them out in 2 years, reguardless of success or victory conditions is foolish. This is Obama playing politics again.

[Akhenaten]

$1:

Putting more men in and then telling everyone that we'll pull them out in 2 years, reguardless of success or victory conditions is foolish.

Realistically it's only one year. No way they can get the troops there before January.

[BartSimpson]

Be interesting to see how this affects re-enlistments.

[Lemmy]

Throwing good money after bad. Horrible stupid.

[ridenrain]

Just watching the CNN special and it's a huge snow job. I don't think there's anyone with military experience, just democratic policy advisors and spin-meisters.

“Dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions,” Mr. McCain, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The way that you win wars is to break the enemy’s will, not to announce dates that you are leaving.”

[Gunnair]

tritium tritium:

Afghanistan, is it Obama's Iraq.

Didn't Bush start Obama's Iraq, then ignore it?

[Gunnair]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Putting more men in and then telling everyone that we'll pull them out in 2 years, reguardless of success or victory conditions is foolish. This is Obama playing politics again.

That's rather foolish of you. Did you honestly believe, sitting in your partisan ivory tower, that he decided on this all by himself without any military imput?

[Gunnair]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Just watching the CNN special and it's a huge snow job. I don't think there's anyone with military experience, just democratic policy advisors and spin-meisters.

“Dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions,” Mr. McCain, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The way that you win wars is to break the enemy’s will, not to announce dates that you are leaving.”

Really? You've determined this how?

[Thanos]

I'd like to know why some are assuming that any NATO/American committment to Afghanistan is open-ended and that deadlines for results are inimical to success ("success" having gone through several definitions already with discussion of any end-result being thoroughly avoided by neo-con supporters of The Forever War concept). A deadline lights the fire under both the Afghans and US military commanders to get some real results done. Vague open-endedness only encourages lazy strategic thinks, and facilitates disconcern and corruption to continue among the Afghan authorities.

By the end of 2012 we'll have been in Afghanistan as long as we were in World War 1 and World War 2 combined. If the Afghan government isn't ready to secure it's own country by that point in time then they never will be. And by then it should be clear to anyone with any reasoning ability that continued involvement to support a hopeless flawed state headed by a useless and venal government is no longer rational. We've done our part and it's time to come home.

[ridenrain]

Gunnair Gunnair:

ridenrain ridenrain:

Just watching the CNN special and it's a huge snow job. I don't think there's anyone with military experience, just democratic policy advisors and spin-meisters.

“Dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions,” Mr. McCain, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The way that you win wars is to break the enemy’s will, not to announce dates that you are leaving.”

Really? You've determined this how?

By watching the names and titles of the people involved. (duh.) It is possible that some have experience but it sure didn't show in their discussions.

Did you watch the show?

[Gunnair]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Gunnair Gunnair:

ridenrain ridenrain:

Just watching the CNN special and it's a huge snow job. I don't think there's anyone with military experience, just democratic policy advisors and spin-meisters.

“Dates for withdrawal are dictated by conditions,” Mr. McCain, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Capitol Hill. “The way that you win wars is to break the enemy’s will, not to announce dates that you are leaving.”

Really? You've determined this how?

By watching the names and titles of the people involved. (duh.) It is possible that some have experience but it sure didn't show in their discussions.

Did you watch the show?

I did. You really think that small cadre represented all of the thinkers on this?