Feingold: Bring Troops Home From Afghanistan

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Monday, August 24, 2009 | Salena Zito

[kristinn]

Sen. Russ Feingold D-WI says bring'em home regarding the troops in Afghanistan, cites a lack of strategy and believes that increase in troops is not a wise idea.

Today, in a meeting with the editorial board of The Post-Crescent in Appleton, Wis., Sen. Feingold called for a flexible timetable to bring our troops out of Afghanistan.

Per an e-mail announcement, Feingold said:

"After eight years, I am not convinced that simply pouring more and more troops into Afghanistan is a well thought out strategy. And I have raised this issue with the President, with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, Mr. Holbrooke, the special representative to the area, and everybody else I can and have never been convinced that they have a good answer to the concern that I have, and that other people have. And that is aren't we sort of helping drive more extremists into Pakistan, by continuing to build up troops and resentment in Afghanistan. And of course Pakistan is where the witch's brew of every kind of nightmare comes together in a nuclear country and I think it's not a very well thought strategy.

[kristinn]

Rest of the statement at the source link. I wonder if Sen. Feingold will join Cindy Sheehan on the SS Camp Casey three day cruise at Martha's Vineyard this week?

[ClearCase_guy]

I think Obama will be declaring victory and bringing everybody home in just a short while.

[RummyChick]

What does this mean? She is openly opposing Obama. Is this to save her skin in her next election?

[Carling]

Feingold’s correct. Winning Afghanistan won’t happen by simply putting more troops in the mountains, and even Bush didn’t have the balls to bomb the hell out of Taliban-controlled regions.

May as well pull out all but special forces at this point.

[Carling]

Feingold, not Feinstein. :)

[hemogoblin]

Maybe you are thinking Feinstein?

Obama wants those troops far from the U.S.

[K-oneTexas]

Yes, security be damned.

Peace dividend. Drawdowns.

Where have I heard this before? De ja vu!

[1066AD]

Beginning to think the GIs should come home from Europe as well, it’s time EU took care of themselves, if they even have the will to do it.

[ryan71]

“W” had the vision and faith to continue on in Iraq despite the political pressure.

Obamunist can't do that. He won't finish Afghanistan.

[londonfog]

Yes . We are out of Money. No one cares about building nations. I don’t . The recent “election” was more corrupted that Iran!! Tell all good luck— have a nice poppie season and adios. Bring the troops home and put them on the mexican border.

[Kimberly GG]

If this idiotic administration has no strategy and refuse to supply enough troops to get the job done, I’d agree.

[Carling]

I agree, as long as we can keep our nukes there with a small presence to operate them.

[Migraine]

Beginning to think the GIs should come home from Europe as well, it’s time EU took care of themselves, if they even have the will to do it.

Me too. With these humpty-dumpties in charge, I'd love nothing better than to see our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines back here at home -- safe and sound. This administration has no concept of America winning. In fact, they seem to hate the idea.

[Carling]

Afghanistan can't be won by putting more boots on the ground. It isn't Iraq, and most importantly, it doesn't have Iraq's topography.

[John123]

May as well pull out all but special forces at this point.

I think you are right here... I mean, why the heck are we still in Afghanistan? These people have been killing each other for 1000s of years...

We just wanted to stop Bin Laden from planning another 9/11... I think we delivered that message...

Now let's get out of this expensive war and bring the troops home. And besides... we always have the option of sending in Special Forces and/or Predators anytime we want.

[muawiyah]

Best bet is to use the force we have to round up as many Taliban as possible and ship them to Wisconsin.

Turn them loose in Milwaukee and Madison.

[1066AD]

Why do they need to be there ?

Speed of delivery ?

Thanks

[Carling]

Symbolism, primarily.

[Freddd]

Well we all knew Obama would cave for his Muslim brothers, but we did know ahead of time, he did tell us in his book when the politcal winds shift, he would ‘Stand Muslim’.....

[Flavius]

as long as we dont plan to hit the beaches again

[stylin19a]

plus...Obama-rama-ding-ding-dong wont let the military fight.

From the front:

"Once we're all ready I call for the illumination rounds. DENIED! Because the battalion commander 100 miles away thinks it's to dangerous. His concern is that the canister that the illum round is in will land on a khalat in the area, this canister weighs about 8 pounds. Disregard the fact that without this illum the ANA can't see anything. 8 pounds hitting a house or us not being able to see? I'm coming down on the side of us being able to see the enemy.

I call for the illum round again. DENIED! What the…? This guy is 100 miles away and making decisions that should be made by us on the ground, we're the ones closing with the enemy. I guess empowering subordinates and letting ground commanders make the call isn't taught anymore.

We now have a serious problem. The ANA can't see but the ETTs can, guess we'll now have to move in front of the ANA clearing through the piles of wood. So that's what we do. The ETTs get in front and start moving forward. There are about 50 of us in this position and only four of us can see anything.

Later review of a videotape from the thermal site will show that as we move through; we come within about 100 meters of the enemy before they pick up and run into the open field. With the illum we would have had these guys dead to rights and either captured or killed them. We can't see that far without illumination."

[rcrngroup]

Feingold, not Feinstein. :)

Fine!

No difference however...both are libturd socialist commie pigs!!!

[Frantzie]

Bring em home. Obama wants them out of the United States.

At this point I am more concerned about our evil and corrupt govt than I am of the Taliban.

[maggief]

Potato, potatoe.

:)

[jdfromny]

Where to begin? First I’d like to say that I heard a very good commencement address delivered by Secretary Gates at West point this past May. Anyone interested in the defense of our nation should take the time to find it and watch it in its entirety. I think the mans intentions are in the right place. But I believe that we are heading in the direction of Korea and Vietnam.

“Sir, the enemy is right over there, can I kill him?”

That was the problem then, and it’s the problem now. My own daughter is heading there soon so I have a lot at stake in the plan and the outcome.

What is the Commander-in-Chiefs objectives? I don’t believe he knows. And if he did I doubt he’d tell us.

[easternsky]

Your right, He is afraid of them.

[Parley Baer]

Apparently there are numerous people on this board who don’t think Al Queda and the Taliban are threats.

So we pull out and the cancer spreads again. Which building(s) will get hit the next time? Unbelievable.

[magellan]

But, but, Afghanistan is the "good war".

If you look up vagina in the Websters dictionary, there is a picture of Russ Feingold.

[Tzimisce]

By all means, bring them home.

Spit on them.

Try them for war crimes.

You’re in charge now: do it.

[screaminsunshine]

Looks like the old kook Ron Paul may have been right again.

[SunkenCiv]

Sen. Russ Feingold D-WI