Posted on 08/22/2017 5:21:45 AM PDT by EyesOfTX
President Trumps decision announced Monday night to increase the U.S. presence in Afghanistan by sending up to 4,000 additional troops and military advisers into that already 16 year-old war is both disappointing, and encouraging. The disappointment comes in the Presidents going back on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to get our country out of that armpit of the earth, where more that 2.500 American lives have already been sacrificed to accomplish goals that under President George W. Bush were overly-ambitious and unachievable, and that under President Barack Obama were vague and unsupported in any real way by that administration.
All that aside, it was at least encouraging to hear an American President eschew entirely the ill-fated neo-conservative hubris of nation-building in the Middle East, and work to set clear and obtainable side bars for our countrys ongoing commitment to Afghanistan, without setting artificial and counter-productive time lines whose only result was to allow the radical Muslim factions operating in the countryside to simply wait us out. If nothing else positive can be said, this plan at least is what a real strategy for achieving real goals looks like, something we never saw during the Obama years.
The Presidents harsh words directed towards Pakistan, and its continuing harboring of Al Qaeda and Taliban training bases and safe havens are also encouraging. Unlike his predecessor in office, this Presidents word in such matters has already been proven to be meaningful and carrying real intent of purpose. Pakistani officials will ignore that word at their own peril.
A final encouraging factor in all of this is that this strategy was developed and is led by Defense Secretary General James Mad Dog Mattis, and not his the feckless, un-serious bureaucrat predecessor, the execrable Jeh Johnson.
(Excerpt) Read more at dbdailyupdate.com ...
Pokeeeestan has been playing us for fools for a long time... Thank you President Trump for putting a stop to their endless shakedowns and betrayals...
I was in Veeeetnam in ‘63/’64. I hope this is not the start of another gradualization. That one did not turn out too well as I recall.
If Obama had laid out the same plan, the author would have condemned him for it. Just another example of switching sides on policy when it’s the home team implementing it.
Very disappointing. 17 years, thousands of Americans and trillions of dollars is enough
20 year war
thats good, cause all those other “sure fire” plans didnt work out so well.. but no worries, I’m sure this time it will...
Please hold the foot ball one more time Charlie Brown...
What are the goals?
I don’t care if he is adding more, for now... because his strategy is TO WIN now.
You can’t just pull out, that would be a disaster. But if his plan is to WIN then pull out then that’s different.
If our military general, now with a real leader, think this is the right course of action to protect us then I for one am behind it.
Freeing our troops to actually protect each other, and us is a welcomed relief to the Obama shame on anything that doesn’t aid the enemy.
Todays forces are “ voluntary” just like becoming a police officer or firefighter, hazards come with the decision to choose this occupation. That said many do it for what it stands for pride in service, and continuing to ensure that America remains free.
The Donald is looking out for us, and for those who don’t realize even with their hatred for him he is protecting them.
An objective definition of a win would be progress, bigly.
What you won’t ever hear discussed us Iran, & we need ground bases w overflight if we ever need to take them out.
“20 year war”
8 years of Obama and his support for the Muslim Brotherhood did nothing to advance the war against radical Islam. We are not in Afghanistan to nation build. We are there to only kill terrorist.
What about North/South Korea? Been going on since 1950.
What about North Korea, anyways? They got quiet so they could watch the race riots on the east coast, I guess?
How many troops are in South Korea getting bombed and shot at?
My dad came back from there with 3 purple hearts, a permanent limp and half his left lung missing. He was setting on the NORTH bank of the Yalu river when his tank company was ordered to “fall back” the the 38th parallel. Half way back across the territory they had just lost 1/3 of there buddies to, while helping to kill literally tens of thousands of Chinese and North Koreans.
These places are quagmires because the politicians allow them to be.
I mean NOW.
Korean war wasn’t a 20 year war.
You brought up Korea as if it is a 20 year war. I am asking how many troops are there and how many are getting bombed and blown up now for 17 years....and counting.
Why NOW?
Last I recalled there are close to 30,000 troops in South Korea waiting to be vaporized for our freedom.
You cry for our children sent off to seemingly senseless wars waged by the political elite TODAY.
I cry for my father sent off to a seemingly senseless wars waged by the political elite who gave back the win so dearly won and sacrificed for by my father and his generation and my grand-mothers children.
The saga continues. There is nothing new under the sun.
You cannot equate soldiers in Korea right now to soldiers in Afghanistan. I have sent care packages for over a decade there.
IT IS NOT THE SAME SITUATION AT ALL.
btw, where do you get your figure that there are 30k of US soldiers in Korea. Not by anything I can find.
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