Posted on 10/04/2009 5:27:36 PM PDT by Libloather
Obama decision on Afghanistan strategy due in 'a matter of weeks,' says Jones
By Michael O'Brien
10/04/09 10:58 AM ET
President Barack Obama will make a decision on how to proceed in Afghanistan in "a matter of weeks," his national security advisor said Sunday.
Retired Gen. James L. Jones, who serves as national security advisor, said that the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan is in no imminent danger of failure, and that the president would consider a variety of broad, strategic directions to pursue before determining whether he would grant a top general's request for more troops.
Jones said Obama would decide on Afghanistan policy in "a matter of weeks" during an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday morning.
"We have time on the president's schedule," Jones said. "He's going to devote an enormous amount of his time to lead us do this."
During interviews on CBS and CNN's "State of the Union," Jones explained that the president would be consulting with top military and civilians leadership in determining how to proceed in Afghanistan in light of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's recommendation to send more troops, lest the eight-year effort in that country fail.
"At the end of the day, the right way to do this is to present the president with a set of options on what he can do," Jones said on CBS.
"In the coming weeks, we will have vigorous debates," Jones said on CNN. "There will be alternative views presented, and I'm quite sure we'll come up with the right solution."
Republican lawmakers have urged Obama to act quickly on the president's recommendation for more troops, while the president's Democratic allies in Congress have been less demanding of a quick decision.
Jones emphasized that the president would not take into consideration the political popularity of any decision when coming to conclusions about strategy going forward.
"I don't play politics, and I certainly don't play it with national security, neither does anyone else I know," Jones said on CNN. "I can assure you that the president of the United States is not playing to any political base."
Jones seemed to temper, though, the arguments from McChrystal and Republicans that Afghanistan could fail quickly without more troops. While Jones didn't tip the administration's hand in terms of a decision, he said that Afghanistan was at no imminent risk of failing.
"The good news that Americans should at least feel good about is that the al-Qaeda presence is very diminished. The problem is the next step in this is the sanctuaries across the border," Jones told CNN. "But I don't foresee the return of the Taliban and I want to be clear that Afghanistan is not in imminent danger of falling."
The National Security Advisor also stressed that the decision Obama makes will take into account factors more broad than McChrystal's troop recommendation.
"I think the end is much more complicated than adding X number of troops," he said. "It would be unwise to rush to a final judgment here."
On December 1, 2008 then-President-elect Obama announced Jones as his selection for National Security Advisor.[29][30] The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the United States Senate.
The pick surprised people because, as Michael Crowley reported "The two men didn't meet until Obama's foreign policy aide, Mark Lippert, arranged a 2005 sit-down, and, as of this October, Jones had only spoken to Obama twice."[31]
Crowley speculated that Jones' record suggests he is "someone who, unencumbered by strong ideological leanings, can evaluate ideas dispassionately whether they come from left or right," and, "This is probably why Obama picked him." Jones was also picked because he is well-respected and likely to possess the skills to navigate the other prestigious and powerful cabinet members. "He does not appear to be a natural antagonist of anyone else on the team. Though he doesn't know Gates especially well, both men share long experience in the national security establishment (Gates was in the Air Force and previously headed the CIA). Jones and Clinton have a more direct connection, having bonded — as Hillary did with many military officials — during her tenure on the Senate Armed Services Committee. The two are said to have particularly clicked at a 2005 conference on security policy in Munich. Jones hosted a small private dinner that included Clinton and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, among others; at the end of the convivial evening, according to one person present, Jones followed Clinton out to her car to exchange private words. (Jones's relationship with Susan Rice remains a question mark.)"[31]
Jones assumed the post when Obama was sworn into office on January 20, 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L._Jones
zerO doesn’t have a clue.
Jones told CNN. “But I don’t foresee the return of the Taliban and I want to be clear that Afghanistan is not in imminent danger of falling.”
Jeez, things are worse than I thought!
One weak.
What, Nov. 11th? Thanksgiving? Christmas?
N weeks = X dead and $ dollars.
NX$.
Who wants celebrations of life and thanks anyway? 0bama used the word life 2 times in his inaugural, neither of which referred to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ /ridicule
“Weeks” is rather vague, isn’t it? Maybe 52 weeks? Or 150 weeks?
After all, Barry has gotten kind of behind on his golf, you know.
52 weeks in a year. Just a matter of weeks.
Is this because McChrystal doesn't know how to use FedEx, or because there's nobody home at the White House???
I did an Internet search for “Senator Obama Committee Membership”.
I found an ABC News article from July 17th, 2008 called:
“Biden hits back - More on Obama’s Committee”
Here’s the link:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/biden-hits-back.html#
IMHO, MORE insight into who is ACTUALLY driving the ‘Afganistan Policy”.
I’m sure you’ll recognize a “few” of the “culprits”...
and that the president would consider a variety of broad, strategic directions to pursue before determining whether he would grant a top general’s request for more troops.
If it’s going to take him a few weeks then the only place
I want to see Obama’s face is peeking out the White House
window if he needs a little break - otherwise he better sit down and buckle up and think like a Real American Leader.
If not get the hell out of the White House...and hero soldiers come on home...
Courtney Massengale would approve of Gen. Jones.
We can only hope that something keeps Obama sane enough to do what McChrystal and Petraeus advise. There is a very real chance that the stress of wavering indefinitely on this decision could send our young president over the edge into a psychotic break. This *might* make him worse.
From January 1976 to August 1979, Jones served in the Officer Assignments Section at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. During this assignment, he was promoted to major in July 1977. Remaining in Washington, his next assignment was as the Marine Corps liaison officer to the United States Senate, where he served until July 1984. In this assignment, his first commander was John McCain, then a U.S. Navy captain.[3] He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in September 1982
Returning to the United States, he was advanced to the rank of major general in July 1994 and was assigned as commanding general, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Forces Atlantic, MCB Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Jones next served as director, Expeditionary Warfare Division (N85), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, during 1996, then as the deputy chief of staff for plans, policies, and operations, Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. He was advanced to lieutenant general on July 18, 1996. His next assignment was as the military assistant to the Secretary of Defense.
The Marine Corps had only recently begun to take on a larger share of high-level assignments in the Department of Defense. As of December 2006, Jones was one of five serving Marine Corps four-star general officers who outranked the current commandant of the Marine Corps (General James T. Conway) in terms of seniority and time in grade — the others being Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace; former commandant Michael Hagee, commander of U.S. Strategic Command James E. Cartwright, and Assistant Commandant Robert Magnus.[5]
I beleive the last paragraph is key as well as some other tidbits in the first two.
What’s worse:
1) A botched Katrina response a few days late,
or
2) Intentionally delaying needed reinforcements to the military fighting a hot war for a few weeks as the death toll mounts?
Zero should be looking at his watch, not his calendar. (heard the general said something to that effect!)
146 soldires, sailors , marines and airmen killed in afghanistan in the past 3 months since the new rules of engament were announced .
How’s that reaching out to the Taliban working ?
BUT BUT BUT trying getting the Olympics in Chicago so they can line their pockets seems to be a lot more important.
Rest in Peace
146)10-03-2009 NAME NOT RELEASED YET
145)10-03-2009 NAME NOT RELEASED YET
144)10-03-2009 NAME NOT RELEASED YET
143)10-03-2009 Owens, Brandon A Private 1st Class
142)10-03-2009 Smith, Aaron M. Sergeant
141)10-02-2009 NAME NOT RELEASED YET
140)10-02-2009 NAME NOT RELEASED YET
139)10-02-2009 NAME NOT RELEASED YET
138)10-02-2009 Adams, Ryan C. Sergeant
137)10-01-2009 Hercules Jr., Russell S.Specialist
136)9-30-2009 French IV, Alex Staff Sergeant
135)9-28-2009 Shaw, Christopher D. Sergeant 1st Class
134)9-28-2009 Martin III, Jack M. Staff Sergeant
133)9-26-2009 Chrobot, Jordan L. Lance Corporal
132)9-26-2009 Graham, Kevin J. Specialist
131)9-24-2009 Malone, John J. Lance Corporal
130)9-24-2009 Reynolds, Titus R. Sergeant
129)9-24-2009 Smith, Edward Bernard Sergeant
128)9-24-2009 White, Joseph V. Specialist
127)9-21-2009 Meredith, William L. Private 1st Class
126)9-20-2009 Kowall, Corey J. Specialist
125)9-20-2009 Winkleman, Damon G. Specialist
124)9-19-2009 Davis, David A. Sergeant
123)9-17-2009 Monroe, Jeremiah J. Private 1st Class
122)9-16-2009 Gordon II, Robert D. Sergeant
121)9-16-2009 Bohle, Bradley S. Sergeant 1st Class
120)9-16-2009 McCloskey, Shawn P. Sergeant 1st Class
119)9-16-2009 Mills, Joshua M. Staff Sergeant
118)9-15-2009 Void, Demetrius L. Specialist
117)9-14-2009 Wright II, David T. 1st Lieutenant
116)9-14-2009 McConnell, Andrew H. Sergeant
115)9-12-2009 Hornbarger, James R Technical Sergeant
114)9-12-2009 Berky, Bryan D. Staff Sergeant
113)9-12-2009 Juden, Tyler A. Sergeant
112)9-12-2009 Cox, Daniel L. Specialist
111)9-12-2009 Allen, Nekl B. Staff Sergeant
110)9-11-2009 Martinek, Matthew M. Private 1st Class
109)9-10-2009 Fowlkes, Christopher S. Lance Corporal
108)9-10-2009 Parten, Tyler E. 1st Lieutenant
107)9-08-2009 Layton, James R. Petty Officer 3rd Class
106)9-08-2009 Johnson Jr., Edwin Wayne Gunnery Sergeant
105)9-08-2009 Johnson, Michael E. 1st Lieutenant
104)9-08-2009 Kenefick, Aaron M. Staff Sergeant
103)9-06-2009 Haney, Randy M. Sergeant
102)9-06-2009 Murphrey, Michael C. Staff Sergeant
101)9-05-2009 Loney, Youvert Sergeant
100)9-05-2009 Meadows, Joshua S. Captain
99)9-04-2009 Andrews, Darryn D. 2nd Lieutenant
98)9-03-2009 Baltazar Jr., Christopher S. Lance Corporal
97)9-03-2009 Castiglione, Benjamin P. Petty Officer 3rd Class
96)8-31-2009 Welch, Jonathan D. Specialist
95)8-31-2009 Brochu, Jordan M. Private 1st Class
94)8-31-2009 Hall, David R. Lance Corporal
93)8-31-2009 Walshe, Tyler R. Specialist
92)8-29-2009 Hario, Eric W Private 1st Class
91)8-29-2009 Dahlke, Jason Sean Staff Sergeant
90)8-28-2009 Wheeler III, Abraham Sherrod Specialist
89)8-27-2009 Wildes, Matthew Everett Private 1st Class
88)8-26-2009 Hogan, Donald James Lance Corporal
87)8-26-2009 Curtiss, Kurt Robert Staff Sergeant
86)8-25-2009 Hallett III, John Louis Captain
85)8-25-2009 Jenkins, Cory J. Captain
84)8-25-2009 Williams, Dennis Michael Specialist
83)8-25-2009 Sawyer, Ronald Wayne Sergeant 1st Class
82)8-22-2009 Morin, Darby Todd Corporal
81)8-22-2009 Lobosco, Andrew Thomas Staff Sergeant
80)8-21-2009 Ingram, Matthew Lee Sergeant
79)8-20-2009 Pellerin, Justin Reid Specialist
78)8-20-2009 Wolverton, Brian Michael Not Yet Reported
77)8-19-2009 Dumont Jr., Paul Edmond Specialist
76)8-18-2009 Benjamin, Adam Frank Gunnery Sergeant
75)8-18-2009 Yanney, Jonathan Christopher Private 1st Class
74)8-18-2009 Walker, Morris Lewis Not Yet Reported
73)8-18-2009 Tom, Troy Orion Specialist
72)8-18-2009 Crisostomo, Jose San Nicolas 1st Sergeant
71)8-18-2009 Bowen, Clayton Patrick Private 1st Class
70)8-17-2009 Damas, Leopold Fred Lance Corporal
69)8-16-2009 Woods Jr., William Brian Sergeant 1st Class
68)8-16-2009 Roush, Nicholas Ryan Corporal
67)8-14-2009 Bernard, Joshua Matthew Lance Corporal
66)8-13-2009 Cahir, William John Sergeant
65)8-12-2009 Tinsley, John Captain
64)8-10-2009 Ferrell, Bruce Earnest Lance Corporal
63)8-09-2009 Schimmel, Patrick Wayne Lance Corporal
62)8-08-2009 Swanson, Matthew Kalen Samue Specialist
61)8-08-2009 Olvera, Javier Lance Corporal 20
60)8-08-2009 Smith, Tara Jean Staff Sergeant
59)8-07-2009 Burrow, Dennis James Lance Corporal
58)8-07-2009 Freeman, Matthew Charles Hays Captain
57)8-07-2009 Evans Jr., Jerry Randall Sergeant
56)8-06-2009 Hoskins, Jay Michael Sergeant
55)8-06-2009 Guzman, Rivera Christian Armando Corporal
54)8-06-2009 Argentine, James David Lance Corporal
53)8-06-2009 Babine, Travis Thornton Lance Corporal
52)8-05-2009 Garcia, Anthony Christian Petty Officer 3rd Class
51)8-02-2009 Summers III, Severin West Sergeant 1st Class
50)8-02-2009 Luce Jr., Ronald George Captain
49)8-02-2009 Granado III, Alejandro Sergeant 1st Class
48)8-01-2009 Walls, Jonathan Michael Corporal
47)8-01-2009 Fitzgibbon, Patrick Scott Private
46)8-01-2009 Jones, Richard Kelvin Private
45)7-31-2009 Miller, Alexander Joel Specialist
44)7-30-2009 Posey, Gregory Alan Lance Corporal
43)7-30-2009 Stroud, Jonathan Fulton Lance Corporal
42)7-29-2009 Vose III, Douglas Melville Chief Warrant Officer
41)7-29-2009 Smith, Gerrick David Sergeant
40)7-25-2009 Vincent, Donald Wayne Private 1st Class
39)7-24-2009 Coleman, Justin Dean Specialist
38)7-23-2009 Charpentier, Andrew Scott Aviation Electronics Technician Airman
37)7-23-2009 Lane, Ryan H. Sergeant
36)7-23-2009 Xiarhos, Nicholas George Corporal
35)7-23-2009 Lasher, Jeremy Scott Lance Corporal
34)7-22-2009 Neff Jr, Randy L.J. Specialist
33)7-22-2009 Rimer, Joshua James Sergeant
32)7-21-2009 Morales, Raymundo Porras Sergeant
31)7-20-2009 Pratt, Dennis Joseph Private 1st Class
30)7-20-2009 Roughton, Andrew Jay Specialist
29)7-20-2009 Owens Jr., Gregory Sergeant
28)7-20-2009 Lightfoot, Anthony Marquis Specialist
27)7-18-2009 Kopp, Benjamin Stephen Corporal
26)7-18-2009 Gramith, Thomas Joseph Captain
25)7-18-2009 Mcdowell, Mark Russell Captain
24)7-14-2009 Fabrizi, Jason John Sergeant 1st Class
23)7-13-2009 Spicer, David Shane Staff Sergeant
22)7-13-2009 Heede Jr, Michael Wayne Sergeant
21)7-12-2009 Lindstrom, Eric James Staff Sergeant
20)7-11-2009 Hatfield, Jerome David Master Sergeant
19)7-11-2009 Barbozaflores, Pedro Antonio Lance Corporal
18)7-10-2009 Lembke, Matthew Ryan Corporal
17)7-09-2009 Farris, Joshua Ray Specialist
16)7-09-2009 Missman, Gregory James Specialist
15)7-08-2009 Roy, Michael C. Sergeant
14)7-08-2009 Hager, Roger Gary Michael Lance Corporal
13)7-08-2009 Tate, Darren Ethan Aviation Ordnanceman Airman
12)7-08-2009 Hayes, John Eric Sergeant
11)7-07-2009 Talbert, Christopher M. Specialist
10)7-06-2009 Garner,Mark A. Captain
9)7-06-2009 Chavers, Brock H. Sergeant
8)7-06-2009 Hosford, Chester W. Specialist
7)7-06-2009 Williams, Derwin I. 2nd Lieutenant
6)7-06-2009 Johnson, Issac L. Specialist
5)7-06-2009 Randolph, Tony Michael Petty Officer Second Class
4)7-06-2009 Gideon, Nicolas H. J. Private 1st Class
3)7-04-2009 Fairbairn, Aaron E. Private 1st Class
2)7-04-2009 Casillas, Justin A. Private 1st Class
1)7-02-2009 Sharp, Charles S. Lance Corporal
B Obama (D-USA) votes “present.”
Again.
Guess there are not enough “community organizers” in Afghanistan to make it worth an effort for him.
...as the KIA numbers steadily increase...
Barry needs to GO!
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