Pentagon Delays Troop Request for Afghan War
September 22nd, 2009 . by TexasFredPentagon Delays Troop Request for Afghan War
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has told its top commander in Afghanistan to delay submitting his request for additional troops, defense officials say, amid signs that the Obama administration is rethinking its strategy for combating a resurgent Taliban.
A senior Pentagon official says the administration has asked for the reprieve so it can complete a review of the U.S.-led war effort. “We have to make sure we have the right strategy” before looking at additional troop requests, the official said. “Things have changed on the ground fairly considerably.”
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, recently completed a classified report asking for significant numbers of new American troops. Military officials familiar with the matter says the report lays out several options, including one that seeks roughly 40,000 reinforcements, which would push the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan to more than 100,000 for the first time.
But the commander has been told to delay submitting the troop request to the Pentagon at the direction of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other top civilian officials, according to defense officials.
Full Story Here:
Pentagon Delays Troop Request for Afghan War
Funny… I seem to remember a time when we had Afghanistan pretty much under control, and we did it in record time. Then we traipsed off to Iraq…
This wasn’t Obama’s fault. As much as I detest Obama, this was NOT his fault, at least not in it’s inception. He truly inherited this mess, Afghanistan was a done deal and then George *Yes, I really DO have ADHD* Bush blew it ALL to hell and back.
But, NOW, you betcha, it’s Obama’s problem, even though he didn’t DO IT per se, it IS now his problem. We can’t continue to blame it ALL on Bush, even though much of it IS of his (Bush’s) doing, now it’s Obama’s turn to step up and lead, or show us what a DOUCHEBAG he really is… 
Americans are divided over the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan — a key voting issue in the 2008 presidential election — according to a FOX News poll released Monday.
President Obama’s campaign was based largely on opposition to the Iraq war and support for a military strategy in Afghanistan. But just as Iraq has lost much of its political contentiousness, Afghanistan may be emerging — albeit to a lesser degree — as the “new�? Iraq.
Americans are divided on both the Afghan war itself and on its expansion, according to the latest FOX News poll.
Full Story Here:
FOX News Poll: Americans Divided on Afghan War Effort
George W. Bush led us into Iraq, and in doing so, he cost the United States a lot more than the over 4,300 U.S. combat deaths we have suffered.
He has cost us untold BILLIONS of U.S. tax dollars, dollars we will never recoup, dollars we will never see ANY return on.
But even more than that, he cost us a Republican controlled House, Senate and White House.
The foray into Iraq, the longevity of this campaign, it’s mismanagement, and to be even more precise, the total and absolute micromanagement by Pres. Bush, gave Barack Hussein Obama the White House, gave the Dems control of the U.S. Congress and Senate, and, not to forget this little tidbit, we now face the possibility of a very left leaning Supreme Court as well. Perhaps the most damning repercussion of all.
That is NOT opinion, it is indisputable FACT!
Now, it appears that Afghanistan is going to become the millstone around Obama’s neck. Wow, it made me feel good to type that! Almost like one of those Chris Matthews’ tingle down my leg moments! 
George W. Bush was NOT a war-fighting President, and he had military experience. Barack Hussein Obama has NO military experience. He has little experience at anything. He is, basically, a community organizer that has never held a job or led ANYTHING. Where do you suppose that places him in MY estimation as a war-fighting President?
Between, Czars, bailouts, Cap and Trade, health care and the perceived notion that Obama really does have an amnesty agenda in the works for ILLEGALS, where do you suppose the war in Afghanistan is going to fall into the mix?
We had Afghanistan under control, George W. Bush blew that.
Obama has, at his disposal, the greatest, the most well trained and the most well equipped military the world has ever known. If he can’t get a handle on Afghanistan with those assets, if he can’t pacify a nation about the same size in land area as Texas, well, that has the word LOSER written all over it.
Obama will NOT give the generals in Afghanistan the troops they request—he will cut the numbers and declare new tactics such as beefing up the Afghan forces. The far left of his party such as those at Move On and others will not support large numbers of new troops being deployed into the Afghan arena. He will glaze over the difference with the likes of General McChrystal and other field commanders and attempt to sale this to the American people. He simply cannot afford to anger the far left of the Democratic Party at this time when he is losing on the Obamacare issue and may have to fore go the so-called “public option”. The end result of his “NEW POLICY” in Afghanistan will mean an increase in American casualties without a satisfactory outcome. I fear this is where we are heading Fred.
We mustn’t forget that these same Afghans took on the Soviet Army and beat them back. The Soviets were probably the most powerful land base army in the world at the time. We had the edge in technology but in sure size and power they outgunned us.
Bob, the Mujahideen defeated the Soviet Union with weapons supplied by the CIA, Charlie Wilson made it possible…
Now, the Mujahideen are called Taliban, and are using leftover weapons, and tactics that we taught them, to make life miserable for our troops…
Kinda funny how former allies become enemies and former enemies become trusted allies and gigantic trading partners…
We’re not out gunned, we’re hog tied… By political correctness and gutless douchebags…
Obama wants this country to fail in every area so he get his Marxist agenda pushed through. He’ll drag out the troop request and the deny it to please his leftist base. 40,000 more troops will do no good unless the ROE are made more beneficial to the troops. At least McChrystal is showing some guts and is threating to quit if the troop request is not approved. It must be hell being on active duty and having to work for this Marxist idiot.(providing you believe in the Constitution).
War = this:
It is an “if / then” equation.
IF you decide to fight a WAR, THEN you commit the BULK of your troops and materiel UP FRONT and hit your target hard and without remorse.
When our GOVERNMENT micromanages a WAR, then we LOSE.
Hello?? Check out VietNAM??
And politically: if you don’t BELIEVE in the WAR then you DON’T commit.
WHY is this so damned difficult to understand??
A halfhearted application is ALWAYS recognized.
Hello?? ANYONE listening besides me and TF??
If you want a WAR then you KILL LOTS OF PEOPLE and BURN LOTS OF SHIT and LEVEL LOTS OF BUILDINGS.
Otherwise: DON’T GO.
Bush went HALFway. There is NO “half-way.”
BZ
By God, I do believe that the WARRIOR in BZ has been aroused!
And BZ, a lot of people DO listen, just not the RIGHT people, we tried to tell Bush that he had BAD Intel, and we went to Iraq anyway…
And here’s the really shitty part, Obama isn’t nearly as smart as Bush, not when it comes to war-fighting ability…
BZ is right on the money.
We’ve had the “Half a bridge mentality ever since the Korean War”, with one exception the first Gulf War where we failed to followup the massive victory in the southern desert.
He seems unwilling to make a commitment. Just last week the commander on the ground said he needed more troops or we would fail yet Obama is delaying a decision for political reasons while our soldiers are fighting. It is time for him to step up to the plate and either send more troops or cut our loses. I know what I want him to do but I don’t think he has the guts to do it.
Obama keeps showing his narcissistic arse! His performance at the UN today was an utter sham. Now he wants to pander to the left wing by dragging his feet under the guise of needing to “mull over” the top General’s request for troops???? He MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE!!! Every day these lefturds and their politically correct ROE is getting troops killed. I have come to despise this phony POTUS.