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 ...
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)
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.
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.
And the drumbeat starts on 9-11...
If America ever got it, it was long gone by the election of 2008.
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.
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.
Yeah, I’m sure Mr. Levin knows lots about initiative. [/s]
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.
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.
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.
>>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.
Levin "manning up" since a rat is an office. He would not talk like this if a Republican was President.
So do I.
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.
Unfortunately the American people just elected a Nimrod as their CINC just like we did in 1964.
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.
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.
Iraq.
I have that one in the pending column. Or at least the peace is at risk.
The Iraq war is won and done. We’ll leave Afghanistan when we finish with Iran.
Wishful thinking, I am afraid. Israel may take on Iran, but I expect that will bring them a $hit $torm, and we won't be a friend.
Right on !
Anderson Cooper has been reporting from Afghanistan this past week from some Obama forsaken Marine outpost.
They have no fresh food, just MREs ,very primitive conditions, no AC in 130 degree heat, their exercise area is an old tire and a sledge hammer .
The animals in US zoos have better living conditions-and despite that, the Marines are , as expected, unconcerned about their lack of amenities and up beat .
Cooper been very ,very laudatory in his reporting.
What really caught my attention was CNN’s embed-Michael Ware.
He was very sober about how Kandahar and the rest of the country has deteriorated as the Taliban have strengthened.
He said that the US is going to have to change tactics and strategy-
Guess Barry’s “ Have You Hugged A Taliban, Today ? “ ROE is even turning off CNN .
And bring in more troops and other assets and rethink how they are fighting this war if we are going to turn things around.
Ware then said that all eyes were on Washington wondering-
“ Is President Obama ready to step up and fight this war ? “
Oh, hell no , he isn’t and everybody knows it.
Especially the Taliban and Al Queda.
” No more of our military dying for impossible missions for a Commander in Chief that is rooting for their enemy.”
I hear that so often , especially from family members of the deployed.
I don’t know how widespread that sentiment is among the troops, but,
they do know he is making them fight , when he permits them to defend themselves , at a disadvantage.
Dems are something else, aren’t they.
In 2002 they kept quiet about Afghanistan, Senator McCain was the only one to call for lots of troops to conduct operations over the non existent border, the Durand Line and avoid a Laos type situation in Pakistan. Dems were dead silent.
In Iraq, they gave no credit to the surge, badmouthed it, and the braindead media went along with them, barely reporting the progress made by the amazing efforts of the US Army.
They said Afghanistan was the place to fight.
Now that we’re setting up to win in Afghanistan, they pull the rug out from under the Army.
In the words of the aide to General Odierno, the USA does not deserve its military.
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