Posted on 08/18/2021 12:59:55 PM PDT by Red Badger
The FUBAR in Afghanistan is so large in scope and failure, the Pentagon appears to be throwing the White House under the bus; and they are being considerably obtuse while doing it…. or are they?
If these reports from Daily Mail and Wall Street Journal are accurate, the Pentagon is claiming that Joint Chief’s Chairman General Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Joe Biden about the pending collapse of Afghanistan if 2,500 troops were removed. However, both Milley and Austin are on record only a few weeks before the collapse saying exactly the opposite.
(Via Wall Street Journal) – In his Monday speech defending America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Biden said he would not shrink from his share of responsibility.
That would include his decision to bring home U.S. troops, which was made against the recommendations of his top military generals and many diplomats, who warned that a hasty withdrawal would undermine security in Afghanistan, several administration and defense officials said.
The president’s top generals, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, urged Mr. Biden to keep a force of about 2,500 troops, the size he inherited, while seeking a peace agreement between warring Afghan factions, to help maintain stability. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who previously served as a military commander in the region, said a full withdrawal wouldn’t provide any insurance against instability.
In a series of meetings leading up to his decision, military and intelligence officials told Mr. Biden that security was deteriorating in Afghanistan, and they expressed concerns both about the capabilities of the Afghan military and the Taliban’s likely ability to take over major Afghan cities.
Other advisers, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, raised the possibility of Taliban attacks on U.S. forces and diplomats as well as the Afghans who for two decades worked alongside them. (read more)
I’m not here to defend Joe Biden, not even close; I believe the man is inept, functionally and cognitively out of touch, and completely illegitimate. However, there’s more in the background context for these (and similar) articles.
The DC “conservative” media appear to be framing these articles to give the illusion of current conflict between the White House and the Pentagon, by conflating statements made long ago (before Biden made the withdrawal announcement in April), with recent positions. The actual statements of Mark Milley and Lloyd Austin to congress only a few weeks ago run directly counter to the claims in the articles. I would advise people not to take these articles by DC media at face value…. they too have an agenda.
Here are Milley and Austin speaking specifically to the situation in Afghanistan shortly before the crisis unfolded. {4 minutes, prompted}
VIDEO AT LINK
Biden will be on soon to discuss Covid....really.
Last generation betrayed Trump (Gen.Kelly....)
and this one does its CYA by blaming Biden. What integrity.
They were just following orders, right?
When does the impeachment trial start, Nancy? /s
BINGO
Disobey President Trump’s orders, follow Resident Select Ziden’s orders to the letter.
We need a circular firing squad—with live bullets.
Lets settle this once and for all!
It’s obvious the RATS have decided to ditch Biden. More than likely they realize he will sink all of them hard in 2022 if he stays in office much longer. It’s getting harder and harder to cover up what a demented fool he is.
This is the same as when mob bosses decide to put a hit on one member that is bringing too much heat from the FEDs to the whole family due to stupid.
That doesn't sound like General Milley is throwing Biden under the bus. It sounds like he is making an excuse for Ol' Joe and the current pukes in Washington.
I know I saw it, because I nearly threw my shoe at the television screen.
Yes, my tagline is operative as usual.
But another lesson to take is that liberals are not a real group. They are a mixture of selfish individuals who have no loyalty to anything except their own advantage. They are incapable of seeing that helping fellow group members is a good thing for everyone. Liberals only see how they can get one up on each other. And each liberal will toss any other down the well without a twinge of conscience. In fact they think the ideas of loyalty and integrity are scams made up to fool people. They only band together to defeat a common foe and upon doing that they immediately turn on each other. Just like any group of criminals.
His "share"???
That statement underscores Biden's lack of understanding and his failure of leadership. The captain of the ship, or any other supreme commander doesn't have such an option.
Perhaps Biden was simply following Bent Willy's lead in the Mogadishu/Black Hawk Down debacle when the press let him pin it on Les Aspin.
ah yes, the symbolism of “The Godfather”, where someone was shot on a fishing trip. I haven’t seen the movie in decades, don’t remember who it was. Was it Michael’s brother, the lame brother who betrayed the family?
Lots of symbolism we could see. It could make one think there is a coup going on, within the Democrat family.
Fredo was a Mensa member compared to Joe.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he was going to discuss ice cream flavors, it's that bizarre now.
I love a good circular firing squad, especially when it’s all Marxist megalomaniacs... like Xiden and his band of merry military morons.
He cannot possibly believe he has any credibility left on any subject.
Well, you are correct about that. It sounds exactly like Milley is admitting his gross professional negligence. He should have continued his statement with the announcement of his resignation.
It also sounds like Milley is a wuss looking for cover when he claims no one else saw any indication of a collapse - deprive the land forces of air support and ground intel and every senior NCO and junior officer in-theatre would anticipate things going south very quickly.
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.