Posted on 11/01/2009 7:20:58 PM PST by kristinn
The Obama administration is considering an almost complete surrender in Afghanistan, if the report this weekend by the BBC's Katty Kay is accurate.
Speaking as a panelist on the Chris Matthews Show, a weekend public affairs broadcast, Kay reported on the internal debate at the White House, "There are real questions being asked, I think, about whether even with a big injection of troops this is a real country, a real war that you can win.
"And there's a new phrase which is floating around the White House which is 'minimum security'. That we're not actually aiming for a country which is stable that we are in control of, but we are aiming for a minimum amount of security and perhaps even a negotiated settlement with the Taliban."
This would tie in with reports that Obama has concluded the U.S. cannot beat the Taliban and that he has requested new studies this week, one of each province to determine which ones may be ceded to the Taliban and another for troop levels other than those requested by Gen. McChrystal over two months ago.
Kay's remarks start at the 19:10 minute in the backward clock on the video. She describes three different views on the situation in Afghanistan that have been presented to Obama: The military needs a large injection of troops to perform the current strategy; even with more troops Afghanistan will never be winnable; and "'we have no choice but to win this war' and that is what President Obama said back in March."
Obama has delayed making his decision such that it most likely will not be announced until the end of November, three months into the twelve month window left to win the war Gen. McChrystal stated in August.
Troop casualties in Afghanistan have skyrocketed in the past three months with over 1000 being wounded, and a reported 58 service members killed this past month making it the deadlist month of the eight-year long war.
On Friday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs bragged Obama has spent almost twenty hours in meetings on Afghanistan since August.
“Obama lost Afghanistan”. That’s what people will say years from now.
I’d bet that all the casualties and deaths started going way up when the scum changed the ROE.
The Taliban will never be fully defeated because the US isn’t willing to go all in on that hell hole.
Just unbelievable!....how the hell is this man the president!..
A negotiated peace would be fine if it were under conditions where no one doubted whose butts got whipped.
But a negotiated peace at this juncture would allow the Taleban to claim-- with a great deal of evidence-- that they humbed "the Great Satan."
That would not be a good result. I would like to believe that even Obambi can see this--but this fool has given me zero confidence in his strategic judgement.
1- What exactly constitutes "winning" in Afghanistan?
2- It is a country run by tribal opium growers who are living in the seventh century. Can we really change it?
3- If we can change it, will they still put women into hefty bags and play polo with goats' heads?
I am 100% hawk and want to win the war against the muz, but these questions need to be answered. The Bear found out that they could not change Afghanistan.
They skyrocketed within weeks of the new ROE. Just a coincidence though...
Obama = Surrender Monkey.
And yes I know that isn’t politically correct!
Arm yourselves.
see reply # 2.
Just as it is only a "coincidence" that the economy started to tank just after the JACKASS party took over in 2007.
Just raise a White Flag over the Whitehouse.
Better yet, put a minaret up there.
Ditto that....and make a “list”.
Don't know about the nation building thing, they've never had a nation really and as long as they adhere to a death cult that gets off on human sacrifice, well...
They have to be made "not a threat".
‘Zactly
Disgusting behavior for a president and commander in chief.
Already armed, Canned food is good to have though. I like Spam myself.
This guy is pure evil. He must be impeached, or removed from office over whatever we can conjure up.
Abso-freakin’-lutely unbelievable. This guy is a man-child. Completely out of his depth. He doesn’t know what to do except turn and run. Which will embolden the Taliban and result in slaughter. Obama’s Vietnam. And what talk like this does to our troops. This man is despicable.
Totally unacceptable.
People have a short memory.
Iraq was worse than AFghn. and the surge
turned around Iraq and many of the issues there.
This could be done in Afghanistan, would be on a different
level but if not, this area will be beyond a staging area for terrorists attacks all over the world on a larger scale.
Iran & Russia will be even larger players.
Americans who have fought there, especially the wounded, and families of the Killed in action rather than know they helped a country, it’s people and stopped a staging area for more terrorism on America will feel, for what, for surrender. There is going to be millions of bitter and
enraged American military and their families if Obama
surrenders.
Anyone with a minimal understanding of the Pakhtuns, the core of the Taliban, knows that is not possible.
They have fought each other for practice, when no foreign enemy can be found.
Nation building? There are no railroad tracks in the entire country, 10% of the population has some form of hepatitis, fewer than that can read.
Stopping the drug trade? After 8 years of military domination, they still grow, transport and sell 92% of the world's heroin, which sells for $3/gram in Kabul.
Their two largest cities never had a connecting road until we built one five years ago and it is a death trap.
A treaty with the Taliban. Why didn’t I think of that?
1 - Defeat of Al Qaeda to where they do not have safe haven there.
2 - yes. If you are asking can we bring them out of the 7th century the answer is no. There are a billion people or more living in the 7th century but they all are not running planes into our buildings. So yes, it is possible for us to change them to the extent that they are not a threat to us.
3 - Yes (see #2)
This is what happens when you elect a jackass with a twelve year-old mind and put him in charge of adult toys. All those mullahs and other raghead dogs must be crying tears of joy in their prayers of thanskgiving to Allah that they have been given a retarded dunce as an enemy.
Having J Fn Kerry on site and then pontificating on the situation was/is too obvious to ignore.
One way or another zerO is going to throw this in the trash bin.
All this drama and assigning the top generals has simply been to tarnish the generals so they will be less influential as public opinion shapers.
The zerO will do what he can to discredit and tarnish the military as a respected entity.
As terrible as this will be and as incompetent as the zer0 has proven to be, the libs will vote for him again.
Expediency. Give ‘em ear candy until you no longer need them. Predictable narcissist move.
Agreed. We need more troops if only to be the anvil to Pakistan's hammer.
We cut and run and we're in essence deserting the Paks.
Obama is simply on the enemy’s side. It’ll take a while before most Americans understand this.
“But a negotiated peace at this juncture would allow the Taleban to claim— with a great deal of evidence— that they humbed “the Great Satan.””
Unfit for command.
Heads up.
Amen
WTF is obama thinking? We were pounding the {expletive} out of AQ and the Taliban, had driven them into the hills as a non-factor. Now he wants to surrender a Country to them? I've got friends over there in both sandboxes. I myself have volunteered to go twice on two different security related projects. There is no reason to surrender except for the gutless socialist obama doesn't know what he is doing, and is just smart enough to know he doesn't know. But rather than take the advice of professional military strategists, he wants to surrender.
Obama has delayed making his decision such that it most likely will not be announced until the end of November, three months into the twelve month window left to win the war Gen. McChrystal stated in August...
He wants to delay his surrender until after the current election cycle. I think the 'rats are going to get pounded anyway. But maybe he is just trying to keep the races close. Yes, I believe he is letting soldiers fight and die while he delays based on politics.
Troop casualties in Afghanistan have skyrocketed in the past three months...
Absolutely no surprise there, given the ridiculous ROE our soldiers have thanks to obama's gutlessness and desire to look nice to the world's socialists.
U.S. Army Spc. Michael Riley, a radio traffic operator, smokes a cigarette while taking a break with fellow Soldiers during a dismounted patrol across the Tangi Valley in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2009. All Soldiers are assigned to 1st Platoon and 3rd Platoon, Apache Company, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Teddy Wade / Released) Date Posted: 10/29/2009
I can’t say how I feel right now because to do so would get me the boot on this forum......Dear Lord, protect us from what this man can and will try to do in the next 3 years and give us level-headed, common sense people in the Congress next year. Have mercy on us Lord.......
Absolutely. He has no right whatsoever to claim the CIC title any more. He should resign in gutless disgrace but he doesn't even have the ... to own up to his mistakes and shortcomings - which are many and grave. He is the sorriest excuse for a man I've seen in a leadership position in a long long time. He is without a doubt the worst President our great Nation has ever been saddled with.
The Taliban and al-Q will then have free reign to spread across the world...because, never again, will any country or peoples dare to trust in the US to save/protect them...
They will remember Viet Nam, they will remember Cambodia, they will remember the Kurds after the Gulf War - and if we also desert the Afghans...that's the end.
All will know they are only safe so long as we don't have the democrats in charge...and since we have elections every 4 years - that will be a gamble no one will ever dare take again.
It's a sobering thought to remember we have a president who said that the Muslim call to prayer is the most beautiful sound on earth - and repeated it in perfect accent.
I submit to you that anyone who could still repeat this in perfection today has done so much longer than childhood. Listen and judge for yourself... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuXxtg4M_z8 ...This is a man who does not want to salute our flag.
It sobering to hear the president of this country state: “WE are no longer a Christian Nation...”
He says we are one of the largest Muslim nations in the world -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIHz5tevLAw
(77% Christian to .6% Muslim makes us one of the largest Muslim countries?)
Listen to this video all the way through and if you can say this man is a Christian, well - I hadn't heard this one before - I;d like to see this one in the media...Maybe Hannity? email him?
As did the British.
There. I fixed it.
What's to settle. They get to saw off our heads now, or over the next couple of decades?
I'll do my negotiating with 7.62x51, 5.56x41 and .45 ACP, thank you very much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.