Posted on 09/21/2009 3:04:40 AM PDT by SE Mom
The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by The Washington Post.
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal says emphatically: "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible."
His assessment was sent to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Aug. 30 and is now being reviewed by President Obama and his national security team.
McChrystal concludes the document's five-page Commander's Summary on a note of muted optimism: "While the situation is serious, success is still achievable."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Great idea. I have been sending boxes to Afghan soldiers since last November. The post office has flat rate boxes.
Walgreens also has discontinued counters. Last week I stocked up on chap stick.....3 or 4 to a package for 25 cents. I use coupons to greatly reduce the cost of fruit cups, tooth paste, tooth brushes, etc. I also buy DVDs when they are on sale for $4-$5.
We are retired on a limited budget, but there is so much you can do for a little money. Each time you go to the store pick up a couple of things....that way you don’t really notice the cost.
I participate through Adopt a Platoon. Go to this website and vote for them...www.ilovechristiecookies.com
A cookie company is going to award the favorite charity $25,000. Select Adopt a Platoon Lozano, TX from the drop down box.
bump
Bush had a plan. Win the war in Iraq while playing a holding pattern in Afghanistan, so he could then shift the troops and finish off that lesser, but still important task.
Obama has royally screwed up that plan, and now Obama’s scared to take the action needed. Bush gave up popularity to do what is right, Obama will never be able to do what his “friends” tell him not to.
Urgent it may have been. By the time it winds up in a 'news' article and posted to FR, confidential it ain't.
Obama is comfortable with the secular PLO backed by his buddies at Columbia and in Chicago because they were socialists, just like his father was a pan-African socialist.
So Obama cannot allow a defeat in Afghanistan that would allow religious zealot Muslims to launch attacks on his dreamed of socialist utopia in the USA, but more immediately a defeat would guarantee that he wouldn't get reelected to implement the final Chavez-style humiliations on the USA after 2012.
This is unbelievable to me.
Tom Berenger wouldn’t let a little rought terrain in Afghanistan bother him. Sniper - great movie.
Nor would Angelina Jolie. She’d just curve the bullets.
I’m sorry about your relatives, but it was clear from the election results that we were going to have to take a lickin’ in some areas to help us to concentrate our minds.
I have to say this: We’ve laughed at the militaries of other countries, like Iraq, sayign they were feckless and undisciplined because they gave up to us in droves, etc. The thing is, lacking a leader at the top a soldier can count on, why in the world would he obey an order that’s likely to get him killed? And for what? He’s far more likely then, than in other situations, to turn his weapon on the officer that is ordering him to his death. But more likely, if possible, to simply avoid taking any risks or aggressive action.
I see Obama as being committed in Af-Pak just long enough to kill Bin Laden, Zawahiri and Omar with drones, then declare victory over Al Qaeda. Then wind down and redirection of funds to the socialist agenda he promised during the campaign can begin in earnest. Cutting war spending by $100 billion per year by ending Iraq and Af-Pak war spending was a key element in his “budget savings” compared to the supposed Bush/McCain plan.
Socialism never works and requires Totalitarianism every time. Socialism can never be “democratic”. Socialism must be forced upon its victims because it is against human nature. The quest for Utopia will continue anyway.
I was in the miltary before and during DESERT STORM and I never recall anyone laughing at the Iraqi military. In fact I was horrified (as were others) at the blood bath they took before they were simply decimated in their retreta form Kuwiat. In fact, within weeks of that debacle, by Saddam’s tricking the US into letting them retain and use their helicopters, they managed to carry out another major campaign against the Shia and marsh arabs right under Colin Powell’s nose as tens of thousand of coalition troops stood by. Never underestimate any opponent who is desparate.
Obama doesn’t have the political courage to make a decision as he puts REAL lives at risk. If your leader cannot even be sure footed in the mission how can he possibly order the men and women our sons and daughters to die for his failures? I just don’t get it anymore.
The list, ping
Thanks Nachum.:)
I don’t mean to make sport - just mean seeing this behavior out of this fool in the wh gives me new perspective on why militaries lose their edge and their discipline.
Making the care package for our soldiers is a wonderful idea. Do you have an address for where to ship the items? Thanks for the post.
“Does this look to you like something “leaked” out for a little CYA for McChrystal?”
NO. It looks to me like someone wanted to expose McChrystal’s REAL reason for wanting the extra troops. This has nothing to do with fighting a war. It has EVERYTHING to do with making babysitters out of our Troops. They lack protection and/or direction.
How can he justify adding more Troops for cannon fodder when he does not intend to kill bad guys, or take land and secure it?
This is not even NATION BUILDING. It is babysitting people who don’t want us and it will only embolden the Taliban to come into the areas where we would be sitting ducks.
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