Posted on 01/25/2009 11:24:43 PM PST by FocusNexus
Vice-president Biden reveals US forces will step up operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Obama administration warned the US public yesterday to brace itself for an increase in American casualties as it prepares to step up the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan.
Against a background of widespread protests in Pakistan and Afghanistan over US operations since Obama became president, the vice-president, Joe Biden, said yesterday that US forces would be engaged in many more operations as it takes the fight to its enemies in the region.
The Obama administration is to double the number of US troops in Afghanistan to 60,000 and when asked in a television interview if the US public should expect more American casualties, Biden said: "I hate to say it, but yes, I think there will be. There will be an uptick."
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
And wonder what Obama's far left anti-war supporters are saying, is war OK, as long as it's under a Democrat president, was it only "immoral" when Bush was waging it, to keep us safe?
Some of them are pretty PO’d at Barry already.
This is Afghanistan, not Iraq. Afghanistan has lots of support...for now.
The one thing I think we need to keep in perspective about Obama, is that if he does the right thing we need to support him on that matter.
I heartily agree with the moves described in this article. I’m all for it. We kick the ass of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, then come home.
That works for me.
Does it give you cause for reflection that Biden is the source here? LMAO
“And wonder what Obama’s far left anti-war supporters are saying, is war OK, as long as it’s under a Democrat president, was it only “immoral” when Bush was waging it, to keep us safe?”
Not only that, but why go after Afghanistan? HOW MANY AFGHANI CITIZENS WERE INVOVLVED IN 9/11???
WHY AREN’T WE GOING AFTER THE REAL GUILTY ONES???
Ohhhhhhh...I think I am going to like this next few months, while the Libs try to figure out how to explain all of this BS....
“The one thing I think we need to keep in perspective about Obama, is that if he does the right thing we need to support him on that matter.”
I agree. But that is the question, is it the right thing to pull out troops from Iraq NOW and deploy them in Afghanistan? Do our generals recommend and agree that more troops in Afghanistan will help? I have NOT heard the answers to those question. So far, all I see is Obama and Biden having decided to do this, but I don’t see any evidence that our commanders in the field think this is “the right thing”.
No can do. He’s already done too many things I don’t support. Of course I always hope and pray for the safety of the troops.
I agree, especially since the Republican party is just sitting there, trying to appeal to “moderates” and not offering any alternatives—nor, in this case, SHOULD they be.
Having said that, I will await the day when bigmouth Biden claims victory. I hope we get UBL under Obama, but it will be because of steps Bush took in Afghanistan and Obama/Biden continued, not through any initiative on their own. Thus, Bush will be vindicated even as Biden will be claiming Obama/Biden did the right thing and trying desperately to discredit Bush for what might be the only action they’ll take that deserves bipartisan support.
Just as the Berlin Wall fell after Reagan left office yet was due in part to Reagan’s actions, continuing Bush’s policies will reflect well on him, while failures will reflect on Obama—fair or not, that’s how it goes.
While Joe is probably right, there will be more American deaths in Afghanistan, people are going to have to come to realize one important thing going forward... Joe Biden speaks for NO ONE but himself!! We will see that Biden will have NO role in the Obama government so anything he says will be just Joe’s blather and hot air.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121668659664272147.html
from the article:
Mr. Obama should have supported the surge in Iraq, but that doesn’t mean that advocating one in Afghanistan makes sense.
Afghanistan’s problems are not the same as Iraq’s. Its people aren’t recovering from a brutal, all-controlling tyranny, but from decades of chaos and centuries of bad government. Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, is largely illiterate and has a relatively undeveloped civil society. Afghan society still centers around the family and, for men, the mosque. Its society and traditions are still largely intact, in contrast to Iraq’s fractured, urbanized and half-modernized population.
The Afghan insurgency has no broad popular base and doesn’t mirror an obvious religious or ethnic fault line. It is also far more linked with Pakistani support than the Iraqi insurgency or militias were with Iran. Afghanistan needs a better president, judiciary and police force — and a Pakistani government that is not playing footsie with the Taliban.
CLIP
But there is no such thing as tribe in Nuristan,” the official continued. “There is no unit above the corporate community.” The last governor was fired, but it’s not clear how much even a brilliant, honest governor could do in a place so unaccustomed to authority above the village level.
Nuristanis — who were converted from paganism to Islam only about 100 years ago — live in isolated villages in terrain that is rugged even by Afghan standards. There are no paved roads in the province, and helicopters can be shot down from above in the narrow valleys, as two U.S. military helicopters were in the last year.
So how do we bring security to Nuristan? Is bringing in thousands of American troops the answer?
“No!” the official said. “It’s using Special Forces to get the bad guys who are infiltrating from Pakistan. Our enemy only attacks when they expect to win. If we have to go after them, we need the capacity to hunt them with stealth over trackless mountainsides for which our infantry, cavalry and airborne soldiers are not trained or equipped to operate.” Defeating the enemy is best accomplished by highly trained fighters who travel light.
Counterinsurgency is not one-size-fits-all. While there are best practices, they must be applied in a nuanced way. In poorly governed countries where insurgencies are likely to arise, the solution may vary from valley to valley.
It shouldn’t be hard to see that adding men, helicopters or projects is not always the solution. But then, a would-be commander in chief who announces his prescription for Afghanistan before setting foot there has a lot to learn about America’s top job.
(full article at url above)
I’m waiting for the MSM’s “5000 dead” drumbeat to start. Not that I hope that many good men will be killed, but I’m still listening for the repetitive news reports.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Every time Obama speaks he tempers his policies with: “but this is not gonna be easy...it will take time....you have to be patient......”
He will try to milk this honeymoon for all it’s worth.
I guess this will have CODE PINK seeing RED.
SAY NO TO WAR
Unless a democrat is president...
I wonder if the Obambam administration plans to keep the military fully funded, or if he thinks we can do it hobbled with one arm tied behind our backs.
I’m by no means a master strategist, but I saw real genius in the Bush Admin’s use of a stable Iraq to draw in all the insurgents from neighboring countries to fight on what had become “our turf.”
Now the fledgling Zero Admin wants to abandon the gains and stability in a situation where we pretty much call the shots and follow Al Quaeda into the mountains of Afghanistan, where their Muslim brothers kicked the Russian’s butts not so long ago.
We wouldn’t want to keep on doing something that works, now would we? Or are we running a fool’s errand on behalf of someone who wants the Afghans and Pakis engaged, but doesn’t want to do it themselves?
Did you feel the same way when Bush did the right thing?
Perhaps he feels the American people will then allow him to have everything he asks for.
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