Posted on 10/20/2009 8:36:36 AM PDT by IrishMike
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - The United States cannot wait for problems surrounding the legitimacy of the Afghan government to be resolved before making a decision on troops, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said.
Gates, speaking to reporters on board a plane traveling to Tokyo, described the situation in Afghanistan as an evolutionary process that would not improve dramatically overnight, regardless of what course is taken following the country's flawed August election.
"I see this as a process, not something that's going to happen all of the sudden," Gates said.
"I believe that the president will have to make his decisions in the context of that evolutionary process."
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell added that Gates believed the issue of the Afghan government's legitimacy went well beyond the question of whoever would be declared winner of the election, or an eventual run-off.
It depended on whether the government in Kabul had the faith and confidence of the people, Morrell said.
International observers have called for an election run-off after a U.N.-backed fraud watchdog invalidated tens of thousands of votes for Afghan President Hamid Karzai from the August poll.
Another vote could be complicated by a strengthening Taliban insurgency that has tied up tens of thousands of foreign and Afghan troops and the approaching harsh Afghan winter that cuts off hundreds of villages every year.
Gates said he was confident U.S. and NATO forces could provide security for a run-off, should one be decided, but added bad winter weather could prevent Afghans from voting.
"I think the key consideration before us at this point is actually less (one of) security ... (it's) the weather. So getting something done before winter sets in will be very important," he said
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I guess joan & Obamadinejad are coming out of the closet soon, to actively assist joan's modern day equivalent of "jzenjish khan" and his al Qaeda hordes.
I pray for the gunfire every night on my knees!
I guess Obama thinks winter in Afghanistan is no big deal- and apparently has no conception of logistics.
I keep having the thought there must be SOME grownup in this admisitration or someone who can get through to The One and explain why this delaying tactic is a really, REALLY bad plan.
All we can do is pray for our soldiers and marines and their families.
Cut’n’Run lives.
52 days since the General put this request in the chain of command... if this was WW2, thousands would have died if FDR had diddled.
0bama will vote present.
WHEN WILL THE F'N KNEE PAD MEDIA MAKE THIS A-HOLE ACCOUNTABLE???
Not sending reenforcements is Treason!
We are completely infiltrated!
Many will lose their lives due to his naive understanding of foreign policy and history.
Ubama wants to keep voting “present”.
Wow, what a weakling... what a scumbag.
52 days is a long time in the Military business.
Gates should make some more public statements, hit the Sunday shows, then step down with a very public, very succinct statement that zero is totally blowing the war effort and ruining the military. he should point to the ROEs, the increase in deaths, the increase in the insurgent violence, and so on. Blame every last iota of it on zero, which is absolutely accurate.
Gates should make a public spectacle of bailing out on zero and explaining why before zero dumps him. All he has to do is point to the indecision, the ROE, and the increase in American military deaths.
Interesting times indeed. It’s as if this administration is managing the U.S., and it’s allies, into a crisis situation through demonstrating weakness . . . rather than averting crisis by showing strength and resolve.
My hope is that Gate’s comments will give Obama’s lockstep minions pause for thought and that the dissenting majority will have recognized. Lord protect our troops!
Isn’t everyone being a bit hard on Prez Obama? He’s a busy man...parties with live entertainment each Wednesday night at the White House, golf outings a few times each week, various, frequent money-raising trips, midnight basketball, stopping by his kids’ school for a chat with kids, various international trips with his family’s entourage and so forth. Good God!!! Can’t we cut him some slack? He works so hard. According to his lovely wife, they are sacrificing for the better good. (double-sarc)
McNamara has his fans too.
If so, I wish they would do something about it. I really think a conservative temporary military coup to undo the past 70 years of socialism and the arrest & lockup of socialist-fascist-commie pigs like 0bozo & the demoRAT party leaders & demoRAT House/Senate members are what is needed to reverse our country's headlong plunge into the cesspool abyss of socialism.
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