Posted on 09/21/2009 5:29:41 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Pentagon Delays Troop Request
By YOCHI DREAZEN and PETER SPIEGEL
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has told its top commander in Afghanistan to delay submitting his request for additional troops, defense officials say, amid signs that the Obama administration is rethinking its strategy for combating a resurgent Taliban.
A senior Pentagon official says the administration has asked for the reprieve so it can complete a review of the U.S.-led war effort. "We have to make sure we have the right strategy" before looking at additional troop requests, the official said. "Things have changed on the ground fairly considerably."
After weeks of speculation, details of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's report on Afghanistan were released. What's striking about his assessment, WSJ's Peter Spiegel reports, is the urgency of his message.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, recently completed a classified report asking for significant numbers of new American troops. Military officials familiar with the matter says the report lays out several options, including one that seeks roughly 40,000 reinforcements, which would push the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan to more than 100,000 for the first time.
But the commander has been told to delay submitting the troop request to the Pentagon at the direction of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other top civilian officials, according to defense officials.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
He’s abstaining.
While Obama dithers, U.S soldiers are in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, other political entities in the region have had a strategy for years...
0 = present
They want to change from a “winning” strategy to a “losing” strategy. So, they need some time to see how they can ‘implement’ that.
Nobody seems to be mentioning it, but O changed his tune on Sunday. He stopped talking about the war in Afghanistan and called it a war against al-qaeda. It is important because recent news articles say that al-qaeda is no longer a factor in Afghanistan. O will declare victory and pull out the troops.
Obama fiddles while Rome burns.
It was a lot easier bashing the former President on the campaign trail, than actually making decisions as President, eh?
“Present!”
McArthur would be pissed. So would Patton.
Americans are dying while he fiddles with an answer and crawls to our enemies in Russia and Iran begging for peace.
New strategy? If you ain’t in it to win it, then get the hell out all together. Do not put our precious troops in harm’s way with a wishy-washy, hopey-changey leadership that is strategically constipated. If you are not going to listen to your field commanders then stop the madness and get out.
If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.
the great RUSH
It’s 3AM and Zero has decided to rollover and sleep.
I remember our losses in Somalia, October 1993, under Clinton, in part because he delayed approval for the extra armor requested by his general officers. Now under obama, we have waits of 80 minutes for air support (September 8, near Sarkani, Afghanistan), and our community-organizer-in-chief has decided not to decide whether to decide whether to take the advice of his general officers? This is not going to be pretty for our men in uniform ... no doubt the result that the druggie in our White House hoped for.
I am fully supportive of NOT sending anymore men or money to that rat hole. NO MORE NATION BUILDING!! We have no money!!! We went there to kill bin laden. WE didn’t. Now leave. Karzai is a FRAUD. The “election was a total fraud. Declare victory and make like a tree and LEAVE!!
When an executive decision is required, an executive is needed.
Ditto
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