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Marine Corps Commandant: Enemy Boosted by July 2011 Afghanistan Withdrawal Date
Weekly Standard ^ | 8/24/10 | John McCormack

Posted on 08/24/2010 7:55:44 PM PDT by Kartographer

President Barack Obama's July 2011 date to start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan has given a morale boost to Taliban insurgents, who believe they can wait out NATO forces, the top U.S. Marine said on Tuesday.

But General James Conway, who is retiring this fall as commandant of the Marine Corps, said he believed Marines would not be in a position to withdraw from the fight in southern Afghanistan for years.

Conway's unusually blunt assessment is likely to fan criticism by opposition Republicans of Obama's war strategy as public opinion of the nine-year-old war sours further. "In some ways, we think right now it is probably giving our enemy sustenance," Conway said of the July 2011 deadline. "In fact we've intercepted communications that say, 'Hey, you know, we only need to hold out for so long.'" ...

(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; axisofsurrender; conway; cutandrunbarry; genconway; jamesconway; marines; military; obama; taliban; wot
Obama gives aid and comfort to our enemies! How long do we just standby?
1 posted on 08/24/2010 7:55:46 PM PDT by Kartographer
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To: Kartographer

I imagine the Taliban were breathing down Barry’s neck and pressuring him to give them so kind of a date.


2 posted on 08/24/2010 7:58:54 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (DemocRATS! America's Taliban!)
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To: Kartographer

Whoulda’ thunk it?


3 posted on 08/24/2010 8:01:06 PM PDT by Eagles6 ( Typical White Guy: Christian, Constitutionalist, Heterosexual, Redneck.)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Hey...is the Commandant a racist. I mean criticizing nobama and all?


4 posted on 08/24/2010 8:01:41 PM PDT by hal ogen (1st amendment or reeducation camp?)
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To: hal ogen

According to the white commie crackers at the DNC that write the “talking points” memos, we’re all racists now.


5 posted on 08/24/2010 8:04:14 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (DemocRATS! America's Taliban!)
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To: hal ogen

General James Conway, maybe just what is needed once he retires a new Nathan Hale-George Washington.


6 posted on 08/24/2010 8:12:19 PM PDT by Kartographer (".. we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer

We have the Islamic enemy calling the shots here.


7 posted on 08/24/2010 8:17:18 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: Kartographer
So, you are deist. Ok then.

Deism (pronounced /ˈdiːɪzəm/, us dict: dē′·ĭzm)[1][2] is a religious and philosophical belief that a supreme being created the universe,...

...and you don't even want want to know HIS name?

I do and I do.

8 posted on 08/24/2010 8:20:32 PM PDT by houeto (Get drinking water from your ditch - http://www.junglebucket.com/)
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To: Kartographer

For the record, this same comment appeared in a WSJ blog site earlier today - but WSJ has pulled it. Wonder why?


9 posted on 08/24/2010 8:25:06 PM PDT by bigbob
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To: bigbob

there was a link to this story on drudge that caught my attention but when i clicked the article was taken down so i came here to find out the details.

and how about a big friggin DUH 0bama, give a withdrawal date and the vermin will hunker down and lay low til you are gone and then spring up rested and equipped.

damn numbskull....


10 posted on 08/24/2010 8:42:46 PM PDT by Finatic ("you see kids were so much wiser after the wars")
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To: houeto

I don’t wish to look upon God’s face nor know his name, to my way of thinking such is not for mere mortals. But to know and acknowledge that he is, to walk in his light and obey his commandments is my way.


11 posted on 08/24/2010 9:16:08 PM PDT by Kartographer (".. we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer

Who needs spies?

All that those crazy jihadists have to do is pray to Allah that more Democrats get elected to high office in the
United States. (Spies, spies? Don’t need no stinking spies! Just need more Democrats.)

IMHO


12 posted on 08/25/2010 3:20:57 AM PDT by ripley
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To: Kartographer

I can confirm this! One of my oldest and dearest devil dogs just had to do one more patrol, so the boys wouldn’t be alone. Needless to say, it went terribly wrong for them all.


13 posted on 08/25/2010 3:56:55 AM PDT by momincombatboots (In a few months I will be Ore..Gone! Look out Crater Lake, here we come!)
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To: Kartographer
Conway is being misunderstood, there is a fuller conversation here.

Yes, there are areas that we can pull out of next year and start to draw down. HOWEVER, Helmand and Kandahar provinces will be expanding operations for the next 2-3 years.

FOB Dwyer is scheduled for $100 million dollars of hangar, runway, and tarmac expansion over the next 5 years. We are doing the same thing at two other airbases in Afghanistan. Why would we be now be starting to expand/create three of the largest airbases in central Asia if we were pulling out?

BTW, Karzai and Obama have been given a take it or leave proposition by the Marines. The Marines will fight their fight their way or it's adios Afghanistan.

Generals Conway and Mattis call them the way they see them, nothing less, blunt and to the point. You ask a question you get an answer. They will not sell out their Marines for any politician, Karzai or Obama. That's why Karzai calls Helmand .... Marinistan.

14 posted on 08/25/2010 11:03:02 AM PDT by gandalftb (Semper fi Corporal CJ Boyd, 2/4 Echo Company)
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