WHY?
Posted on 11/29/2009 7:29:04 AM PST by Saije
Barack Obama's much-vaunted eloquence faces the biggest test of his presidential career this week when he takes to the stage at West Point military academy to explain to a nation that thought it had elected an anti-war president why he is escalating the conflict in Afghanistan.
After almost three months of agonising, nine war councils and endless leaks, the president will finally make his views known on Tuesday when he is expected to announce that he is sending about 30,000 more troops. This will push up American forces to 100,000 and the total number of allied forces to almost 140,000, as many troops as the Soviet Union had in Afghanistan.
The carefully chosen backdrop cannot disguise Obama’s dilemma. Somehow he has to convince his own public that the United States has an exit strategy and will not become bogged down, as it did in Vietnam, while making clear to the Taliban and Pakistan that it has not lost its resolve and will stay as long as it takes.
Obama’s toughest challenge will be to win over his most loyal political supporters. He is facing a growing revolt in the Democratic party over why the US needs to be in Afghanistan at all when the real threat — Al-Qaeda — is in Pakistan, and over the spiralling cost in both lives and dollars.
“I think the operative question is why we’re there,” said Anna Eshoo, a Democratic congresswoman who sits on the House intelligence committee. “That’s what I’ll be wanting to hear from the president.”***
The annual bill for the extra troops is estimated at $30 billion (£18.2 billion), on top of the $10 billion-a-month the war is costing. “We’re still not out of Iraq and we’re getting deeper into Afghanistan, both of which are hugely expensive,” she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
“Barry defiles the ground at West Point....”
....you ain’t kidding!...this effete little sissy shouldn’t be allowed to breath the same air as those cadets.
WHY?
Now he’s having to use forced audiences.
It is not at all self-evident that an open-ended commitment to war in Afghanistan is the only possible conservative position.
War is politics carried on by other means. So what exactly is our political goal in Afghanistan, and how will we know when it has been achieved?
We quite literally cannot invade, occupy and rule the entire Muslim world. We have the ability to kill all Muslims, but not to control them.
Sometimes it seems we are fighting in Afghanistan because we feel we should be fighting radical Islam somewhere, and Afghanistan is as good as anywhere. This does not seem a completely convincing reason to me.
The MSM are the stupid monkeys. Hear no evil of Obama, speak no evil of Obama, see no evil of Obama.
It is not at all self-evident that an open-ended commitment to war in Afghanistan is the only possible conservative position.War is politics carried on by other means. So what exactly is our political goal in Afghanistan, and how will we know when it has been achieved?
We quite literally cannot invade, occupy and rule the entire Muslim world. We have the ability to kill all Muslims, but not to control them.
Sometimes it seems we are fighting in Afghanistan because we feel we should be fighting radical Islam somewhere, and Afghanistan is as good as anywhere. This does not seem a completely convincing reason to me.
The solution is as simple as it was in ending the threat of Imperial Japan...
1. Demand unconditional surrender.
2. Mecca = Hiroshima...
3.Demand unconditional surrender.
4. Medina = Nagasaki...
5. Continue until there is peace...
The number keeps dropping. By the time it's officially announced, it might be down to half of what General Petreus asked for, many moons ago. I suspect if he were to ask today, he'd ask for even more, given the delay. Day late a division short, that's our boy Barry.
Even his own party realizes he’s just Wagging the Dog. He’s not going to loosen the leash w/the ROEs.
Pray for America and Our Troops
I'll give you the real reason we're still there and must remain there until complete victory is achieved, no matter how long it takes or how much it costs.
We where attacked on September 11, 2001 by elements of Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization based in Afghanistan. They are still there (and in other places). The Taliban, who aided them, are still there (and in other places). Until such time as these enemies are completely and utterly defeated, we must stay and fight. This should be beyond politics and all other considerations are secondary.
The only "exit strategy" is complete victory, even if that means going through the mouth of hell. Maybe it's easy for me to say it, since I'm sitting in my easy chair and risking nothing, but I'm a veteran and have to right to say it.
Are you convinced yet?
Over-statement, lack of insight, and wishful thinking on part of the Times. Sorry, there is no revolt among Dems; there are simply some murmurs, which will die down after he gives the speech.
Thanks for posting the pic of the AA plane being loaded. I had it before but lost it. Do you have any background info on it?
Before I introduce Mr. Obama, I would like to announce that members of the Judge Advocate Corps of all the services have determined that Mr. Obama is not a natural born citizen, by virtue of his father not being a citizen. They have reported that this makes him not eligible to the Office of President, in light of Article II Section 1 clause 5 of the Constitution."
"With that, I introduce to you Mr. Obama".
I pray the loader of the teleprompter makes a typo and puts in “300,000” instead of “30,000”. Boy wouldn’t that make the peaceniks heads explode!
Barack Obama's much-vaunted eloquence...
vaunted –adjective
praised boastfully or excessively
OK, they got that right. Moving on...
eloquence –noun
the practice or art of using language with fluency and aptness.
THAT'S where I get stuck: trying to recall any incidents of Barack Obama's "eloquence".
Wow! I know it's hard to believe, but Nancy finally found something we can't afford! Too bad she doesn't apply the same test of "affordability" to socialized medical care, socialized energy production, and all of the rest of the Obamunist socialization programs.
I'm sorry, I can't get past thinking of someone saying "Gesundheit" during the roll call...
That little thing known as reality is a real bitch for these types
"With that, I introduce to give you Mr. Obama".
Sergeant Major!..."
:).
It has a non-trivial military, complete with nukes. We really don't want to go there.
So we'll keep fighting in Afghanistan, with no end in sight.
The only "exit strategy" is complete victory
Excellent thought. How would you define "complete victory" in Aghanistan or against al Quaeda?
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