Posted on 07/20/2008 2:43:56 PM PDT by Red Steel
Senator Barack Obama has demanded plans be drawn up immediately for US troops to be redeployed from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Visiting Kabul on the first stop of his first major overseas trip since winning the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, Mr Obama described conditions in Afghanistan as "precarious and urgent".
"I think the situation is getting urgent enough that we have to start doing something now," he told CBS television. "We can't wait for a new administration otherwise it will be a year before new troops arrive."
Mr Obama, who is also due to visit Iraq during his eight-day tour, sought to seize the initiative on foreign policy from his Republican rival Senator John McCain, a Vetnam War veteran. Mr Obama met American troops and held talks with President Hamid Karzai, key elements of his trip to two war zones that is intended to convince doubters at home that despite his inexperience he is a plausible future commander-in-chief.
-snip-
Mr Obama has placed defeating the Taliban and al-Qaeda at the centre of his foreign policy. But in an unfortunate reminder of the worsening violence in Afghanistan, Nato admitted yesterday that its forces accidentally killed at least four civilians in the country's east, while coalition troops mistakenly called in air strikes against Afghan police, killing nine.
Mr Obama did little to disappoint critics who accuse him of arrogance. He said the objective of the trip was to "hold substantive discussions" with national leaders "who I expect to be dealing with over the next eight to ten years".
He added: "It's important for me to have a relationship with them early."
After Afghanistan and Iraq, Mr Obama will visit Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and finally Britain in a grand tour that is attracting unprecedented scrutiny for
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Well, maybe he can continue in at least some of those extra states he seems to think exist here in Oz.
IMO one should be able to observe that Obama doesn’t know what the Hell he is doing simply by the multitude of bit parts he routinely enacts upon the Political Stage.
If Obama knew what he was doing, he wouldn’t have so many damned advisers for various reasons, as well he wouldn’t be allowing each and everyone of them to pull him in so many different directions.
He cannot manage himself, much less our Nation.
The world supposedly hates the US and GWB, but that is largely a fabrication.
However, can you imagine other world leaders having to deal with pompous, arrogant ass? Their hatred for us will grow by leaps and bounds if this twerp is elected POTUS.
Will he be wearing his burka?
This man is an embarrassment. His plan is nonsense, but the underlying idea is already the current policy - as the Iraqi army takes more control, more troops can come home and others redeployed to Afghanistan.
Shew. How is this guy registering more than 20% in the polls?
Somehow I don't think that's quite what he's planning.
JFK was a lousey President too. His claim to fame came with a bullet. I think everybody here at FR knows the man was inexperienced and was carried to the WH simply by his Charismatic personality, and great speeches.
Sound familiar?
The extra 2 years is how long Karzai, et al can be expected to be around. For him, 10 years is the short-term.
You're right - that makes this is even more ridiculous. Whew. Too much craziness to deal with at once. Again I ask - how is this guy anywhere about 20% in the polls?
We should not be trying to invade and occupy a nation of 50 million people. That is beyond the capability of our force structure. If your idea is to declare war, then declare it and claim all the legal rights that go with a declared war. We would have the right to interdict commerce, confiscate assets, institute air and naval blockade. Irani insurance rates would go thru the stratosphere. Their trade would evaporate. their treasury empty. Air strikes could be made against their internal infrastructure, destroying transportation and disabling communications. These things are possible with a formal declaration.
That is what he said. One could construe his statement to mean the 10 years he was talking about was the longevity of the "foreign leaders" he wants to meet, like Karzai.
“Mr Obama did little to disappoint critics who accuse him of arrogance. He said the objective of the trip was to “hold substantive discussions” with national leaders “who I expect to be dealing with over the next eight to ten years”.”
Does he expect to drop over dead in his third term?
No, no, this is NOT from Srappleface. No one could make this up...
~snip~
Mr Obama did little to disappoint critics who accuse him of arrogance. He said the objective of the trip was to “hold substantive discussions” with national leaders “who I expect to be dealing with over the next eight to ten years”.
~snip~
If Obama wins 57 states, he automatically gets an extra 2 years in office. Don't you know your Constitution?
***”For at least a year now, I have called for two additional brigades, perhaps three,” he told CBS. “I think it's very important that we unify command more effectively to coordinate our military activities. But military alone is not going to be enough.”***
Perhaps Obama called for zero brigades a year ago? Is Obama claiming it's alright to surge in Afghanistan to win but not alright to surge in Iraq to win?
Senator Barack Obama has demanded plans be drawn up immediately for US troops to be redeployed from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Visiting Kabul on the first stop of his first major overseas trip since winning the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Mr Obama described conditions in Afghanistan as “precarious and urgent”.
“I think the situation is getting urgent enough that we have to start doing something now,” he told CBS television.
And I thought he just went overseas to play a little basketball. All the while he must have been using the super secret CIA undercover basketball/crystal ball allowing him to see the future in Iraq and Afghanistan. Silly me. Thank God my crystal ball shows John McCain as our next President and Barack Hussein Obama going back to Chicago and continuing his work as a community organizer while looking for employment as a high school basketball coach. Unfortunately it will be a long search it seems he is not qualified to be a basketball coach either.
I’ll do him one better. When their job is done, the troops should come home to the U.S.
Perhaps he meant brigs.
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