Obama-Fail: No Afghanistan Plan Without Exit Strategy First

Remember the debate about Bush not having an exit strategy for Iraq? Well, here you go. Evidently victory isn't enough of a strategy for Obama. The hyper-intellectual dilettante thinks you can sit in a classroom and come up with a total solution for war, rather than solving the problem by simply winning.

In a sane world this would be proof positive he doesn't have what it takes to be CIC. But by the time the media gets done with it, he'll look like Moses deciding precisely where and how he was going to part the Red Sea to lead his people to freedom. And that includes having nets ready so no fish were harmed during the crossing.

Can you say Jimmy Carter on steroids? This guy is destined to fail at everything he undertakes over the next four years.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

That stance comes in the midst of forceful reservations about a possible troop buildup from the U.S. ambassador in Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, according to a second top administration official.

In strongly worded classified cables to Washington, Eikenberry said he had misgivings about sending in new troops while there are still so many questions about the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Comments

[jon-paul]

You are in 'Great Form' tonight Dan! If it's an exit strategy he desires so badly, I'm positive the Generals and other Commanders would have started there first. This POTUS is an absolute idiot! Cheers!

[mark l.]

the cbs 'scoop' of obama deploying 40k, was just a trial balloon that failed.
obama tried floating it, hours after he had the house obamacare vote, and now, here he is, backpeddling.

obama is a victim of strategy...

the only problem, it is the dem 'strategy' to keep their base, heading into a brutal midterm slaughter.
100k in afghanistan at the time of the midterms, was never going to be a practical possiblity.

without the increase, we just lose slowly.

the taliban is being given a gift. instead of facing the 'full might of the us army', at least in theory, they now know that they will face an army of the same size they have grown accustom to, which will not be reinforced. they know the country better, and their tactics will improve accordingly.

how bad do the dems and the president want to 'try' and win the war?
not very much.

do they have the guts to declare it openly?
not a chance.

[PA]

Well, if its all about the exit strategies, maybe President Present should put the exit strategies for getting completely out of WWII and the Korean war ahead of Afghanistan...cuz we've had 50+ year deployments in Europe and Korea now with "no end in sight".

First things first, eh? Right?

[Teresa in Fort Worth, TX]

He announced this on VETERAN'S DAY??????? Unbelievable......

[mark l.]

my guess on the eventual strategy that they will settle on...

they focused on interviewing the regional leaders, trying to draw a map that they can split the country into. if true, it will be the first instance I know of, where biden will have lent his 'gravitas' to matters.

68k in country is enough to hold a few of the larger cities, but here is a link to the sizes of the 34(?)provinces...a map might even pop up there as well.

http://www.citypopulation.de/Afghanistan.html

you can see instances of where, if you have spread yourself thin, it can turn ugly. Is 1000 troops in a hostile town of 18k good enough? Surely the brass would keep reserve forces to respond, but what happens when the forces you have spread thin come under attack, simultaneously?

there are a mulitude of differences between our iraqi strategy of dealing with insurgency and the problems in ag, but the point of emphasis has to be how the population density is far more difficult to control. the current force strength 'might' be sufficient to hold what they got, and dig in, but we aren't going to be advancing or taking new ground, anytime soon.

[Mad Monica]

Well, I'm glad (I guess) to see the Choker in Chief hasn't changed his tune. It's easier for him to dither around and claim he wants an "exit strategy" than to actually make a decision. And all the anti-war folks will say what a GREAT job he's doing.

Glad that walk through the graves of the war dead helped him "make a decision." God help us and God help our men and women in harm's way. They're just about leaderless at this point.

[mark l.]

"dither"...

this one is undeniable. in March he pushed a policy which has brought him to this point.

at the time of his 'decisiveness', he knew that he would have to 'change' policy in response to either effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of his own policy. suddenly he needs to ponder?

was he even watching closely since his troop increase?

he honestly can't think one move ahead, despite his taking the initiative in march?
wtf has he been doing?

[Mark Turner]

The NY Times had an article on Nov 11 with the following statements:

*** If Mr. Karzai “falls short of our expectations, there are a lot of things, in terms of our investment, that we could do,” one official said. “Let’s say he appoints someone to a certain ministry or portfolio, and we just consider that person unacceptable. We’re not going to be forced to deal with that person. ***

*** But Mr. Karzai has already called the administration’s bluff on that issue. He appointed a running mate, Marshal Muhammad Qasim Fahim, who has been accused by international groups of corruption and of maintaining an armed militia when he was defense minister. He is now one of Mr. Karzai’s two vice presidents.

Mr. Karzai also ignored American and European objections and allied himself with Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, who is accused of involvement in the killings of thousands of Taliban members held as prisoners of war early in the Afghan conflict. Mr. Obama has called for an investigation of General Dostum, to no avail.***

Oh, really? Yet they are willfully embracing dealing directly with Ahmedinejad and Kim Jong-Il -- among the world's worst scumbag leaders -- but Karzai's folks may be "unacceptable" to them? As for Dostum -- hello, it was thousands of ENEMY prisoners he killed -- where exactly do the Obama administration's sympathies lie -- certainly not unequivocally on our side?!

Yeah, this administration is a real winner - far superior to anything Bush could handle -- NOT!!!! Good Lord, I knew a liberal administration was going to be a nightmare, but this is so bad it's getting perverse.

[Elmo]

It's like the Steve Martin bit ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta4h4PhIaRU

... people still want to have their picture taken, wit duh Obie. For some, his magic, golden glowing aura will never, ever, ever fade.

If and when more boots are actually on the ground in the Stan? Then (maybe), I'll believe. But by then (3026 AD), Obamedia will have declared victory/defeat (another Nobel!).

Either way, DO NOT TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE HOPEY McCHANGE BUS! ...

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/breaking/Man-killed-by-VP_s-Secret-Service-vehicles-8516536-69763862.html

[Elmo]

Via commenter SallyVee, over at Strata-Sphere ...

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/11/hasan_was_dressed_to_kill.asp

[smitty]

>hyper-intellectual dilettante

You're too generous with the hyper-intellectual adjective.
That, too, is media fluff, AFAICT.

[david r]

The announcement alone has emboldened our enemies.

[Joe]

Why not just run away?

Bravely bold Sir Barack
Rode forth from Camelot.
He was not afraid to die,
Oh brave Sir Barack.
He was not at all afraid
To be killed in nasty ways.
Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Barack.

He was not in the least bit scared
To be mashed into a pulp.
Or to have his eyes gouged out,
And his elbows broken.
To have his kneecaps split
And his body burned away,
And his limbs all hacked and mangled
Brave Sir Barack.

His head smashed in
And his heart cut out
And his liver removed
And his bowls unplugged
And his nostrils raped
And his bottom burnt off
And his pen--

"That's... that's enough music for now lads,
*** there's dirty work afoot*** ???."

Brave Sir Barack ran away.
("No!")
Bravely ran away away.
("I didn't!")
When danger reared it's ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
("no!")
Yes, brave Sir Barack turned about
("I didn't!")
And gallantly he chickened out.

****Bravely**** taking ("I never did!") to his feet,
He beat a very brave retreat.
("all lies!")
Bravest of the braaaave, Sir Barack!
("I never!")

[templar knight]

Elmo, thank you for the link. As I saw the way Hasan was dressed in those stills from the convenience store the morning of the attack, I found myself curious as to why the guy was dressed the way he was. Now I know.

Does anyone know how Hasan was dressed during the attack? Was he in ACUs?

[MDr]

See there. You went and used that hateful "V" word. Recall, Obama is not in Victory. When he made that pronouncement you see how "distasteful" the word was - looked like he wanted to spit, to get the bad taste out of his mouth.

[x11b1p]

The people making these decisions for Obama were some of the same people that were OKAY with the "Black Hawk Down" situtation in Somolia and the bombing of the USS Cole. Lets not forget, as proven by history, a Dem President would rather see Americans killed by terrorists than terrorists killed by Americans. I suspect that will be a norm until a liberal place of respect and admiration is hit and then we will drop NUKE on OBL's head, and it will be okay with Dems. As for conservative,who would complain about Obama doing so if thats what it took to end AQ! Hell, he would not have to justify his reasoning to me!

[Proud Liberal]

Thank God we finally have a President that actually looks ahead more than one step at a time. You know when I think of the differences between Obama and Bush I often get the visual of Bush playing checkers while Obama plays chess. Unfortunately for the typical wingnut, chess is way too complicated to comprehend.

Yes We Can

[templar knight]

The Pussy Liberal is looking ahead to the demise of the Democratic majorities in Congress in 2010, and hasn't figured out that his king Xerxes is about to be checkmated. The only game Obama knows is twister. How sweet it is.

[mark l.]

"Recall, Obama is not in Victory."

elections have consequences. wars don't?

"President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning - but he also left no doubt about who's in charge of these negotiations. "I won," Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation. "

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17862.html

[alanstorm]

I seem to recall some other president, whose name evades me at the moment, being exhorted to listen to his generals in regard to another theater of war. I guess Obama's incredible talents extend into the military arts, so he doesn't need any advice in that area. How lucky we are!

[Proud Liberal]

Obama is taking LOTS of advice. That is the point. The "dithering" is actually talking to people with all sorts of different positions on the war, something the prior President never did.

[North Dallas Thirty]

No, Obama is just carrying out the practice of his party, which is to try to repeat Vietnam -- the more soldiers that are killed, the more people that will want us to pull out.

The way that the Obama Party and Obama can facilitate that is to deny them the reinforcements, supplies, and support that they need. Of course, the Obama Party is all about demonizing and destroying the military - after all, look at how Barack Obama and the Obama Party base greeted military families arriving at the White House for Halloween.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/10/video-halloween-with-the-kids-code-pink-style/

[Xiaoding]

Obama has called the Armys bluff, a very gutsy move. "Take your box of options, and shove it" is a good way to put it.

Again, I hear talk of just winning the thing...but no one dares define what that is! Dan, you spoke of victory, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? I have never gotten an answer to that question here. Funny, that, the word gets used, but never defined. I think that the word you guys keep using, does not mean what you think it does.

Congrats to Obama, for doing at least one thing right! The army got into Afghanistan, they can get themselves out! Or, perhaps, change, into the kind of army we actually need to fight this war, and not the army that wants to fight WWII over again, except this time we lose.

[Lala]

Great article

"Advance To The Rear!

It’s not quite a strategic retreat, more of a retreat into strategizing as Obama dithers about the dithering, informs his national security team it’s back to Square One. Scratch everything, back to the drawing board. He wants to stop thinking about the war until he can figure out the peace part. OK, that may not be exactly how senior administration officials put it, but at this point, inaction speaks louder than words"

http://www.julescrittenden.com/2009/11/12/advance-to-the-rear/

[mark l.]

Obama is taking LOTS of advice."

he only gets to pick one.

"shit or get off the pot."

(your boy is constipated.)

[templar knight]

Speaking of questions, Xiaoding, exactly what kind of Army is needed to fight this war? In your opinion? As for a description of victory in this particular instance, I would consider a victory would be leaving an Afghanistan that would not be a party to another attack on the United States.

[Elmo]

templar knight | Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 10:59 AM

I'm sure there are report/s somewhere, that touch upon his attire at the time of the slaughter. But the half dozen I clicked/looked/read, only mention his morning attire (in which he was seen weeks previously around apt complex, and around town). In that context I'd guess, as being different from the clothing at time of attack?

In some instances, our shells can give a view into what is contained inside our being. Our hearts ... this is the cover that hasan chose, for his book.

[Xiaoding]

"Speaking of questions, Xiaoding, exactly what kind of Army is needed to fight this war? In your opinion? As for a description of victory in this particular instance, I would consider a victory would be leaving an Afghanistan that would not be a party to another attack on the United States. "

Well, at last an answer! Makes me wonder about the other wastes of space here!

The Army we need: one skilled in fighting an enemy who is not on a battlefield, but hidden among civillians. An army that realizes that protecting those civilians...is MISSION ONE. An army that realizes the enemy is anything that stops communication between them and those civillians. An army that knows that missles do not build the rule of law, nor the respect for it, respect that is utterly neccessary for your condition of victory.

That's just a start.

An Afghanistan that would not be a party to another attack on the United States...is not built by blowing things up real good. Respect for law is not engendered by compellence. You don't get a society of consent by threatening children with missles. Reducing the population to primitivness, only does our enemys work for them.

Since the army of today is clearly not ready (eight years of NOTHING) they should come back home. By the way, why is the National Guard not guarding...us? The new army realizes, that the days of fighting the enemy "over there" are OVER. The new army would be busy fortifying our infrastructure, communications, power grid, roads, etc., in preparation for the next attack. The new army would KILL anyone who even SUGGESTED sending the National Guard overseas! The present armed forces of this country, are the real threat to our safety, due to their overwhelming incompetence. They can't even protect their own soldiers, on their own base in Texas! These are the clowns who are protecting us?

The new army realizes, that the new war is a preclusive war, war that is fought to prevent battles, not "win" them. Thus, the elemination of Saddam Hussein, was justifiable, not for what he did, but for what he might have done.

Don't mean to seem so down. But so many fools, calling for "victory", redoubling their efforts while forgetting their aim.