Posted on 09/27/2009 10:15:01 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday denied any rift between the US military and the White House over the war in Afghanistan, and suggested a possible radical shift in strategy was unlikely.
Asked if there was tension between military and civilian leaders over the pace of decision-making on the US-led mission, Gates said: "I don't think that's the case at all."
Citing "an extensive conversation on the telephone" on Wednesday with the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, Gates said the military leader supported President Barack Obama's preference to take time to review strategy before weighing a request for more troops.
"General McChrystal was very explicit in saying that he thinks this assessment, this review that's going on right now is exactly the right thing to do," Gates told ABC television's "This Week" in an interview taped Friday and broadcast on Sunday.
"He obviously doesn't want it to be open-ended or be a protracted kind of thing."
The Pentagon chief mentioned no deadline but said he expected the White House strategy review would take "a few weeks" before he would present Obama with the commander's request for more troops and resources.
Amid reports of frustration among senior US military officers with the White House, McChrystal warned in an assessment of the war that without more troops in the next year, the NATO-led mission could fail.
The general is expected to ask for 10,000 to 40,000 additional forces to help turn the tide against Islamist insurgents, but the exact number remains unclear.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
NO RIFT = the Oval Office pays no attention to the military or our defense -— obviously. Of course, with the exception of cutting funding and support, what little exists. Carter on steroids.
Liar.
Yeah, right.
This wide range of 10,000 to 40,000 does not seems a right and accurate military analysis and I doubt very much that General McChrystal is giving this range. There is no way if a General thinks that 40,000 thousands troops are required he is going to give a range with the low end being 10,000 troops. He may give a range of 30,000 to 40,000 troops.
This 10,000 to 40,000 troops is a political statement by the defeatists in the White House so Obama will send 10,000 or may be 20,000 extra troops to Afghanistan and claim that he is doing something there when in reality it not at al enough to do the job.
And, pigs fly. Yeah, right!
Just a hunch, my extrapolation of publicly-exposed events and reactions, but I’d be willing to bet donuts to dimes that Obama’s advisers don’t just oppose Gen. McChrystal’s request for more troops, they actually, in Clinton/good Democrat fashion, oppose General McChrystal, the entire U. S. Army and the whole United States military. ‘Twould be my guess, for instance, that more than a few of Obama’s advisers would replace the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with, say, an Altar to the Urban Graveyard Voter, if they could.
Bravo Sierra, BS!
There is a MUTINY on the horizon, either on Afghanistan or on the Israelis bombing Iran (or maybe from the CIA). Tread carefully Obama.
The long conversation on the phone wasn’t about actual military strategy, it was over the dance between the Pentagon and the White House. Our commanders were essentially browbeaten to get on the same page with the stalling.
Could we please quit talking about increases in forces and get back too what Obama really considers important, such as forcing our war injured Troops to pay for their own medical bills.
Come on, let’s get our priorities straight.
Surrender anyone?
Gates is delusional,pure and simple.
No rift at all. People in the Military love being commanded by retards who despise them.
Gates sucking up.
Pope Converts to Protestantism
Pontiff To Abandon Humorous Hats
Zoning Restrictions Ban Bears From Forest
Defecating Ursinoids Hardest Hit
The list, ping
Gates is a sell out.
BUT
I would like anyone to explain why McChrystal would say this, in outlining his new BS strategy in the “leaked memo”
Mcchrystal said “ Our preoccupation with protections of OUR forces” resulted in a flawed plan ( paraphrasing last part of sentence..
WTF is a General doing saying the USA was preoccupied with protecting the men and women we sent there?
UH General damn straight we should be preoccupied with our people. YOUR new ROE General are getting our troops killed at a higher rate.
This is BS, to have Obama’s general to criticize protecting out troops
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.