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Levin warns US has lost initiative in Afghanistan
AP on Yahoo ^ | 9/11/09 | Lara Jakes - ap

Posted on 09/11/2009 12:11:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON – Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin says the U.S. has "lost the initiative" in the war against insurgents in Afghanistan.

In a speech to the Senate Friday, Levin says he wants heightened training of Afghan armed forces before committing more American troops.

Levin, D-Mich., urged the Obama administration to expand Afghan forces to 240,000 troops and Afghan police to 160,000 officers by 2013.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; carllevin; initiative; warns
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1 posted on 09/11/2009 12:11:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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A map of Afghanistan showing provinces with the highest Taliban presence. The United States warned Friday that delays in resolving troubled Afghan polls would benefit the Taliban as a vote commission warned up to half a million ballots could be investigated for fraud. (AFP/Graphic)


2 posted on 09/11/2009 12:13:58 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard)
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To: NormsRevenge

I just heard about this on Fox. Kyl was asked what he thought. He said he did not know what levin said, but the o is (supposedly) for the war in Afghanistan, so he thought levin should listen to the prez.


3 posted on 09/11/2009 12:14:37 PM PDT by mathluv ( Conservative first and foremost, republican second - GO SARAHCUDA!!!!)
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To: NormsRevenge

I now believe it may be better for us to bug out of Afghania, let the chips fall where they may, let the Afghanis, Pakistanis, Indians, Iranians, Russians, Uxbakes and Tajiks have a freeforall.

They are trending towards an early pullout, pols statements seem to reflect that along with McChrystal’s admission of no AQ in Afghania, and there’s no way it seems that the Obamawallahs will give the Army enough time to turn the situation around.

Maybe we go back when Petraeus becomes President.


4 posted on 09/11/2009 12:15:21 PM PDT by swarthyguy (MEAT, the new tobacco. Your right to eat meat ends where my planetary ecosystem begins.)
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To: NormsRevenge

And the drumbeat starts on 9-11...
If America ever got it, it was long gone by the election of 2008.


5 posted on 09/11/2009 12:15:23 PM PDT by Steamburg ( Your wallet speaks the only language most politicians understand.)
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To: mathluv

These idiots in Washington are going to play politics while the lives of our soldiers are at stake. There is a reason why Americans have no confidence in Democrats to run a war. Every caring American should be outraged at this nonsense.


6 posted on 09/11/2009 12:16:58 PM PDT by kempster
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To: swarthyguy

Democrats do not win wars. They will get us all killed. Now would be the time for the big B52 attacks until they surrender. Obama will turn this in to Nam the 2nd.


7 posted on 09/11/2009 12:18:35 PM PDT by screaminsunshine (!!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Yeah, I’m sure Mr. Levin knows lots about initiative. [/s]


8 posted on 09/11/2009 12:19:56 PM PDT by rbg81 (DRAIN THE SWAMP!!)
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To: kempster

This is par for the course with Levin. The last thing he ever takes into consideration are the lives of our troops. It is a shameful disgrace that a cretin such as Levin should be in charge of anything, let alone Armed Services. Americans are wise to to have no confidence in Democrats to run a war. Right now they have maneuvered us into a Vietnam moment by not providing air cover to our soldiers, and are surprised, surprised the casualties are up. I predict the Dems will withdraw, using the likes of George Will for cover. What we should be doing is carpet bombing the hell out of them and their crap hole of a country.


9 posted on 09/11/2009 12:23:40 PM PDT by La Lydia
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To: NormsRevenge

If the country had a Commander in Chief that knew what he was doing, it couldn’t have happened. Fire bomb the country and get out.


10 posted on 09/11/2009 12:29:12 PM PDT by RC2 (Our Failure is Not an Option)
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To: swarthyguy

I agree—let’s get out now and let the Muzzies be.

AQ is the enemy and they are not there. We won’t win in Afghanistan without a huge offensive, and that moutainous hellhole is not worth one more American soldier.

If the enemy is not there, and if this Admin. makes our troops fight under impossibile ROEs that will get them killed, then get them home.

We’re in Europe for 65 years, Korea for 59 years, Serbia for 14 years, Middle East since 1990, Afghanistan 8 years, and Iraq for 6 years.

I say enough.

Nuke anyone that tries to hurt us. Keep the Muzzies in their sandbox and let them blow each other up.

I lived through the Vietnam era and saw how the politicians threw away the brave sacrifices of our troops and pissed on the 58,000 men killed trying to free South Vietnam. Because of the perfidy and treachery of Democrats, over three million innocent people were slaughtered in the years after 1975; an unknown number drowned in the South China Sea trying to float to freedom.

Zero doesn’t want us to have victory in Afghanistan—because victory is not good for his fellow Muslims.

No more of our military dying for impossible missions for a Commander in Chief that is rooting for their enemy.

Bring them home.


11 posted on 09/11/2009 12:30:32 PM PDT by exit82 (Sarah Palin is President No. 45. Get behind her, GOP, or get out of the way.)
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To: NormsRevenge

12 posted on 09/11/2009 12:31:05 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (Sarah Palin is our Iron Lady of the North)
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To: kempster
I smell Vietnam. Dimwitcrats change the ROE handcuffing the troops and now they talk about sending more handcuffed troops in. I lost classmates in vietnam over such stupid sh#t as this.
What's next, a new version of the Whiz Kids??
Come to think of it, LBJ had big ears, too.
13 posted on 09/11/2009 12:34:58 PM PDT by phredo53 (Politicians, like diapers, should be changed often and for the same reason.)
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To: exit82

>>We won’t win in Afghanistan without a huge offensive,

We won’t win in Pakistan without a huge offensive, IMO, that’s where AQ is, but all your points apply.

The writing is on the wall with all these statements by Congresscritters. All Afghanis allied with us are now making plans for their own survival. These statements have now thoroughly alienated us from even our friends there who are no doubt confused by the statements from Generals there, the Congress and Obama.


14 posted on 09/11/2009 12:38:43 PM PDT by swarthyguy (MEAT, the new tobacco. Your right to eat meat ends where my planetary ecosystem begins.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Levin, D-Mich., urged the Obama administration to expand Afghan forces to 240,000 troops and Afghan police to 160,000 officers by 2013.

Levin "manning up" since a rat is an office. He would not talk like this if a Republican was President.

15 posted on 09/11/2009 12:39:52 PM PDT by dancusa (Smile liberals. Welcome to the todays community organizing. We aren't going away or shutting up.)
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To: phredo53
I smell Vietnam.

So do I.


16 posted on 09/11/2009 12:42:17 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (Sarah Palin is our Iron Lady of the North)
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To: kempster

Since my oldest grandson will graduate from boot camp in two weeks, I am outraged -— and scared to death for him and my other grandchildren.


17 posted on 09/11/2009 12:53:24 PM PDT by mathluv ( Conservative first and foremost, republican second - GO SARAHCUDA!!!!)
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To: exit82
I lived through the Vietnam era and saw how the politicians threw away the brave sacrifices of our troops and pissed on the 58,000 men killed trying to free South Vietnam. Because of the perfidy and treachery of Democrats, over three million innocent people were slaughtered in the years after 1975; an unknown number drowned in the South China Sea trying to float to freedom.

Unfortunately the American people just elected a Nimrod as their CINC just like we did in 1964.


18 posted on 09/11/2009 1:00:33 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (Sarah Palin is our Iron Lady of the North)
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To: screaminsunshine
Democrats do not win wars

Harry Truman won one, but then wimped out as the State Department took him to the woodshed. We haven't won one since, except Grenada, and I doubt we ever will. We no longer remember what winning is, only compromise or defeat.

19 posted on 09/11/2009 2:25:01 PM PDT by itsahoot (Each generation takes to excess, what the previous generation accepted in moderation.)
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To: swarthyguy

I agree, for the reason that I believe our current govt leadership is not in the war to win it, just to not lose it. Whatever you say about Bush, I believe he really wanted to win in Afghanistan and Iraq. I dont believe our Pres or Congress now want to win, and if they dont, they should not offer up one more American as a sacrifice to political power.

It is finally becoming the Vietnam they hope for...insurgencies, no carpet bombing, and an administration that will stay in even if they dont believe in the mission. The American people surrendered on Nov 4, and I heavily doubt we will ever recover.


20 posted on 09/11/2009 2:26:38 PM PDT by Raider Sam (They're on our left, right, front, and back. They aint gettin away this time!)
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