Posted on 12/13/2013 7:57:09 AM PST by kristinn
President Obama’s brain trust on Afghanistan does not know much the U.S. spends on the war each year or the American cost in lost lives on the battlefield.
This embarrassing lack of basic knowledge from State Department and Pentagon experts on Afghanistan at a House hearing Wednesday prompted even a Democrat to say he was stunned.
The setting was the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Issue: Afghanistan and the transition to fewer U.S. troops post-2014.
The witnesses: James F. Dobbins, State’s special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan; Donald Sampler, assistant to the administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides civilian foreign aid; and Michael Dumont, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.
SNIP
According to the Pentagon’s fiscal 2013 budget, it is spending about $88 billion this year to wage the war in Afghanistan. The State Department budget allocates $4.6 billion in aide and operations.
The U.S. has lost the lives of 118 service members this year, according to the website icasualties.org.
(Excerpt) Read more at p.washingtontimes.com ...
Well, they don’t have the Lewenski media reporting on it nightly since BO became POTUS . . .
Yes, the body counts that were on a 5, 5, 7, 10 and 11 PM news broadcasts somehow disappeared under Obama. Lots more of our boys died under ZerO, but the low-info voter has no idea.
Not a chance.
F*&%ing amazing... the scumbag POS media told us every day the total number of soldiers that had been killed in battle when Bush was in office; the jug-eared, lying, a$$ clown takes over and the KIA total exponentially eclipses those from the Bush years, and not a single solitary word is uttered from the vile scum passing media. Unaccountable, unmitigated evil.
How man civilians has Obama killed with drones.
We have soldiers in prison for killing civilians while Obama kills them egularly with Drones.
Is thee some difference between double tapping and blowing a civilian all to hell with a drone?
Was it CNN or MSNBC that had the body count on 24/7 on the screen infographics?
bump
I think that people are missing a salient point. The average person working in that position wouldn’t have the exact data on the tip of their tongue. They might have rough estimates, which may, or may not be close to the real number. If called on, like say to testify in front of a Congressional hearing, they could easily gather the data with the expectation that someone may ask for it.
This whole thing is not about lack of basic knowledge, it is about contempt. They don’t care enough about Congress to make even the smallest effort. Their contempt is well founded, too. They know that it is all kabuki theater and that absolutely nothing will come from it. The GOP-e and the Dems who claim to care for this country will not do anything to stop the ruination of this country both at home and abroad.
Our public tv station newshour had it every Friday night. Now? Not a peep. They don’t get a dime from me.
Because eventually, many will return home.
“If called on, like say to testify in front of a Congressional hearing, they could easily gather the data with the expectation that someone may ask for it.”
One would think. Typical arrogant jerks. I used to work for a VP that would rip these clowns to shreds. If you were going to a meeting/presentation with him, you better have you ducks lined up. He showed no mercy. Most folks never made that mistake twice. I didn’t make it once. LOL!
With respect, I suggest that a fellow with this job title:
Michael Dumont, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.
...had better by God know what the casualty figures are on a daily basis. Especially, as you point out, if he's about to testify in front of Congress. Even Kabuki theater can be embarrassing.
Where are Cindi Sheehan and Michael Moore?
I said, when Zero was elected into the White Hut that I was having difficulty supporting the troops who chose to serve under his command. These days, that feeling still exists because they have had to reenlist to stay under his command. I understand that someone might not want to give up a career but when an out and out Communist takes command it is time to get out.
“...but when an out and out Communist takes command it is time to get out...”
And then all you’ll have left is HIS army, willing to do whatever he tells them to do.
Respectfully disagree with you friend... we need Patriots in there, woven throughout every strata and layer, that can interdict and hamper any scheme this clown and his minions might try.
Ultimately, it’s all about who gets to the guns first - our people, or theirs. Personally, I’d rather it be our people.
Anyone who attempts to interdict or hamper operations or misuse their position in the military is immediately in serious trouble. Civilians can always say I quit or I feel sick and need to rest. GI’s don’t have that luxury.
Our military is supplied from top to bottom by civilians. Cut the supply chain and our military is ineffective. You cannot fight when you have no supplies, no food, no medicine, no ammo, no fuel, no oil, no spare parts.
This country surely needs God’s help.
And remember, according to the democrats in 2008 Afghanistan is the GOOD war.
It’s the Rules of Engagement, you bloody morons!
Bring our people home. We don’t even have an identifiable objective in that country any longer.
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.