Posted on 10/11/2009 10:09:18 AM PDT by kristinn
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) strongly criticized Barack Obama for dithering over accepting the recommendation for troops increases in Afghanistan by his handpicked Aghan commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, and blamed the delay for contributing to the deaths of eight U.S. soldiers at a small base in Nuristan that was nearly overrun by the Taliban last week.
Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, made her remarks on a panel discussion on ABC News' This Week with George Stephanopoulos this morning:
I don't know how you put somebody in who was as crackerjack as General McChrystal, who gives the president very solid recommendations, and not take those recommendations if you're not going to pull out.
If you don't want to take the recommendations, then you -- you -- you put your people in such jeopardy, just like the base in Nuristan. We lost eight of our men. We didn't have the ability to defend them, and now the base is closing, and effectively we're -- we're retreating away from it. And so I think the decision has to be made sooner, rather than later.
Feinstein participated in a meeting at the White House with Obama and other members of Congress earlier in the week. She told Stephanopoulos her take:
Well, what he revealed was his thinking up to this point, and that the fact that he wanted to hear from various members, and some of us spoke up. And I'll tell you what I said. I reviewed all of the intelligence and looked at the situation, and it was pretty clear to me that violence was up 100 percent, 950 attacks in August. The Taliban now controls 37 percent of the people in the areas where these people are. Attrition in police is running 67 percent, either killed or leaving the service.
And the mission is in serious jeopardy. I think General McChrystal, who is one of our very best, if not the best at this, has said a counterterrorism strategy will not work. The president said to us very clearly, just as you said, George, we will not pull out.
Now, if you're going to stay, you have to have a way of winning. The question is, what is that way? And I think the counterinsurgency strategy, which means protecting the people, not shooting from afar, but securing, taking, holding, and providing security for a period of time is really critical.
Feinstein also described her view of dealing with the Taliban:
I think it depends on what you mean by "Taliban." I think if you take the Haqqani network, which I gather was generally responsible for the bombing of the interior ministry in Kabul, I think they're hardcore fanatics.
If you look back, too, at Taliban control, when it had more in the earlier days, and I've got to tell you, I particularly worry about women in Afghanistan, acid in their face of children, girl children who go to school, women who can't work when they're widowed, huddled on the streets, begging, women beaten and shot in stadiums, you know, Sharia law with all of its violence, I mean, that's one element of the -- of the Taliban.
I think we need to look for those warlords that we can work with, those Pashtuns who want to work for stability, for good, solid governance. I don't think we can make the country into a Jeffersonian democracy, but I do think you -- you've got to stabilize this country.
You leave this country, and the Taliban are increasing all of the time. They're taking over more. It will have a dramatic impact on Pakistan one day. I really believe that.
She also stated she did not want U.S. forces to stay in Afghanistan for another decade or more. She thinks the American people would not support it.
However, Feinstein's sharp criticism of Obama is sure to inflame the debate at a time when both the right and left are questioning Obama's competency as president.
This Rat is indeed deserting the Obama ship (ark), but I believe gubernatorial politics might be behind her excoriations today. DiFi for guv?
You are correct.
Are you in California or have you just followed Feinsteins career in politics? I ask because you hit the nail on the head. Feinstein is an untouchable.
Just two days after six neomarxist Norwegian politicians gave the Great Equivocator the World Messiah award for pledging not to resort to the use of military force to deal with terrorists like the Taliban, DiFi's smacking him for not putting 40,000 more troops into Afghanistan.
Meanwhile Difi has conveniently forgotten that it was a decisive Republican president who had the courage and fortitude to commit military force to break the back of the Taliban thugocracy that had consigned the lives of millions of Afghan women to a worth less than that of domestic animals.
Excuse me, but, when did hell freeze over?! WOW!
Feinstein must not have gotten the memo from Democrat Central that their posturing about Afghanistan being the good war for the past 8 years was just a tactical ruse and meant nothing.
Well she is probably going to run for Governor in 2010, but still this was absolutely spot on!
Props to the Senior Senator from CA!
“big factor in his non-decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan was that he knew that this BS Nobel Peace Prize was coming.” Should be the “No Balls - No Peace Prize”. He earned. But at what cost? We’ll see for years to come.
This is very interesting, considering that Feinstein is a respected senior Democrat who is a master at games of palace intrigue.
She wouldn't do this, unless some hidden tectonic shift wasn't already happening.
For her to publicly state such disagreement with Obama's leadership is a serious vote of no confidence - and yes, it's a signal to other Dems that it's now safe to go "off the reservation".
“If you look back, too, at Taliban control, I’ve got to tell you, I particularly worry about women in Afghanistan,” _____________Women in Islam
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles.htm
Exactly bump.
Unlike Barbara Boxer, Feinstein occasionally comes out with something admirable and to the point, as she certainly does here.
I’m not what you’d call a fan of Feinstein, whose faults are obvious. But like Ed Koch, she can be solidly good on some issues. And actually honest.
Exactly. She's calling him out because he won't take responsibility for the troop decision and wants to share it with Congressional Democrats so he can duck and cover later if things go badly. As a California conservative I really dislike DiFi. But she has phenomenal political instincts and she can smell Zero's blood in the water.
Watch for a press release tomorrow: “Ms. Feinstein’s office wishes to clarify her statements, which have been mischaracterized in the media...”
Her hubby must be needing more of those government contracts she slipped him before without them going up for bids.
Response: He is inept. Some people attribute malice to this clown when it is simple incapacity. I can understand the confusion as negligence and malice often achieve the same result. His entire life has been one gigantic EEOP.
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