Posted on 06/22/2011 9:19:24 AM PDT by americanophile
President Obama's "surge" of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan announced in late 2009 was meant to be temporary, and Wednesday night the president is expected to announce that they will return home by around the time voters head to the polls to determine whether he gets another term.
In prime-time speech to the nation, Obama is expected to say about 5,000 troops will begin coming home this summer with an additional 5,000 troops by the end of this year, sources told CBS News. And about 20,000 more troops are expected to return to the United States by the end of 2012, the sources said. That would still leave about 70,000 troops in Afghanistan -- about twice as many troops as when Obama took office in January 2009.
That timetable is more aggressive than some military advisers had urged. Obama made the final decision Tuesday after weighing options presented to him by General David Petraeus, his top commander in Afghanistan.
Some military advisers feared a rapid withdrawal could put at risk some of the gains made against the Taliban.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
It will work? By whose standard? Two things will happen: American casualties will greatly increase for lack of sufficient troops and Afghanistan will look less secure than ever. I think it’s a win for us, but unfortunately not for our troops.
Exactly. This is a purely political decision.
Will not help the Kenyan Dung heap,he has $4.00 Gas and 17-18% unemployment for starters.
LOL. Yeah, the economy, unemployment, skyrocketing national debt, inflation including high gas prices, etc. won't matter that much if Obama brings home 30,000 troops from Afghanistan and leaves 70,000 there, twice as many as when he took office.
The "unbeatable" Obama will defy the laws of political gravity and the people will clamor for four more years of Obama policies. Yeah, that's the ticket.
He has time to rebrand himself and play havoc with the people’s well laid class envy.
Are you serious? It’s not about the troops coming home it’s about “The economy stupid” bringing the boys home doesn’t create one job and this whole thing is an obvious political (only) move.
If the reports from Afghanistan begin to worsen due to lack of troop strength then this desperation move will backfire.
I think you’re probably right and think most freepers agree with you. There will be huge negative consequences either way. See, this is what happens when and country trades Truth for “equality”. We get crap like “Religion of Peace” and “pray to the same God.”
Did we win?
Did we lose?
What was the goal? Have we met it?
What happens next?
I haven’t seen this on the posts either, but have we all forgotten Iraq? How many troops are coming home from Iraq too?
It is all about Afghanistan and we’ve dropped the ball as we are once again blinded by words that mean nothing.
My son-in-law ships out to Afghanistan within 22 days.
I think the entire charade is just another Obama shell game.
In order to play robin hood, the system will basically collapse and there will not be anything to go around. And we're about at that point now. The ‘in group’ are doing ok, but the rest of the little people are suffering due to increasing price of fuel and food alone. Unfortunately, since Obama did not follow through with paying rent, filling gas tanks, etc...the kids are just taking, so now we have violent flash mobs.
I don't think he'll even get close to the same turn out of voters as last time. It was a one time gig for him. His voters are just not ‘into it’ anymore. The excitement is gone and his history did not live up to his words. Re branding will not work, except maybe to union leaders and Acorn, and Code Pink. But, to regular folks, they'll probably just stay home and not even vote at all. My analysis for whatever it's worth.
He will withdraw 30,000 troops just like how he closed Gitmo and put Khalid Sheikh Mohammed on trial in midtown Manhattan.
He may get 5000 or 7000 troops out by the end of the year.
The rest is just blathering promises to shore-up his grumpy leftist base.
“The “unbeatable” Obama will defy the laws of political gravity and the people will clamor for four more years of Obama policies. Yeah, that’s the ticket.”
He defies political gravity. The economy is a mess, he’s incompetent, and lazy, most people know that. And while most disagree with his direction and lack of leadership, his personal likability is over 50%, and he has a built in 13% of the electorate, provided they bother to vote.
I don’t underestimate the threat. Many of us did that in 2008.
Personal likeability only goes so far. On every major policy issue, Obama polls far less than 50%. If the economy continues to stagnate and unemployment stays roughly the same, Obama is toast no matter how much he is "liked." I bet many who respond to these polls on Obama's likeability are saying they like him rather than being considered to be a racist.
How do you explain the 2010 midterms, which were largely a referendum on Obama's policies?
Actually, I am happy to see such a large draw down.
The Arab Spring is putting our troops in very grave danger within the region.
We need to get them out of there...across the board.
Stopped clock.
Besides, this is a political move to satisfy his leftists. Let's see ... he has Bid Laden and is bringing the troops home. Get your eyes off the economy and on to HIM. Meanwhile, he's off with his buddies golfing and planning the next vacation...
“I don’t underestimate the threat. Many of us did that in 2008.”
Just after O announced his run (while he was a senator), I told my husband he would win. At this point, he was a nobody other than his great Ill speech. My husband laughed at me, for a long time he thought how could someone like him win? But, I could feel it, I could tell that he had what it took to fool the people. But, he doesn’t have it this time around. I’ll lay money on it.
“How do you explain the 2010 midterms, which were largely a referendum on Obama’s policies?”
They were midterms, the adults turned out to vote, the kids and other mental lightweights stayed home. With the full court press of the MSM and Obama’s huge war chest, the dim masses could be fired up again.
No one wants to be rid of Obama any more than I do. I’m simply saying he won’t be easy to beat. Our nominee is important, and participation is important. A lot of freepers stayed home in 2008. I held my nose and voted McCain because I understood the threat Obama posed. I was right, those that stayed home were terribly wrong. I don’t want to see Obama get a 2nd term, the damage will be irreversible from a 2nd term.
“But, he doesn’t have it this time around. I’ll lay money on it.”
I hope you are right. But if Mittens is the nominee... there are conservatives that will stay home AGAIN.
The electorate is ignorant beyond my comprehension, and that scares me.
I agree with you and Obama will not get the same turnout of voters as in 2008. His folks are bored of politics as it did not serve them well at all. In fact they are probably even more discouraged since their big break, didn’t do anything for them. The decision to bring the troops home will not impact votes, as people are more concerned with how their personal life is being effected, such as being broke. For goodness sakes, he said we were done in Iraq, yet we still have troops there. This is not on the top of the agenda for the average citizen who lives in their own little world.
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