U.S., NATO must change to win Afghan war says commander (WH blames Bush)

Reuters ^ | 8/31/09 | Peter Graff and Andrew Gray

[AT7Saluki]

The United States and its allies must change strategy and boost cooperation to turn around the war in Afghanistan, the top U.S. and NATO commander there said on Monday, wrapping up a much-anticipated review.

....

The White House sought on Monday to pin the blame for the grave state of the war in Afghanistan on the Bush administration, which made Iraq its top military priority.

"This was underresourced, underfunded, undermanned and ignored for years," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

[AT7Saluki]

Where are the nightly casualty counts and obligatory "Troops home now!" protest coverage?

[WellyP]

Obama, if you want to win, which I doubt you have the guts or balls to do, you would allow the military to FIRE AT WILL and SHOOT TO KILL!

[Rummyfan]

So Obama and Company have had eight months and they have formulated the strategy of.... it's all Bush's fault! So whaddayou gonna do about it poser?

[dools007]

The “Bush did it” gambit is wearing thin. In any case, now it matters not who did it. What matters is fixing it.

I have to say I have my doubts about the present general in charge of Afghanistan, McCrystal. Mainly because he accecpted The Marxist Onadas ROE. It dictates that if women and children are mixed in with Taliban murderers we cannot fire on them. That has been a disaster.

But, perhaps McCrystal out foxed Onada. With all the other negative news surrounding our presidential usurper, losing Afghanistan cannot be good. The problem Onada has to face at some point is Afghanistan’s importance to our own national security. Oh yes, I know, he could care less. While that’s true, he cannot preside over a precipitice collapse of the American economy AND American power at the same time. He will have totally failed his responsibilities to America and the Constitution. IMHO, mobs would take to the streets to drag him or force him from the WH.

[Thunder90]

McChrystal, like Gates, won’t last long. Future SecDef Westley Clark will replace McChrystal with someone like him.