Do Something

London Times Online (U.K.) ^ | October 29, 2009 | Leading Article

[Schnucki]

President Obama must show leadership over Afghanistan, and soon. His delay in announcing his plans looks less like deliberation and more like dithering

A remarkable headline on an opinion piece about Afghanistan in The New York Times, following an interview with David Miliband: “Britain resolves, US wavers”. If the American press can look to policy on Afghanistan on this side of the Atlantic and see relative determination, vision and clarity of purpose, then things in Washington must be dire indeed.

It is now two months since General Stanley McCrystal, the commander of US and allied forces in Afghanistan, told President Obama that a surge of at least 40,000 troops was required for the international mission in that country to succeed. Mr Obama is not obliged to follow his recommendation, but he is obliged to do something other than sit on his own hands. “I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm’s way,” Mr Obama told the military, in a speech this week. This is not an unattractive sentiment. There is deliberation, nonetheless, and then there is dragging one’s feet.

Now is not a time for a president to dither. Yesterday, a Taleban suicide squad stormed a United Nations guesthouse in Kabul, leaving six international staff dead and nine injured. The Taleban do not carry out such attacks at random. They understand well the context in which they act, and do so in order to sway a decision that they believe can be swayed.

Some hesitation has been understandable. In the wake of August’s disputed election, Mr Obama rightly made it clear that he would not commit troops in support of an illegitimate Afghan government. More than a week has now passed since President Karzai gave the go-ahead for a second round of voting between himself and

[Marty62]

When the Bits pull out..will people THEN decide our Gold should not be left alone.

[Savage Beast]

Oh things in Washington are dire indeed, but it's not because of a lack of determination, vision and clarity of purpose. There's plenty of that.

It's because the determination, vision and clarity of purpose are covert and the agenda is quite different from anything that is made public.

[ladyvet]

He's consulting his artwork on the situation.

[reagan_fanatic]

Obama has about as much concern for the safety of our troops as a cat does for the safety of a mouse.

[GeronL]

Obama is laying the ground work for retreat.

He has refused to make decisions on troop deployments.

General McChrystal begged for new troops months ago, now the US troop death rate has tripled.

New RoE’s prevent troops from returning fire if the hostile is holed up in populated homes or in civilian homes. To “protect” Afghan civilians. Guaranteeing that the enemy is going to do that, increasing the number of Afghan civilians getting hurt or killed as the enemy takes over their homes.

Now they are considering ceding the countryside to the Taliban and “protecting” the cities, which are heavily populated and where our troops won’t be allowed to shoot.

Then the White House will conclude we cannot defeat the Taliban. America is just too weak to defeat these weenies.

Obama will retreat.

[chris37]

Excuse me, Britain, Obama is on his date night, and he shall not be disturbed by petty needs. /s

[fujimoh]

Obama show Leadership??!!!!!!! ROLFLMAO! Right.

[Tzimisce]

So European libs I have to ask: which do you hate more? The “Cowboy Diplomacy” of us doing things “unilaterally”? Or the US acting like pacifist liberal Europeans?