(FT:) Afghanistan is now Obama’s war

Except for a pause to honour Senator Edward Kennedy, healthcare reform has dominated US news and comment for weeks. It is seen as the make-or-break challenge for Barack Obama’s administration. Yet soon it may look unimportant in comparison with an issue that the US public has barely seemed to notice: the war in Afghanistan.

Casualties there are mounting – this has been the deadliest month for US forces since the fighting began in 2001. The losses have attracted less attention in the US than British losses have in Britain, and pressure on the administration to pull out has been mild. But this will change. When it does, Mr Obama will longingly recall those carefree months debating healthcare.

Quietly, public opinion has already turned against the war. According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 51 per cent now say the war is not worth fighting. Among Democrats, seven out of 10 say that.

A recent Economist/YouGov poll found that only 32 per cent agree with sending more troops – something the army is expected to request imminently. To the question “What do you think will eventually happen?” came a response to thrill every Taliban fighter: 65 per cent said “The United States will withdraw without winning” and only 35 per cent “The United States will win”.

I ran across this comment on the Net while reading up on "Obama's War."

A friend of my oldest son will be going back for his 5th tour. He says he's pissed off because he's realized that all of the freedoms that he's over there fighting for have already been taken away from us right here by our own government. He says that many, if not most, of his buddies are beginning to feel the same way. If we're in Afghanistan to protect our freedom then we've already lost. Our government has used 9-11 to put the final nails in the Constitution's coffin and our boys (and girls) in the military are beginning to figure that out. Maybe that's why the Department of Homeland Security lists American veterans as a primary source of "domestic terrorists".

And a comment on that comment left this video to look at:
Broken Soldier

Afghanistan is obozo’s war, your right about that but your line of thinking may be off, just because obozo holds the title of President of the US doesn't mean he is one of us, just because you live in the US doesn't mean your an American. Iraq and Afghanistan is his war and for every one of our troops that gets killed or innocent civilians get blow up, IT'S ANOTHER Feather IN HIS CAP, ANOTHER NOTCH ON HIS BELT and with each drop of blood another ruby or another African diamond is placed on his crown. He travels around the World trying to make the US look weak and in doing so he is letting the World know that he won't fight back, he wants Americans to sit on their hands while Al Queda and the Taliban triumph.
We have the power of the press, you have your printing press and their is no greater power than the power of the printing press. So get busy and spread the word, make the letter bug and bold so the can't be ignored, they will be read and many if not all will come recognize the EVIL that sits in our White House and in Congress.
There must must not be any tax payers money used for funding or pay of Czars, each and every Senator, Representative, must receive it, bulletin boards in grocery stores Post Offices where every it can be seen it heard.
We must call on your elected officials to call for the removal of the corruption from our government and our White House, if they don't call for the removal than they to must be removed. Use the power of the press your printing press and call on all citizens to call for the removal of the criminals in office. Before it is too late and were in the middle of a war or obozo uses a new and private military against us. You see it around the world, people are beaten,jailed, killed in the streets for all to see. obozo and this mob that sits in our White House are not one of us, they are not true Americans, they have shown us what they stand for and OBOZO WANTS TO BE ANOTHER SODDOM, HE ALSO IS PATERN HEMSELF AFTER CHEVEZ. CZARS THAT ANSWER TO OBOZO, A NEW MILITARY THAT IS LOYAL TO HIM.
DOES ANYONE THINK THERE COULD BE ANOTHER GEO.BUSH IN ANOTHER COUNTRY AND BRING DOWN OBOZO LIKE HE DID SODDOM, WE WON'T BE THAT LUCKY. OBOZO,THE WHITE HOUSE MOB AND MANY OF YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WANT OBOZOCARE OR HILARYCARE AND THEY KNOW IF THEY PASS IT MANY WILL DIE, MILLIONS COULD DIE. A GERM WARFARE,THE SWINE FLU COULD BE THE VERY THING THAT IS NEEDED FOR A PUSH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR THE TAKE OVER OF THIS COUNTRY.
A call for Charlie Rangle, Chris Dodd,Schumer, Waters and Barney Frank, these are just a few and don't forget Removed, Indicted and NO Pensions.
A death penalty for Serious for many of the sex offenders, Like, yes indeed Barney Frank, HE RAN A HOUSE OF PROSTITUTION, USING YOUNG BOYS AND HE HAS NEVER PAID THE PRICE FOR HIS CRIMES THEY SAY HIS CRIMES ARE NOT WORTHY OF REMOVAL FROM OFFICE BUT HIS GAY LOVER WENT TO JAIL, THEN YOU WONDER WHY OTHERS THING THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THE CRIMES AGAINST OUR CHILDREN. NOW WITH OBOZO AND HIS SICK MINDED MOB ANYTHING GOES AND BARNEY FRANK COULD ONCE AGAIN USE OUR TAX DOLLARS TO FUND A HOUSE OF PROSTITUTION.
IF THE NEWS MEDIA WON'T HELP REMOVE THE CORRUPTION THAN WE MUST DO IT, CANCEL ALL PAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS THAT REFUSE TO CALL FOR THE CRIMINALS IN OFFICE.
ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT REFUSES TO CALL FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE CORUPTION, THE CRIMINALS AND THE COMMUNIST MOB THAT SITS IN OUR WHITE HOUSE MUST RESIGN AND WITHOUT A PENSION.
ALL FUNDING TO EX US PRESIDENTS OTHER THAN THEIR PENSIONS MUST BE STOPPED. ALL FUNDING FOR THE RATS INCLUDING RAT NUMBER 1 OBOZO MUST BE STOPPED FOR THE TRAVELING TO COMMUNIST COUNTRIES AND THAT GOES FOR HITLARY AS WELL.

This is AMERICA’s war.

AMERICANS are doing the fighting and dying.

The white house resident is only dictating a plan larger than his presidency.

A few qusetions:

What is the mission?
What is the United States' ORBAT for this mission? Is it adequate?
What is the strategy to accomplish that mission and what are the operational thrusts used to accomplish that strategy? Are they accomplishing their goals?
What are the ROEs under which the troops must operate in carrying out their operation? Are they too restrictive (to many of our troops being killed) or are they not restrictive enough (to many noncombatants being killed)?

The hypothesis that the author advances is a valid one: the blood of those soldiers is on Øbama's hands -- the decisions made out of his office determine whether that blood was shed in vain or not. If there are good answers to the above questions then we can all pray for their success and be certain that any lives that were lost were lost in a good cause. If they a) haven't thought to ask the above questions, b) haven't given serious enough thought to the answers, or c) are wrong in any of those answers, then that blood would have been shed in vain.

And he can't push the bad decisions he's made back onto the prior administration.

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