McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure' (Drudge headline)

Washington Post ^ | 21 September 2009 | Bob Woodward

[SE Mom]

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by The Washington Post.

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal says emphatically: "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible."

His assessment was sent to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Aug. 30 and is now being reviewed by President Obama and his national security team.

McChrystal concludes the document's five-page Commander's Summary on a note of muted optimism: "While the situation is serious, success is still achievable."

[SE Mom]

Further in the piece:

..The commander has prepared a separate detailed request for additional troops and other resources, but defense officials have said he is awaiting instructions before sending it to the Pentagon.

Senior administration officials asked The Post over the weekend to withhold brief portions of the assessment that they said could compromise future operations. A declassified version of the document, with some deletions made at the government's request, appears at washingtonpost.com.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

"confidential assessment"

That's a dig by wapo.

"risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible"

Expect to see procrastination from the democrats then.

[SE Mom]

Will there be a showdown between McChrystal and Obama?

[agere_contra]

NO amount of troops will help if they are not allowed to shoot at the enemy.

[rockinqsranch]

Yup, lookin’ like familiar history repeating itself once again at the hands of another cowardly Leftist.

[vicar7]

When the Generals asked for troops Bush gave them troops because they knew best. You are either going to fight a war or you are not. This is the good war remember Mr. Obama thank God others that made decisions in your chair did not buckle to political pressures and did the right thing.

[SE Mom]

Exactly- and given the current ROE’s this is quickly turning into a Catch 22, isn’t it?

[screaminsunshine]

Obama will opt for mission failure. His success is our failure in any way shape or form. His mission is to change the USA from a free capitalist country to a totalitarian communist state.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Obama is learning a hard lesson about screwing with the generals. Just last week he punted on McChrystal... now first thing Monday morning, the Compost has a copy of the general's assessment, warts and all.

Obama's not going to be able to hide from this one.

[LS]

This is the key. A little-recognized development in Iraq, even by the excellent blogger Michael Yon, is that from 2004-2007, our spec ops and military snipers and other units began a massive "winnowing" at Fallujah that spread elsewhere. Yes, there was an "Anbar Uprising" against AQ. But at the same time, U.S. forces were steadily waging an silent war that was slaughtering the AQ leadership. In Fallujah alone, a single sniper killed over 100 in about 4 months. Informants would quietly tell where AQ lived and slept, and the next day, AQ would have "vanished."

This aspect of the operations in Afghanistan cannot be underestimated and is a key to success.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Interesting. In case you aren’t aware, Iraq and Afghanistan have very different geography, roads, and population density and it makes what you described much more difficult.

[paulycy]

Yesterday during one of the talk shows zer0 focued the goal of Afghanistan so narrowly on al Queda that it sounded like he doesn’t want to fight the Taliban.

Bad thing, that.

[LS]

Nah, I never considered that in a million years. I guess my pal in spec ops hadn’t thought of that either.

[SE Mom]

It’s a mess, isn’t it?

[agere_contra]

and it makes what you described much more difficult.

No. Not being able to shoot at Taliban who are indoors makes it much more difficult.

[BilLies]

I heard on the radio this morning that House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said they were trying to get McChrystal to testify before congress and they were unable to do so. They (the administration) are keeping the general out of harms way I guess. If you don't have the answers, don't take the test.

[SE Mom]

I bet McCrystal would relish the chance to testify before Congress- but the Dems and the administration don’t want him anywhere near a microphone.

[SueRae]

I am sick about this. You can’t fight a war with one hand tied behind your back - true then, true now. I’ve two nephews in the Marines. McChrystal is the consummate soldier, I have the utmost confidence that he has their backs (have heard personal account from another who has served with him). But having a lousy, no good lying wuss of a CIC at this time is the most dangerous thing for our men and women in uniform.

[TomGuy]

FoxNews is reporting that Obama Admin wants to wait 6-8 weeks before making a decision about adding more troops.

Presidentin' is hard. Obama seems to want to vote present on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

A lot of freepers, including myself, believe that 0bama is deliberately out to screw up America and all its works.
Nothing is easier to screw up than a war.
Therefore we should get out of Afghanistan.
We’re stuck with him, and he will use that conflict to damage us. Furthermore, even if he didn’t have base motives, he and the rest of the Democrats consistently befoul everything they handle. You don’t get into a car with a drunken imbecile at the wheel.