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Hypocrite Barack Hussein Obama scolds Hamid Karzai. The US President needs to understand that his hypocrisy is showing blatantly when rapping the knuckles of Afghanistan President.

In a final call home, Army Sgt. Benjamin Sherman told his sister to tell everyone he loved them, “because I don’t know if I’ll get that chance again.” Sadly, his fears proved true. Sherman was laid to rest yesterday in his hometown of Plymouth in a funeral Mass attended by hundreds. Sherman, 21, was eulogized as a selfless soldier who did what came naturally to him when he jumped into a river in Afghanistan to try to rescue a comrade in distress. “He jumped into that river because he loved deeply, he was pure of heart, and he exhibited the...

Barack Obama has been criticized for kowtowing to the Chinese and the Russians over the last few months. But so far, this is all about atmospherics. The administration has not made any unilateral concession of substance to either country. It is taking a strategic view that developing strong relationships with both countries, particularly China, will yield long-term benefits. Strangely, however, that strategic focus has been lost in dealing with Asia's other rising giant, India. At one level the administration is being extremely friendly. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes to Washington this week for the first official state visit of...

Even his allies feel let down by the president’s lack of progress both in Asia and at home. even one previously friendly newspaper noted dismissively: “Obama goes to China, brings home a T-shirt.” Nor was the steady decline in the president’s approval ratings ... The real problem may be Obama’s friends — or rather, those among his formerly most enthusiastic supporters who are now having second thoughts. The doubters are suddenly stretching across a broad section of the Democratic party’s natural constituency. ... anti-war liberals depressed by the debate over troops for Afghanistan; and growing numbers of blue-collar workers who...

The lodge where I stay in Kabul was badly damaged on Oct. 8 when a suicide car bomb exploded 80 meters down the road near the Indian Embassy. Seventeen Afghans working in photocopy shops near the embassy were killed and another 60 wounded. The Indian diplomats were unharmed. No apologies were offered by the perpetrators for the killings. Nobody was hurt at my lodge, but 75 windows were blown out. The next day I was talking with the owner, who, for the third time in three years, had to fork out $3,000 to fix his windows. I asked him what...

November 13, 2009 at 1:09 pm On local Houston radio 2 days ago a private from Ft. Hood called into the AM talk show on 950AM. Since then the host has verified just to be sure that the man was indeed an injured soldier so as not to be fooled. Anyway, the private was with some others that were not critically hurt in a ward. He called in to offer the “difference” between the visit from President Bush vs the visit from President Obama. As you stated, no one knew President Bush was coming, he just showed up. WITH NO...

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Marines treated at Camp Lejeune for post-traumatic stress had to undergo therapy for months in temporary trailers where they could hear bomb blasts, machine-gun fire and war cries through the thin walls, according to servicemen and their former psychiatrist. The eight trailers were used for nearly two years, until a permanent clinic was completed in September in another location on the base, said a Camp Lejeune medical spokesman, Navy Lt. j.g. Mark Jean-Pierre. The noise from training exercises "shook me up real bad. I couldn't take it. I almost ran out of there a couple of...

Inability to grasp tactical and technical reality leads to sensationalistic and misleading reporting. I am no great fan of the Army's M1126 Stryker infantry combat vehicle (ICV), the eight-wheeled battle taxi hastily adopted by the Army in 2001 to provide an air-transportable vehicle offering more protection and carrying capacity than a HMMWV. It's too big (at 23 feet long and 9 feet wide, it's the size of a bus) and too heavy (about 20 tons in fighting trim) to fit comfortably on a C-130 Hercules transport plane or to be dropped by parachute. Its cross-country mobility leaves something to be...

Fred Thompson: Afghan war 'has been lost' Former Sen. Fred Thompson today intensified his party's criticism of President Obama's long deliberation over policy in Afghanistan, announcing that Obama's delay signals that "the war has been lost" and that nothing the president now does will "make any difference." "It really doesn't matter how President Obama divides the Afghan baby, how he splits the difference between McChrystal and Biden. Because the war has been lost," Thompson said on his radio show today. "I say this because of one sad and simple fact. The president does not have the will and determination to...

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Nov. 20, 2009 – Afghanistan was among the issues that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay discussed during a bilateral meeting here today. In a speech to the Halifax International Security Forum here, Gates recognized the contributions and sacrifices that Canadian servicemembers have made in that country. “In Afghanistan, the Canadian military has more than distinguished itself in battle in some of the most dangerous parts of the country,” Gates said. Canada has more than 2,800 troops in the ground in Afghanistan, serving in Regional Command South, where Canadian generals have commanded...

KABUL, Nov. 20, 2009 – Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan killed an enemy militant and detained several terrorism suspects today, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international security force killed an enemy militant in Takhar province while pursuing a facilitator for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist organization who is responsible for financing militant activities and transporting foreign fighters into the region. The force searched a compound in the rural Bangi district east of Kunduz City. During the search, the enemy militant displayed hostile intent and was killed. The search was completed without further incident. There has been an increased...

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 20, 2009 – Afghan National Army soldiers got their first Humvee egress assistance training at Forward Operating Base Thunder here Nov. 16. An Afghan soldier exits a Humvee during egress training at Forward Operating Base Thunder, Afghanistan, Nov. 16, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Evelyn Chavez  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The training is a newly added supplement to recent training offered to Afghanistan’s 203rd Corps soldiers that teaches students hand and arm signals, basic driving principles and road rules. “This was good training for us,” one Afghan soldier said. “The teachers...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2009 – Though the National Guard has a role in reconstruction missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s a temporary one, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told an audience at the Joint Senior Leadership Conference at the National Harbor yesterday. Left to right: Army Col. Eric Grimm, commander of the California Army National Guard's 40th Infantry Division agribusiness development team; Pedro Torres, a U.S. Agriculture Department representative; Army Sgt. Jeff Johanson, team leader for the agribusiness team; and Ted Wittenberger, U.S. Agency for International Development senior civilian representative, speak with Gulrahaman, chief of police, in Asmar, Afghanistan, Nov....

Today elitist Nancy Pelosi has thrown Afghan President Karzi into the meat grinder. Besides this, back in October Obama opened up his bottomless checkbook to the Taliban. Also stating that in the future, Taliban members will be allowed into the Afghan government. Is it clear whose side the left is on? Pelosi calls Afghan Karzai "unworthy partner" WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai is an "unworthy partner" who does not deserve a big boost either in U.S. troops or civilian aid, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Barack Obama’s special envoys have hardly blazed a trail on the international stage have they? George Mitchell has had as much success in the Middle East as Ireland had in qualifying for the World Cup. Richard Holbrooke, the AfPak envoy, is no Akhund of Swat. In fact, he is rarely seen in either Afghanistan or Pakistan. So who is it that will enforce the will of the West on the dastardly and corrupt Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan? Why, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, of course. The New York Times says she has struck an “unlikely rapport” with the cuddly Afghan...

November 17, 2009 MURTHA CONTINUES TO UNDERMINE TROOPS By William RussellIn recent interviews defending President Obama’s slow decision making on Afghanistan, Congressman John Murtha continues to undermine our troops, embolden our enemies, and place our country in greater danger. He does this by drawing on the wrong lessons from his own experience in Vietnam, and endorsing the enemy’s propaganda.  By continually questioning the request for more troops, Mr. Obama and Mr. Murtha are signaling the possibility that America might withdraw as we did in Vietnam. But unlike Vietnam, we do not have the choice of leaving and withdrawing to our...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2009 – Improving the quality and professionalism of Afghanistan’s central government will not be accomplished quickly, and will involve continued discussion between U.S. and Afghan officials, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. “My view on all this is that improvements in governance in Afghanistan will be evolutionary,” said Gates, in response to a Pentagon reporter’s question on the possibility the United States could link the amount of assistance it provides the Afghan government through its performance in rooting out alleged corruption. Newly re-elected Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pledged that he will fight government corruption....

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have turned the focus of Afghan war planning toward an exit strategy, publicly declaring that the U.S. and its allies can't send additional troops without a plan for getting them out. The shift has unnerved some U.S. and foreign officials, who say that planning a pullout now -- with or without a specific timetable -- encourages the Taliban to wait out foreign forces and exacerbates fears in the region that the U.S. isn't fully committed to their security.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2009 – President Barack Obama’s security team recognizes troops alone aren’t the answer as it begins wrapping up strategy deliberations about the way ahead in Afghanistan, the top military officer said here today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addresses Army and Air National Guard’s senior servicemembers from across the nation at the Guard’s first Joint Senior Leadership Conference outside Washington, D.C., Nov. 19, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,...

KABUL, Nov. 19, 2009 – Afghan and international forces killed several militants and detained terrorism suspects in two Afghanistan provinces yesterday, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international force detained several suspected militants in northern Kandahar province while pursuing a senior Taliban commander. The force targeted two vehicles near the village of Sahabey in the province’s Ghorak district after intelligence indicated militant activity. One of the vehicles contained a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and several rounds, as well as a machine gun and ammunition. The vehicles’ occupants were detained for further questioning, and the force safely destroyed the RPG launcher and other...

PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 19, 2009 – I felt like a bean-bag being tossed about in the cab of our pickup truck as our convoy traveled several bumpy miles off the main road, deep into the Hindu Kush Mountains of the Panjshir Valley, Nov. 15. Army Pvt. Orson Whitaker wraps a young resident from Dakhawak village in the Paryan district of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province in a hand-made quilt, Nov. 15, 2009. The supplies are a part of the combined effort of the provincial government and reconstruction team in Panjshir to provide essential services and assistance to residents. U.S. Air Force...

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will have scant time to rest up from his eight-day Asia trip. On Saturday, two days after his return to Washington, the Senate plans a make-or-break vote on his hard-fought plan to overhaul the nation's health care system. Obama also confronts a difficult choice on strategy and troop levels in Afghanistan, which will be criticized no matter what he decides. His bid to re-regulate the financial industry faces stiff opposition in Congress. The decision to try high-profile terror suspects in federal courts has drawn withering Republican attacks. And he faces a problematic push by House...

Let me get this straight. Obama insisted that we immediately mortgage unborn generations lives to squander trillions of dollars on misbegotten bills which no one had a chance to read in order to enact stimulus programs and socialist interventionist programs not scheduled to fully fund until the next presidential campaign for the sake of corrupt businesses which he and his tax-cheating minions insist are "too big to fail" (or file bankruptcy) and because "we cannot afford to do nothing." And yet he has all the time in the world to decide whether or not to issue an order to man-up...

WASHINGTON -- The Nobel Peace crown lies uneasy on President Barack Obama’s head as he ponders the next U.S. move in Afghanistan, with hints and leaks showering down to tell us that he will eventually send thousands more troops there. His decision -- which could be announced soon -- was triggered by the request from Gen. Stanley McChrystal for 40,000 more troops to secure the cities and protect the citizens of Afghanistan, in addition to the 68,000 U.S. troops there now. Obama has been reviewing the U.S. role in Afghanistan for months, a time-consuming study that has led to accusations...

YANKEE, GO HOME by thelastcrusade.org Hamid Karzai, the newly re-elected President of Afghanistan, wants US troops out of his country within five years.Despite the billions of US dollars that have been poured into Afghanistan and the deaths of 922 American soldiers, Mr. Karzai expressed no gratitude to the United States for its part in securing the country and protecting the Afghan people from radical insurgents.To the contrary, Mr. Karzai, in his second inaugural address, called for a national tribal council to seek peace with the Taliban.The peace overture negates the primary purpose of the on-going war, which, according to...

White House aides: No Afghan decision before Thanksgiving By Anne E. Kornblut Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:23 PM SEOUL -- President Obama will not announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan before the Thanksgiving holiday, senior aides said Thursday....

In the old days, when I was a kid, we used to put on our patent leather shoes, chiffon and tulle dresses and walk to the neighbor kid's birthday party carrying a wrapped Mr. Potato Head, or Barbie Doll. We were willing to suffer the indignation of dressing up on a Saturday for a slice of thick, homemade cake and a collection of prizes like a Pez dispenser or a ring-whistle or a wooden paddle ball awarded to the winner of each game. Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs and, my favorite, the treasure hunt. Our hostess would...

Hamid Karzai pledged to tackle corruption and said he wanted Afghan forces to take over security of the country within five years as he was sworn in for a second term as president. Mr Karzai also called for a national tribal council to seek peace with Afghanistan’s insurgents. He made his announcement as 800 guests watched him inaugurated amid tight security in his fortified palace in the heart of Kabul. His inauguration speech had been keenly awaited by western backers losing patience with his government which is widely seen as corrupt and ineffective. London and Washington had both said they...

SEOUL -- President Barack Obama will not announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan before the Thanksgiving holiday, senior aides said on Thursday. The news came as the president greeted 1,500 troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea, just before boarding Air Force One and heading back to Washington after an eight-day Asia trip... Obama arrived on the base 3:19 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time), and received a rousing welcome from 1,500 troops in camouflage uniforms, many holding cameras or pointing cell phones to snap pictures. "You guys make a pretty good photo op,"...

President Obama took his “Do as I say, not as I do” routine to dizzying international heights today, demanding that Iran cease its “foot-dragging” over whether or not to comply with demands to halt development of its nuclear program... He made the demand while continuing to drag his own feet on whether or not to provide more troops in Afghanistan, something he’s been mulling over since last summer. Expect B-list “actress” Janeane Garofalo to be a featured guest on Bill Maher’s show soon to remind us, once agian that if the world criticizes Mahmood Ahmadinejad for taking his time, it’s...

Yes, that's what the commander-in-chief said to his troops today in South Korea. Well, give the bas**** credit for being honest for once.Buried at the end of a Washington Post report on his decision to not decide on Afghanistan until after Thanksgiving is this George Washington moment for Barack Obama: Obama arrived on the base 3:19 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time), and received a rousing welcome from 1,500 troops in camouflage uniforms, many holding cameras or pointing cell phones to snap pictures. "You guys make a pretty good photo op," the president said. Standing on a riser...

Holiday Mail for Heroes is back! In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past....

Our ultimate goal of homeland security will be served through a better understanding of the threat confronting it in order to “disrupt, dismantle, and eventually defeat al Qaeda and its allies.” Let me describe this global threat through a comprehensive survey that I conducted of all the al Qaeda plots in the West, all the al Qaeda affiliate plots in the West and all the plots done “in the name of al Qaeda” in the West since the formation of al Qaeda in August 1988. It is necessary to expand our inquiry because al Qaeda is now only one of...

As our powerless secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, dutifully covers her head to attend the inauguration of an Afghan president so unpopular his ceremony has to be held behind closed doors, our AfPak (Afghanistan/Pakistan) policy isn't merely adrift. It's sinking. President Obama inherited a mess, and promptly made it worse. But let's be fair: There's plenty of blame to go around in the ongoing Afghan nondecision debacle, as well as regarding our follies in Pakistan. If the devalued buck stops at the president's desk, it's also true that the generals involved with AfPak have failed to fulfill their duties to...

Note to Hamid Karzai: One country's corruption is another country's stimulus package. ... The U.S. government should not throw stones. According to Transparency International's 2009 Global Corruption barometer, the U.S. Congress is the single institution perceived by Americans to be most affected by corruption. The U.S. government reported that $6.4 billion in stimulus money went to 440 nonexistent congressional districts, "creating or saving" around 30,000 phantom jobs. The White House admitted in July that billions of dollars spent in Troubled Asset Relief Program funds might not be traceable.

The situation in Afghanistan is like a poker game. There are only three options for action: raise, call or fold.  The President seems to be unable to pick one that doesn’t have Americans on both sides of the debate pulling out their hair. During his campaign for the White House President Obama said, “We have seen Afghanistan worsen, deteriorate. We need more troops there. We need more resources there… I would send two to three additional brigades to Afghanistan.” He promised to send another ten to fifteen thousand troops to help those already there. He also declared that the war...

White House Waves White Flag Exit Operation Enduring Freedom bythelastcrusade.org Speaking as Western leaders gathered in Kabul for Thursday's swearing-in of President Hamid Karzai, US President Barack Obama said his forthcoming announcement about the war in Afghanistan will include his intent for a complete troop withdrawal in the immediate future. "I am confident that when I announce my decision the American people will have a lot of clarity about what we are doing, how we are going to succeed... and most importantly what's the endgame on this thing," he told CNN."Unless you impose that kind of discipline it could...

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Nov. 18, 2009 – Supplies and equipment to sustain the more than 20,000 servicemembers and civilians from 15 different nations at the world’s busiest military airfield arrive here daily. Army Spc. Jose Ramirez directs a cargo truck to a parking space at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Nov. 14, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elisebet Freeburg  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. But not all supplies arrive by air. The 386th Movement Control Team has processed more than 25,000 cargo trucks through this southern Afghanistan base since May. The 386th MCT, an active duty Army unit from Vincenza,...

KABUL, Nov. 18, 2009 – Afghan and international forces killed several enemy militants and detained numerous terrorism suspects in Afghanistan today, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international force detained a group of suspected militants in Zabul province while pursuing a Taliban commander responsible for several attacks in the area. The force searched buildings on the west side of Qalat City where intelligence indicated militant activity and detained the suspected militants without incident. In a separate operation, a combined force killed several enemy militants in Khost province, including a Haqqani terrorist involved with attacks in the area. The force targeted a...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2009 – A range of decisions still remain for President Barack Obama and his administration to finalize the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, the president said in Beijing today. In separate interviews with traveling press, Obama said Afghans have to responsible for their own security and Pakistan has to be more effectively involved. “There are a range of things that we know we have to do,” the president told CBS correspondent Chip Reid. “At this point, it’s a matter of fine-tuning a strategy that we can be confident will be successful and also won’t be open-ended.” Obama has...

"Welcome to Spin Boldak. I am Commander Mullah Manan," he said, "second in command to Mullah Abdul Hakeem, commander of Helmand Province." "I just returned from a council meeting in Kandahar," he said."The only true Taliban shura is the one led by Mullah Omar. It has 29 members and some hold key government posts.""Mullah Omar’s orders are written down and given to the shura members. They pass them on to a chosen eight or nine others. No one uses any form of telecommunications or electronic devices," Manan added."We are not safe in Quetta," Manan answered. "These days, Pakistani security forces...

KABUL (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama aims to bring the Afghan war to an end before he leaves office, he said on Wednesday, the eve of a swearing-in ceremony Western officials hope can help salvage Hamid Karzai's tattered reputation. Hillary Clinton arrived in Kabul to attend the re-elected Afghan president's inauguration, her first visit as U.S. secretary of state and the most senior visit by a member of Obama's administration, which has kept Karzai at arm's length. Karzai takes his oath on Thursday, three months after a vote marred by widespread fraud. The election, intended to bolster the government's...

Support for the war in Afghanistan has ebbed to a new low...

One night in August, the Taliban stormed a local police station in this once-peaceful province and shot dead the governor's younger brother. Since then, the governor has singled out a culprit: The German military, which he says refused to send a helicopter to rescue his brother as he bled to death. "I called them and they said that wasn't a mission they could do," said Gov. Mohammad Omar. "They don't like to go out at night." German officials said there was no way they could have saved his brother. They offered their condolences, and said the death is just one...

First MILITARY Personnel Killed by Hostile Fire in Afghanistan That is all they really said. More to follow per FOX News Anchor. . .

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2009 – NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today predicted the alliance’s future mission in Afghanistan will entail a counterinsurgency approach with “substantially more troops.” The NATO chief, speaking to the alliance’s Parliamentary Assembly, said he expects NATO will reach a troop-level decision in a few weeks for the International Security Assistance Force it leads in Afghanistan. “I’m confident it will be a counterinsurgency approach, with substantially more troops, and will place the Afghan population at the core of ISAF’s collective effort by focusing on their safety, and by supporting reconstruction and development,” he said. Rasmussen’s remarks...

KABUL, Nov. 17, 2009 – Afghan and international forces worked together to kill or detain numerous enemy fighters and terrorism suspects in operations over the last two days, military officials reported. A combined Afghan and international security force killed several enemy militants, including a sought-after Taliban district commander, and detained several suspected militants in Afghanistan’s Wardak province early today. The force searched a compound near the village of Mayshin Kala in the province’s Sayed Abad district where intelligence indicated militant activity. Upon entering the compound courtyard, the force came under attack and returned fire, killing several enemy militants. During the...

Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index on Tuesday, saying war-ravaged Somalia remains the world's most corrupt country, followed by Afghanistan.Transparency International's rankings are based on how corrupt a country's government is perceived to be by experts and international institutions like the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

This war is a new kind of war. It is different from all other wars of the past, not only in its methods and weapons but also in its geography. It is warfare in terms of every continent, every island, every sea, every air-lane in the world.That is the reason why I have asked you to take out and spread before you (the) a map of the whole earth, and to follow with me in the references which I shall make to the world-encircling battle lines of this war. Many questions will, I fear, remain unanswered tonight, but I know...

In an interview published November 11 at Salon.com, titled, "Woody Harrelson on war, death, LBJ and Obama," by Andrew O'Hehir, actor Woody Harrelson, who stars in the soon-to-be-released film, The Messenger, recounts his conspiracy theory that America invaded Afghanistan not because of the 9/11 attacks, but because Chevron wanted to overthrow the Taliban and build an oil pipeline. Harrelson: The guys from Chevron went in and met with the Taliban and realized those guys just weren't in control enough. That's why they wanted to oust them. Otherwise it's an absurd concept: You're going to war because a guy from some...