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10 reasons to be worried as Tom Donilon, Afghan war sceptic & desk-bound foe of US military,
Telegraph, UK ^

Posted on 10/08/2010 2:23:07 PM PDT by nuconvert

Four weeks before the mid-terms and Barack Obama fires General Jim Jones as National Security Adviser and appoints Tom Donilon in his place. So what on earth is going on and what does this mean? Here are 10 reasons to be worried:

1. Donilon has a poor relationship with Bob Gates, the Pentagon chief. Gates has issued a statement lauding his “very productive and very good working relationship” with Donilon. But Bob Woodward reported that Gates once told Jones that Donilon would be a “disaster” as National Security Adviser. Gates, Washington’s Mr Steady, is hardly likely to have used that word lightly. This appointment could hasten the departure of Gates, already due in 2011.

2. Donilon does not travel. Woodward tells us that up to around a year ago Donilon “had never gone to Afghanistan or Iraq, or really left the office for a serious field trip”. As a result, Jones felt, Donilon had “no direct understanding of these places”. He’s essentially a political operative. Great.

3. Donilon has “no credibility” with the US military. Again according to Woodward, Donilon has fractious relations with the US military, with Pentagon officials complaining of “condescension” and Jones telling him: “You have no credibility with the military.”

4. Donilon was opposed to the Afghan surge. Donilon’s appointment is another sign that Obama’s heart is not in his own Afghan war strategy and he wants out quickly after July 2011. As Jacob Heilbrunn argues it’s a sign that Obama is “positioning himself to leave Afghanistan”.

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: jamesjones; nationalsecurity; obama; thomasdonilon; tomdonilon

1 posted on 10/08/2010 2:23:13 PM PDT by nuconvert
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To: nuconvert
Obama is “positioning himself to leave Afghanistan”.

Obozo was never there. His heart is in destruction of the U.S. not destruction of the nation's enemies. He is one of them. Lying Commie Muzzie Fraud. FUBO!!!

2 posted on 10/08/2010 2:29:05 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.)
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To: nuconvert

Carter V2.0


3 posted on 10/08/2010 2:29:12 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: nuconvert

History repeats itself and we are in the farce phase.


4 posted on 10/08/2010 2:30:34 PM PDT by bagman
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To: nuconvert
Wait, wasn't Tom Donilon the John Wayne character from Liberty Valence?
5 posted on 10/08/2010 2:33:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: Texas Fossil

My sentiments exactly.

I have a really bad feeling about this appointment, though, because I think Obama is getting more blatant about his real agenda and how little he gives a darn about the US.


6 posted on 10/08/2010 2:38:28 PM PDT by livius
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To: bagman

Not exactly, Obama is removing the camouflage that he had in place with appointees such as Jim Jones. He is tired of having anyone around him who might be giving him the slightest bit of negative advice.

This is not farce, it is tragedy.


7 posted on 10/08/2010 2:38:36 PM PDT by maica (Freedom consists not in doing what we like,but in having the right to do what we ought. John Paul II)
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To: maica
"Obama is removing the camouflage that he had in place with appointees such as Jim Jones."

I don't think these are his choices, but probably is a result of his real positions.

8 posted on 10/08/2010 2:48:33 PM PDT by WHBates
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To: maica

I think as the (o)bama tide has gone out, he wants to become more directive driven unburdened by any scant opposition. He knows that is coming from the Congress and he is signaling he intends to fight them from 1600 Penn right down the line. Until his dwindling supportors in the Senate, and that includes the RINO’s, become aware of the situation, or care about it, he will use them as cover for his agenda by blocking any move to force legislative change. Even when Nixon was on the ropes during Watergate, it took a senate leader to tell him so. Hopefully that happens to this asshat sooner than later BUT the move to either get him out or remove his thunder will have to come from his Party because without them, even with a majority, the GOP does not have the firepower to overcome his veto power. We will have some latitude by the power of the purse strings BUT we need to be careful how that is portrayed because his media shills will just portray the GOP as the reason for (o)bama’s ills.


9 posted on 10/08/2010 3:04:35 PM PDT by Mouton
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To: Mouton

I think as the (o)bama tide has gone out, he wants to become more directive driven unburdened by any scant opposition.

#####

He can’t abide opposition of any kind.

My heart grieves for our military forces who are doing their best under the conditions prescribed by this anti-military president.


10 posted on 10/08/2010 3:33:48 PM PDT by maica (Freedom consists not in doing what we like,but in having the right to do what we ought. John Paul II)
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To: nuconvert

Jones is leaving, Mullen is leaving, even Sec of Defense is leaving in 2011..... that are jumping ship.


11 posted on 10/08/2010 8:22:09 PM PDT by American Constitutionalist (The fool has said in his heart, " there is no GOD " ..)
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To: livius
A repeat of this in Afghanistan.

12 posted on 10/08/2010 8:25:38 PM PDT by American Constitutionalist (The fool has said in his heart, " there is no GOD " ..)
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To: AdmSmith; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; ...
Thanks nuconvert. Search engine results (boiled down) for donilon site:freerepublic.com, newest to oldest chrono sort:
13 posted on 10/09/2010 5:46:30 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: Interesting Times; Nick Danger

Ping!


14 posted on 10/09/2010 5:58:13 PM PDT by The Shrew (www.wintersoldier.com; www.tstrs.com; The Truth Shall Set You Free!)
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To: American Constitutionalist

It will be hard for Zero to find anyone willing to take a job in the administration — other than brain donors from the doctrinaire left.


15 posted on 10/09/2010 6:19:28 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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