Obama meets with top Afghanistan commander
October 2nd, 2009 . by TexasFredObama meets with top Afghanistan commander
COPENHAGEN (AP) — President Obama summoned his top commander in Afghanistan for a 25-minute meeting aboard Air Force One on Friday as part of his review of a war strategy that has divided the president’s national security team.
Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Obama met just before the president returned to Washington from Copenhagen, where he was pitching the International Olympic Committee on Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 games.
McChrystal had been in London, where he said in a speech Thursday that insurgents are gaining strength in Afghanistan and more troops are needed to “buy time” for the Afghan military and police forces to prepare to take control of the country in 2013.
A White House spokesman said the meeting was part of the ongoing discussion about Afghanistan and no decisions were made. The pair met in the president’s cabin.
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Obama meets with top Afghanistan commander
He gave Gen. McChrystal 25 minutes? A whole 25 minutes? That was mighty white of him! I’m glad he could spare the time, you know, what with him being so busy dancing on the string for the puppeteers in Chicago and all.
One of the comments in the USA Today post speaks volumes, and I am going to share it with you. A letter that was written TO Obama.
malvil (0 friends, send message) wrote: 2h 22m ago
President Barack Obama
The White House
FAX: 202-456-2461September 30, 2009
Mr. President
Much has happened since candidate Obama promised, to wage “the real war on terrorism”, the war you said, “We must win”, Afghanistan. On 8/29/2009, Gen Stanley McChrystal sent Defense Secretary Gates a war appraisal, calling for more troops in Afghanistan along with a new strategy. That was thirty days ago and so far the troops wait for back up. Why is that Mr. President? General McChrystal is not a Busch hand me down; in fact, he was hand picked by you, to lead Afghanistan. Even so, you and other Washington bureaucrats are “debating” if you should send in more troops. Perhaps you did not watch the general’s 60 Minutes interview, when asked if conditions on the ground are as he expected the general replied, “They are probably a little worse.”.
Sir, in the days the general’s request lays on your desks, an added forty-three (43) soldiers (and counting) died in Afghanistan, out of respect for the family, I am withholding the names. No one can say if any of these soldiers would have lived even with more troops on the ground; however, without them we know that more will die. An average 1.4 soldiers dies in Afghanistan every day. I do not understand how Washington can say “take your time, don’t rush, you have months to decide”.
Mr President even as Washington “THINKS” our men and women in uniform DIE, so make a decision! Grant General McChrystal the needed troops or BRING our soldiers HOME! November 2010 is 13 months away, I am sure even the politicians realize that Middle America will not tolerate nor forgive preventable deaths. Can you hear us?
Silent No More
Since this letter was written, while you were in Copenhagen promoting Chicago for the 2016 Olympics two more soldiers died waiting for re-enforcement. One solider was an American the other British. During a speech to the delegation The First Lady spoke about your “sacrifice” traveling to Copenhagen to personally lobby the IOC sir, these men have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Make a decision! Grant the general the needed troops or BRING our soldiers HOME
I am guessing that the comment maker actually sent this letter to Obama, I certainly hope so. I would encourage all of my fellow Conservative bloggers to use that letter, send it via email, ask your list to pass it around, it NEEDS to be seen. And expect the libber trolls to denigrate you for doing so. All that means is, we ARE doing the RIGHT thing!
Barack Hussein Obama is an embarrassment to this nation. And I know, the libber trolls are going to say that George W. Bush was an embarrassment as well. And I have to agree with them on that point. When Bush spoke, you never knew what kind of misspeak was going to come out, Bush had his faults, of that there is NO doubt.
When Obama speaks, we are assured of hearing lies, at least, mostly lies, with a small pinch of truth thrown in to make the lie more believable, and more acceptable. Obama is an even worse war-fighting POTUS than Bush was. Obama is allowing Afghanistan to become an issue that is very much in doubt. And I have to ask, if we can’t WIN a war in a place the size of Afghanistan, how in the hell can the USA be considered as ANY kind of world power?
I have said many times, I DO blame Bush for the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan, but now it’s not a Bush problem, it’s an Obama problem, he is the guy in charge, and it ALL falls on his shoulders now!
Gen. McChrystal 25 minutes? As American troops lay their lives on the line? And in many cases, lose their lives attempting to do the job they were sent to do? And Obama had a whole 25 minutes to spare?
Sorry son of a bitch!
I think the next expenditure of taxpayer dollars should be getting a big ole “FAIL” tattooed to Obama’s forehead!!!!
Gee, I wish my corporate meetings only lasted 25 minutes. My last one was for 3 hours and we were only planning a upgrade on a small piece of our network. Obviously, life and death, decisions don’t take as long.
Michelle and Barry got to see Wonderful Copenhagen at tax-payers expense and eat fine Danish pastries. While our guys were dying in Afghanistan. Michelle got to tell us of her great sacrifice and how she sat on her grandfather’s lap watching earlier games—she lied, the games she spoke of occured when she was a junior in college. So Barry finally gave McChrystal a few minutes of his precious time—damn he gave the IOC a trip across the pond and a hour long presentation trying to line the pockets of his corrupt political buddies back in the windy city. Sorry a little off topic here, but thought I was on first post. Oh well, Obama tied the two together so guess its ok.
BHO’s own narcissism tanked the deal with the OIC. And that rejection was a real slap in the face to BHO. He doesn’t realize the insult, of course.
That BHO spent more time worrying about impressing the OIC than in consulting with the commander on the ground for the war in Afghanistan is beyond despicable. BHO is unfit to be President.
McChrystal should have had his resignation ready to hand deliver to Obama at that meeting. I cannot get past the feeling that he is being set up to take the fall for Obama when Afghanistan tanks.
JDL
Longstreet, you may very well be correct. Someone WILL take a fall, Afghanistan needs to be addressed NOW, and a 30-40K man surge is the most logical approach…
Or, get the hell out and hang our heads in shame…
Obama will adopt the Biden position and pull most troops out except around Kabul and we will fire a few hell-fire missiles at isolated huts in the mountains killing one or two terrorist leaders while claiming a tactical victory and the war will go on and on and on. Americans will continue to die and soon, very soon be confined to fortess Kabal because venturing far from that encircled city will mean running into more and more IED’s. Thats how I see it. Oh yes, McChrystal will resign if his request is rejected, he can’t stand in command, because he has already said we will lose if more troops are not sent and to command forces remaining there after making such a statement is impossibe—the question will be what other general may follow him into retirement. This could be another MacArthur moment. Enough of my crystal ball image.
I too hope things start getting done right in Afghanistan. My son just got back home in August from his second tour of duty in Iraq…now in 3 weeks he will be headed to Afghanistan for 11months. At least this time he will get paid a little more since he will be a ‘consultant’…training the Afghan soldiers how to fight the rebels.
I’m way to p*****D to comment right now. Just letting everyone know that I saw this…
I can’t help but wonder what our fine military men and women must think and feel. God help us! We need a real man to be C&C not this snot nosed man child that seems to think games are more important than our military.
THANK YOU to all the brave souls that serve. It means alot to
those of us that sleep a little better at night knowing you are there. God Bless each and every one of you.
Obama is getting ready to throw our fine men & women in the Armed Forces under the bus.
Now they will go quietly, they will remember this insult to them.
That letter sums up the way that I feel. I just want Obama to make a decision, one way or the other. If he is not willing to send the troops needed for victory than we must get our heroes out of there.
This Afgan fiasco is playing out about how I thought it would. Very dismal indeed. All our troops who made the ultimate sacrifice are better individauls and Patriots than Obama and his minions could ever be. Would rather see the Marxists in DC six feet under than these fine individuals. Yes, the US Armed Forces are about to be thrown under the bus and more will die needlessly bacause of our Idiot In Chief.