Posted on 10/26/2009 7:14:02 PM PDT by presidio9
U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal's troop request for Afghanistan overreaches and is overly fast, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said Monday.
Kerry said three conditions -- sufficient Afghan troops, reliable local assistance and sufficient development aid -- must be met before additional troops could be deployed to the country, The Hill reported.
"I am convinced from my conversations with Gen. Stanley McChrystal that he understands the necessity of conducting a smart counterinsurgency in a limited geographic area," Kerry said in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations. "But I believe his current plan reaches too far, too fast."
Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he may eventually support a troop surge despite his concerns.
"Under the right circumstances, if we can be confident that military efforts can be sustained and built upon, then I would support the president should he decide to send some additional troops to regain the initiative," Kerry said.
Kerry also ripped former Vice President Dick Cheney for accusing President Barack Obama of "dithering" on the troop decisions. Cheney said Obama's lack of a decision so far was endangering troops.
"After eight years of neglecting Afghanistan as vice president, Dick Cheney has now come out of retirement to criticize President Obama for taking time to examine assumptions before sending troops into war," Kerry said.
Obama is a national disgrace.
Kerry has about as much experience and knowledge of military needs as do I - which is to say, very damned little. Someone needs to put rigging tape over his mouth.
“Gen.” Kerry is laying the groundwork for Zero to tell Gen. McChrystal FU.
Kerry looks like an Austin Powers gigolo. Shagalicious baby.(not)
When politicians try to run wars - wars get lost.
Thats the truth, odumbo has brought us that low
Kerry who?
Cheney would wipe the floor with this ‘purple heart for a bandaid cut’ idiot.
Lurch = Dominique de Villepin de Loser de Heinz
How the f*** would Kerry know sh** about military plans? When did he ever get past first lieutenant? Or was it second lieutenant?
He didn’t understand Vietnam
He didn’t understand Iraq
He doesn’t understand Afghanistan
The Jim Lehrer News Hour on PBS interviewed John Kerry on tonight on what to do in Afghanistan. I tried to watch it but after a couple of minutes of him bloviating I hadn’t learned anything and gave up. I guess the idea of having Kerry on was to try to give Obama cover for doing nothing.
It may be time for major generals to resign in public. Gates, too.
Go in with a clear objective and fight to win or go home.
Mark
Pity they outlawed dueling, this guy would be slapped in the face with a glove so many times his lips would be chapped.
This clown knows more than a decorated General? Let me guess, he stayed at a Holiday Inn Express?
Kerry is carrying water for Obama. Coming from him, it’s supposed to look like a “considered opinion” by a long-serving Senator with combat experience.
Whatever. Kerry’s opinion sounds the way the it smells: Bull!
Actually, PFC Kerry, Vice-President Cheney was simply pointing out a discrepancy in Chairman O's memory as it relates to a discussion he had with President Bush and Vice-President Cheney regarding Afghanistan strategy back in January.
Chairman O asked President Bush not to reveal the details of their meeting; the crux of which was President Bush's recommendation to add 30 to 40,000 troops.
Chairman O took President Bush's recommendations and sold them as his own in March.
Vice-President Cheney was responding to a more recent proclamation made by Chairman O that the previous administration never discussed Afghanistan strategy with him.
In short, Private Benjamin, Vice-President Cheney was diplomatically saying, in the immortal words of South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, "You Lie!".
You mean commander McBragg.
His comments equal a taliban reacharound!
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