Posted on 10/05/2009 8:09:39 PM PDT by myknowledge
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates appealed Monday for calm amid intense administration debate over the flagging war in Afghanistan, asking for time and privacy for the president to come to a decision — an apparent message to the commanding U.S. general there who has pressed publicly for more American troops.
Gates' careful remarks appeared to stand as an implicit rebuke of the man he helped install as the top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, for his lobbying as President Barack Obama faced a critical week of decision over whether to escalate the Afghan war.
In two separate appearances Monday, Gates made the point that Obama needs elbow room to make strategy decisions about the war — as the internal White House debate went increasingly public.
"It is important that we take our time to do all we can to get this right," Gates said at an Army conference. "In this process, it is imperative that all of us taking part in these deliberations — civilians and military alike — provide our best advice to the president candidly but privately."
Later, speaking alongside Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gates praised McChrystal and said no matter what Obama decides the general will execute it faithfully.
The fierce Taliban attack that killed eight American soldiers over the weekend added to the pressure. The assault overwhelmed a remote U.S. outpost where American forces have been stretched thin in battling insurgents, underscoring the appeal from the top Afghanistan commander for as many as 40,000 additional forces — and at the same time reminding the nation of the costs of war.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
I hope the generals do that. 0bowdown certainly is giving the upper hand to the Tollybon. He is giving them material, legal and moral support with his weak-kneed ROEs and dithering on a decision. Hmmmm, the Constitution defines treason in terms just like that.
Obama wants to pull out soooo badly. The problem is, HE is President. Whatever happens after he pulls American troops out of Afghanistan is on his head. That’s a sticky wicket. It’s easier to bitch than it is to lead.
That is not the least bit surprising. Afghanis are a vastly different people by culture and history. They have been tribal warriors for as many centuries as human habitation can be traced in that region. They also are living right under all of those guns and bombs and lunatic jihadis and understandably know that the price of casualties from friendly fire would be well worth sending those jihadis to allah.
0bama lives in a world of unicorns and skittles thinking that Afghans or Iraqis would be impressed by strict ROEs or bans on water boarding. That is nothing but cowardice to the mildest of them.
The POS-in-chief should have started this “debate” November 5, 2008.
How much “time” and “privacy” do they need?
Gates is nothing but an Obama butt boy. I bet his butt is hurtin’ these days.
Gates should meet with and apologize to the families of each and every service menber who loses their life while POS-in-chief is taking his time in private.
Let him explain why the life of their son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister was considered expendable in the interest of a debate. Explain why the magic muslim values the lives of the Taliban over the lives of our soldiers.
They are all effin’ POS.
I hate the loss of lives. I hate the grief, the tears, and the helplessness I feel when someone gets the news that their loved one has died. My heart breaks when I realize we can no longer say we have someone in the Oval Office that gives a damn.
There are several countries who have weapons that would take mins. to reach us and take out major cities.
Tell me what country is going to launch ICBMs against the U.S. to protect Afghanistan or Iran?
There were millions of Germans and Japanese in the U.S. in WW2, that didn’t stop US.
If we want to beat the enemy we must fight like in WW2 otherwise we will end up like when we fought in Nam. With this bisexual communist crackhead racist as President, I don’t want our troops under his command. Until he gets out of the White House, our troops will be handcuffed by his rules of engagement....that is suicide for out troops.
When obambi is out of the picture then we can put our military in harms way again. Until then, more bombs less bullets....and let the Israelis Nuke Islam.
I know how much you, your country and your country’s troops are going through now, it’s Obama and Corp. that is exaggerating the pain and suffering to fulfill their agendas.
You really don’t get it.
Muslims living in Afghanistan, London, or San Diego.
It is not the country they live in , it is their religion that binds them in their jihad.
Japanese in WWII in the U.S. were put into camps.
My friend’s mom and aunt as little girls were in a camp.
German, what few per cent who were sympathizers would not
compare to millions of Muslims who are outright jihadist.
The two terrorists who flew the plane into the Pentagon lived 6 miles from me here in San Diego.
My relatives who are in the 1st Marine Div here and for those who are right now in Afghanistan are trained differently as this is a different war, a different enemy
than the way my dad was trained in the 1st Marine div. serving in the Korean war, a different war and a different enemy.
If everyone had a TV in their homes in WWII with the liberal media, viewing American’s bombing tens of thousands of women and children, the screams to pull out of WWII would have been in a snap.
*Tell me what country is going to launch ICBMs against the U.S. to protect Afghanistan or Iran?*
The Taliban across the border in Pakistan can have access to Nuclear weapons, Iran, their new best friend Hugo Chavez being armed by Russia, the list can go on.
It can take a few to take out transportation systems in a city, or chemical that can take out tens of thousands in a city.
I do not trust gates or anyone in this “enemy within” (EW) administration.
LLS
When a young wife (one of my son's teachers) lost her husband last year in Afghanistan, I told her I sat my son down and made sure he understood the sacrifice her husband made. I hugged her and said as long as I had breath in my body, his death will not have been in vain. What would I say to her today?
I truly believe in the goodness of man. But I also know evil exists in the world. The Taliban and all it stands for is evil. Inherently evil. An evil not caused by poverty or a sense of helplessness (as Obama wants us to believe). It is not an evil that can be transformed by the kind acts of those it seeks to destroy.
It is an evil that needs to be destroyed before it destroys us. There are those who know more than I who correctly say McChrystal was wrong to break ranks in such a public way. My brain knows they are correct. My heart thinks differently. My heart rejoices because finally it is “out there.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.