Posted on 09/18/2009 7:48:21 PM PDT by markomalley
Six months after it announced its strategy for Afghanistan, the Obama administration is sending mixed signals about its objectives there and how many troops are needed to achieve them.
The conflicting messages are drawing increasing ire from U.S. commanders in Afghanistan and frustrating military leaders, who are trying to figure out how to demonstrate that they're making progress in the 12-18 months that the administration has given them.
Adding to the frustration, according to officials in Kabul and Washington, are White House and Pentagon directives made over the last six weeks that Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, not submit his request for as many as 45,000 additional troops because the administration isn't ready for it.
In the last two weeks, top administration leaders have suggested that more American troops will be sent to Afghanistan, and then called that suggestion "premature." Earlier this month, Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that "time is not on our side"; on Thursday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urged the public "to take a deep breath."
The White House didn't respond to requests for comment. Officials willing to speak did so only on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
In Kabul, some members of McChrystal's staff said they don't understand why Obama called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" but still hasn't given them the resources they need to turn things around quickly.
Three officers at the Pentagon and in Kabul told McClatchy Newspapers that the McChrystal they know would resign before he would stand behind a faltering policy that he thought would endanger his forces or the strategy.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
I think so.
The White House has blood on it's hands - I curse them.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/75036.html
headline: ‘We're pinned down:’ 4 U.S. Marines die in Afghan ambush”
They were REFUSED air cover ...
aiding and abetting our enemy in killing our troops = ducks in a shooting gallery and not allowed to defend themselves - no cover - protecting the Taliban with their new ROE - Rules of Engagement...
Our troops aren't allowed to fire at the enemy that is firing at them if they are in a village - and in this battle, they WEREN'T in a village but out in the valley - pinned down and being killed - and they were REFUSED air cover -
And none dare call them traitors - the authors of the ROE?
I do. I say they are lily-lived, Muzzy sympathizers.
DEFEND OUR TROOPS, NOT THE TALIBAN WE need to shower Beck, Rush, Hannity et all - every day, day in a day out with emails demanding our troops be protected and demanding Obama - who says it will be weeks and weeks before he makes a decision about sending more troops - to give up just one of his dozens of obamacare speeches to make a decision for our troops - NOW. TODAY! (An aside observation: A couple weeks ago, obama gave a lavish dinner at the WH honoring Islam. This week is Rosh Hashanah. Did I miss the dinner?)
“I’m afraid we are 12 months out from a coup.”
Why?
Fix the ROE or get out.
you post “protecting civilians while our troops “
In this battle, there were NO civilians - ONLY Taliban. They were TOLD that - and yet they refused air cover, and our troops died.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/75036.html
DEFEND OUR TROOPS, NOT THE TALIBAN
(( ping ))
You know what really gets me? We know Obama hates America, but how come there are not dozens of Senators screaming about this? Or how about high ranking military members? This toe the company line stuff has to end. Patton would told this current govt to take a freaking walk.
WE all need to be more informed about it - and fight for our troops. They are being denied the right to even defend themselves OR to have air cover when pinned down and being killed.
The Taliban are laughing their heads off - they now know they can shoot at our troops from the villages and that our troops CANNOT fire back.
The villagers, that were starting to trust that we wouldn't leave them at the mercy of the war lords, now know that if they want to live, they have to allow the Taliban to use their villages and even to help them - women and children are now called upon to run back ad forth to keep their ammunition supplied.
With this last battle, the Taliban ALSO now know that they can ambush them in the valleys - pin them down and pick them off like ducks in a shooting gallery and not even worry about air cover.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/75036.html
All that our troops gained and scarified in the last 8 years is being lost - and now they have TWO enemies to fight: The Taliban and the WH.
I fear he IS all in - just not for our side.
Ecomcon-Seven Days in May!!!
What if it's not incompetence - but deliberate - with the allegiance to the other side?
“Ecomcon-Seven Days in May!!!”
Refresh my memory, please.
I see a traumatic time ahead.
Oath Keepers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is one evil sonovabitch!
Yes! We’d better!
I'm afraid we wonlt make another 12 months as a nation.
This is the Clinton Administration on steroids, piloted by closet Muslim Marxist.
The Democrats have come out of the Communist closet once and for all.
We spent trillions of dollars and 45 years to fight Communism overseas, and now we find it is ensconced in Washington, DC and committed to ending the American experiment.
Unless he thought his replacement would be even more dangerous for them.
"Taking care of their soldiers" is a sacred mission for most of our commanders.
However, this administration must untie their hands or bring them home. When was the last war you remember where we were undermanned and prevented from engaging the enemy on an equal footing? I can't recall any war like that. That sounds like a plan that would come out of the UN.
Obama is a Marxist dirtbag. Committed to losing any engagement where the USA is involved. Trust me. He wants a civil war.
best guess convergence of brazen acts by the administration and the military being forced to uphold their oath.
Right there with you, bro.
Let's see. late spring - Gen McKiernan was summarily, in an unprecedented move, dismissed - and McCrystal was put in - with him came the ROE - New Rules of Engagement that are getting our troops killed at the highest rate since 2001.
Just where did he get these new ROE? From HIS commander in chief, do you think? DEFEND OUR TROOPS,NOT THE TALIBAN
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