Posted on 06/22/2011 7:24:42 PM PDT by Nachum
President Obama’s plan for a hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan risks squandering the hard-won gains made on the battlefield in southern Afghanistan over the last ten months.
U.S. military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan had reportedly requested a slower pace of withdrawal to afford them the opportunity to consolidate recent gains against Taliban insurgents. President Obama has denied his military commanders flexibility to determine the pace and scope of withdrawal based on conditions on the ground, and instead appears to have based his decision largely around the U.S. domestic political calendar.
The plans for rapidly withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan also risks upending the major achievement of eliminating Osama bin Laden across the border in Pakistan.
Bin Laden’s death and an aggressive drone campaign in Pakistan’s tribal border areas have put al-Qaeda on its back foot. The Administration deserves credit for accomplishing this crucial objective.
However, it is short-sighted to use bin Laden’s death as justification for hastening the U.S. troop draw down in Afghanistan. Announcing rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces will likely bolster the morale of the Taliban and encourage them to stick with the fight. Since al-Qaeda has not yet dissolved as an organization and its relationship with the Taliban remains strong, reducing military pressure on the Taliban in Afghanistan could benefit al-Qaeda and provide it a lifeline at a critical juncture in the fight against terrorism.
The withdrawal plan will signal to both our Afghan allies and enemy forces that the U.S. is more committed to withdrawing its forces than the long-term goal of stabilizing the country. The U.S. made a grave error in turning its back on Afghanistan after the Soviets departed in 1989. President Obama’s speech will stoke fears that the U.S. is getting ready to repeat a similar mistake.
Obama’s announcement on rapid troop withdrawals from Afghanistan will further discourage Pakistan from cracking down on the Taliban leadership that finds sanctuary on its soil. The speech will reinforce Islamabad’s calculation that the U.S. is losing resolve in the fight in Afghanistan and thus encourage Pakistani military leaders to continue to hedge on support to the Taliban to protect their own national security interests.
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Shoot... every time I log onto FreeRepublic I see plenty of posters who want to cut and run too. I’m afraid that some people just play politics on our side because our guy isn’t CIC.
It is time to bring all the troops home. After 10 years and we have 1 out of 10 provinces secured ... it’s past time. Bring them home, NOW!
I think that's the point, isn't it?
Patreus wasn't for this. The CIC certainly shouldn't make speeches about it to embolden the enemy. Even if this is the correct thing to do, it is stupid to tell the enemy how, where, and when he plans on doing it.
Its simple. Whatever Obama does is Wrong.
How much longer should we stay in Afghanistan?
I agree. If we have accomplished what we were trying to do (whatever it was) in ten years, how much longer will it take? How many more lives and how many more billions?
Was babysitting the grandkids and missed TOTUS speech, did he give a number of withdrawal?
News is talking of Kalee Anthony.
The answer is- I don’t know.
I only know this, that even if we are pulling out, we should never broadcast it. Do you think the enemy is going to hold their fire until we leave?
Obama has set a Day of Reckoning for millions of people caught in the middle. Guess which side they will be flocking to in the next couple years.
30K, I believe
I believe we should get the hell out of there..and I’ve been saying it for years. The ROE is getting our guys gutted and they’re getting hamstrung behind their backs by the Pakis.
aint no win, here.
This whole thing started on the wrong foot, with Mr. Bush telling us to go to the mall that the "troops" would go to war. Hell "we are the troops" when it comes to war and if we don't do it "all together" we will never win!
Been there and done that!
What would be different if the Afghanis knew ahead of time we were withdrawing 3000 troops? This has been discussed for a very long time. I wish we could bring everyone home tomorrow. I really thought the one good thing Obama might accomplish would be to end the war. I was wrong.
Outside of this particular issue, what has he done Right?
How many more lives and how many more billions?
///
absolutely the right question.
if someone can tell me, WHO we are fighting and why,
and what are our goals, and PERMANENT benefits we can achieve,
i’m all ears.
Ann Coulter of all people, was actually right.
in WW2, we REMOVED the Japanese “GOD”.
...Islam is the root problem. if we could change that,
then we could change the culture,
and THEN democracy might have a real chance...
...but whether we leave tomorrow, or 10 years from now,
the Afghans will still be Muslim, and within a couple years they will still all hate us
(just like the average Muslim in Pakistan does, according to polls.)
as things are, we accomplish nothing worth the life of a single American.
and letting them be targets, and dig up hundreds of IED’s a day, for a few more years, is an exercise in futility.
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