White House says Afghan deadline 'non-negotiable'

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 8/16/10 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

Cards and rosaries are seen as US soldiers pray during a celebration of Contemporary Protestant Service at the NATO base in Kandahar on August 15. The Taliban waging a vicious insurgency in Afghanistan have signaled a willingness to cooperate with international forces, the UN and human rights groups to investigate civilian deaths in the war. (AFP/Yuri Cortez)

[fatnotlazy]

Heads up, America! With the premature withdrawal from Iraq and, soon, from Afghanistan, we will have lost the war on terror.

Thank you, Obama

[NormsRevenge]

US soldiers patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers in Kukaran in Kandahar province. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates insisted Monday the July 2011 date to start withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan was set in stone, putting him at odds with his top Afghan war commander. (AFP/File/Yuri Cortez)

[b4its2late]

[ClearCase_guy]

How long will it be before Petraeus is thrown under the bus?

[ArmstedFragg]

I’d like to believe that the administration doesn’t realize that comments like these torpedo the whole effort, but I can’t.

[RobRoy]

Looks like we're gonna need a new general. Hope obama has a large "Barrel of Generals".

[chris_bdba]

Obama does not care who he gets killed what a moron!

[Fred Hayek]

Now that the hard deadline has been made absolutely public, all the Taliban needs to do is lay low until the deadline passes. And until the deadline passes our troops and their allies will be forced to operate under even more stifling rules of engagement.

FUBO, you traitor!

[NormsRevenge]

Looks like Gates is planning his exit too..

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks next to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (R) in a cabinet meeting where Obama commented on General Stanley McChrystal's complaints in a recent Rolling Stone magazine article, at the White House in Washington, in this June 22, 2010 file image. Gates will retire sometime in 2011, CNN reported on August 16, 2010. REUTERS/Larry Downing/Files

[Spok]

Hearing that will make AQ and the Taliban happy. For them, the good news just keeps coming from Obama’s mouth.

[downtownconservative]

Speaking in seemingly contradictory terms just goes to show us how brilliant Shaman Obummasota is. His more highly developed intellect allows him to say things and do things that just don't make sense to mere mortals. But in his god-like wisdom and intellect, he works it all out for us, so we just don't have to worry. If the emperor looks naked to us, it's because we just can't see his complicated clothing.

[AU72]

If Obama is throwing in the towel we should leave now.

Any casualties here on out are on his head.

[Let's Roll]

The guy is a frickin military genius. Announces withdrawal date and then assures the enemy that the date is not negotiable.

And all through history military leaders were obsessed with not giving those kinds of plans away - if only we had known what a waste of time and energy it was to guard ones military secrets the way it has been traditionally done.

It truly is a new day, isn’t it?

[maine yankee]

The White House said Monday that July 2011 was a “non-negotiable” deadline for starting a US withdrawal from Afghanistan,
_________________

Obama; “ They have to be out before we beging the final push for re-election.”

[maddog55]

He's already been thrown... and we all know how bad BO is at throwing!

[Truth29]

"Now that the hard deadline has been made absolutely public, all the Taliban needs to do is lay low until the deadline passes. And until the deadline passes our troops and their allies will be forced to operate under even more stifling rules of engagement."

I think it could be even worse than that. The Taliban can ramp up their attacks as the deadline approaches so they can claim they drove us from the country.

[gandalftb]

I am in touch with quite a number of Marines that will soon be returning from deployment in Afghanistan. Everyone of them has decided either to not re-enlist or to request a new billet/MOS such as recruiting.

With Gates also looking to downsize the Marines, few of the NCO's see a good career future or deployments that have meaning.

[Nachum]

The list, ping