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‘Surge’ needed in Afghanistan
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009 | 2:03 a.m.
We must change course in Afghanistan. Eight years after entering Afghanistan we are now losing a war that we were initially winning with the Taliban. We are at a crossroads and must make a major decision.
Do we withdraw and allow the Taliban to again take over, and al-Qaida to regain strength and operate with impunity, or do we fight on with increased military forces and determination?
Democrats do not seem to have the stomach for this war. This administration appears more concerned with saving civilian Afghan lives and granting rights to detainees than they are with destroying the Taliban and the brain center of al-Qaida.
We are on the wrong path, and the American people are dealing with a painful economic recession that may severely dampen our long-term economic future because of trillions of dollars in government spending.
Winning wars requires national commitment and money. Both seem to be on the wane in America. It would be a tragedy to withdraw from Afghanistan, the birth place of 9/11 and possibly of future devastating attacks on American soil.
But without the national will to fight on, and the policies required to support victory by our troops, we will quite possibly be forced to retreat, only to return after another atrocity, possibly even worse than 9/11.
Based on the latest recorded message from Osama bin Laden and other messages from al-Qaida leaders, there are indications that the constant U.S. military pressure being applied to al-Qaida may be having the desired effects on the group.
What is needed now is a “surge” in American military strength in Afghanistan to overwhelm the resurgent Taliban. A renewed American spirit is required to spur the U.S. to fight on and win.
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Obama is not fighting to win.
Don't put more troops in if the military is not being allowed to fight like an army.
We have a weak administration with no stomach for defending America. Obama is ambient about the military and the CIA - devastating the effectiveness of both regardless of the ultimate consequences.
Obama cannot lead with a weak spirited attitude.
We thought as long as Secretary Gate is in place through this year we can be confident that Obama will allow the conditions on the ground to be the basis of actions. But that is no longer the case.
The critical time will be when in about 3 months Gate leaves and who replaces him.
NO ONE will ever win against Al Quaida, no matter how many of their own troops lives they surrender. We are talking extreme religious nut jobs. New ones are being born daily.Protect your own borders and let the Afghans deal with their own problems.
What happens in Afghanistan does not stay in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda is in trouble. Very weak reactions are recently flowing from al Qaeda.
It is the Taliban that is resurging. If we leave, the situation will deteriorate, and al Qaeda's brain center will regain strength.
Better to remain with a weak President, who we will elect out in 2012, than totally demobilize
and allow the Taliban to take over. The nuclear arsenal in Pakistan is still a concern also.
There are only 4 options.
1) Send in around 300k to 500k of troops. Wipe out the enemy in Agfhanistan and invade western Pakistan.
2) Muddle for years-decades. Have upswings and downswings in troop levels. Have raids and drone attacks into Pakistan.
3) Leave the country. Let the enemy have a base to attack Europe and USA. Be prepared to re-invade the country.
4) Have a small army in country just to protect the capital and key strategic points of interest. Use those bases to launch raids and drone attacks into Pakistan. Be there for decades.
After the "surge" they should do option 4.
Option 1 will not occur unless we lose ten's of thousands in an attack on civilans in the USA.
Option 2 will be what Obama will go with.
Eventually, some President (not Obama) will go with Option 3 which means we will re-invade at some point in time.
SgtRock--Thanks for well thought out points of view. There is no simple answer. If the current adm was predisposed to victory(which it is not), a scaled down version of option one would be my choice--I would like to see at least 150,000 in there now.A full scale version of your option one may be the ultimate best answer. In any event, at some point we are headed for a major clash with the Islamic nations. My present bet is on Israel to start the next storm by bombing Iran's nuclear facilities--sometime in the next several months.
If your not going to give the General's the tools they need to accomplish their mission and protect the soldiers that are there, then get them all out.
Putting men and women in harms way while not supplying them with the tools and the intent to win is a crime we learned in Vietnam and don't need to repeat.
listen up boys and girls...
radical islam is not america's problem...
it is the world's problem...
problem is...
w the scum liar loser clown burned all the bridges with our allies...
problem is...
america is broke...
and we can not afford to wage 2 wars anymore...
problem is...
w the scum bag liar loser clown left messes in both iraq and afghanistan...
so much so that obama can not just leave...
problem is...
our stupid pathetic republican friends simple do not have the abilty to think rationally any more...
it is all about false bravado...
it is all about acting tough...
like rushbo the drug addict...
like ann the ugliest person on the planet coulter...
like all the blowhards on cluster fox...
like joe little maggot wilson...
it is sad...
truly sad...
thank god there is an adult in the white house...
finally!!!
"thank god there is an adult in the white house...
finally!!!" Who can't think on his feet if the teleprompter is broken and can't say a word without checking with Rahm before hand and when and if he does ever say anything, he calls someone a "jackass" - very presidential - I'm impressed - NOT.
Neiman1 ,sorry to say ,is correct.
as the letter says we are at a cross roads.
Obama is a gutless CIC, and will not back up the military in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Demobilization will be one of the great misfortunes if we have to do it,but because Obama throws troops into suicide missions , do we really have any other option? Be prepared to withdraw, another disaster on American soil, and then a return. Disgusting!
This just in from today's WSJ--Joint Chiefs of Staff are pushing for a new surge in Afghanistan.
Quote from article follows:
""A properly resourced counterinsurgency probably means more forces," Adm. Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "It's very clear to me that we will need more resources." Afghanistan has been wracked by unrelenting Taliban violence and growing political instability in the aftermath of last month's disputed presidential election."
If the U.S. can hang in there long enough to survive Obama for three more years, and a major shift in Congress occurs in 2010,maybe there is hope to prevail in this war afterall. That would be my preference!Anti war liberals are full of crap!They put us on a death train to hell.
listen up boys and girls...
it really is very simple...
we can go bankrupt trying to chase down radical islam...
a fools journey...
or...
we can withdraw unconditional support for israel...
that's all it would take...
make no mistake...
radical islam hates america because we provide unconditional support for israel...
if we withdraw support from israel...
problem solved!!!
Lotsa folks saying WE should do this and WE should do that .. BUT ... how many of these WE'S are ready to go visit Afganistan and put their WE where their e-mails are?
Birdie,
Actually, Israel is only part of the problem Islam has with the west. The idea that if we just let Israel go we will be safe is one-dimensional and inaccurate. Make no mistake, they hate US because we are US and not THEM. Their ideal is to create an Islamic caliphate throughout the WORLD, not just the Middle East. You cannot appease this enemy, you must crush them. You must play by their rules, not ours. Their rules say that as soon as our troops leave the battlefield they are clear to come and attack us in our homes. This is what happened to the Russians when they left Afghanistan.
Read up about what happened at the Nord-Ost theater in Moscow and the school at Beslan. If we withdraw they will come here in force and it will be devastating.
If anything I believe that our relationship with Israel has restrained the Israelis from kicking some major @$$ in that region for a long time. I agree with Houston. The next thing that will happen will be with Israel/Iran, because no matter what we say, the Israelis WILL NOT allow that nut-job in Iran to have nukes. If anything we should ally ourselves closer with Isreal. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
hey trap...
you are full of crap...
arab land was taken to create israel...
the arabs want their land back...
the arabs hate america because we support israel...
period...
end of story...
everything else is nonsense...
after 9/11 we were told they attacked us because they hate our freedom...
bull crap...
have you ever heard such nonsense...
they attacked us because we support israel...
the iraq war was started in large part because of jewish american public officials...
they wanted to use amercian blood and treasure to fight israel's battle with israel's enemy...
it's pure bull crap...
richard perle - chairman at the defense policy advisery board - argued in the oval office for the invasion of iraq on 9/12...
paul wolfowitz - #2 at the pentagon...
doug feith - #3 at the pentagon...
henry kissinger - former secretary of state curiously seen at the white before the iraq war...
all jews...
all wanted to invade iraq so that american blood and treasure could be used to fight israel's battle with israel's enemy...
at the very least they have a ginormous conflict of interest...
bottom line...
if you want to end terrorist attacks against america...
withdraw support for israel...
problem solved...
lives saves...
trillions saved...
period...
end of story!!!
Bottom Line - Nothing we do will help. The world is going to hell(I don't mean biblicaly). The root of all of the problems is RELIGION!
hey inkman...
you could be onto something my man...
radical islam...
radical religious right christian blowhards...
self righteous jews...
all full of crap...
bottom line...
whenever someone uses religion as an excuse to influence the behavior of others...
run...
don't walk...
run!!!
shutyertrap is right on the money!!
the "korea model" of warfare we have used the last 50 years doesn't work.
the civilians we are so afraid of killing are the same ones killing our troops.
they kill us, but we can't kill them.
you can't win a war that way.
now, the pre-teen males in these countries at the start of these wars are now adult males and a new generation of morons are out there building bombs and ready to die for "their god".
kill every person and destroy every building. that's how you win wars.
stevem: "kill every person and destroy every building. that's how you win wars."
Adjust your medication man! At least put a cap on the number of people you want killed. We're at approximately 100,000 Iraqi's and it's been pretty slow lately, but we've done very well on the buildings!
100,000?
that's a good start!
It's at least 10,000,000 and more every day. Where do you think Dick Chaney has been the last couple of weeks...
If Obama can do as well in Afghanistan as Bush did in Iraq then we will be in good shape...
And, if you don't think Obama can do it, then you, my friend, are a racist... says Jimmy Carter, the hero of Iran...
I will tell you who needs a "surge." The President needs a surge in his ratings...
I wasn't this way until some of you guys just couldn't stop the use of profanity and the name calling. And if you don't agree with me, then you, my friend, are a racist. (I learned that one from you guys and Jimmy)
pmmart has a good idea. I wonder how many would go?
"And, if you don't think Obama can do it, then you, my friend, are a racist...says Jimmy Carter, the hero of Iran."
Larryvegas, how about getting yourself a clue.
GO BACK AND READ WHAT JIMMY CARTER SAID about Joe Wilson, which is, somehow, very indirectly, out of context, entirely disingenuously, what you are referring to.
Hero of Iran?
You need a history lesson. Again.
And while I'm at it...
How about that stevem, boys and girls?
Isn't he a champ?
"kill em all!"
Stupid to waste our money in the middle east.
Leave it to some red state retard in North Las Vegas to post that.
Why dont you worrty about the surge of violence in North Las Vegas?
gmag39: Exactly like I said. And thank you very much...
Nick: North Las Vegas? We don't have enough troops...
sgt rock; were you in the national guard like yer buddy bush or w/ the 4f's like cheney?
good points, but bad strategy. The mark of a good general is to take over, without firing a shot. anyone who has read "the art of war" knows that while we are looking at this one war, someone is waiting in the wings, ready to pounce on us. Looking at the Global picture, even if we defeat our foes in mid east, much larger threats still loom. To reiterate, A good general takes over without firing a shot and to get bogged down, like we are in mid east, is sign of poor generalship. It is my opinion that Dittoman is doing a good job here, I won't second guess my commander in chief, but am asking you, when was the last time, the us, won a war? I can't remember.
I think that is the duty of every American to educate themselves about the threat Islam poses to us. Birdie, the terrorists will not care if you personally support Israel, hate George Bush, or protest march against our troops deployed to the middle east. You will be blown up along with everyone else in the vicinity of their target. If the whole reason they hate us is our support of Isreal, why all of the al Qaeda attacks on Russia, who has historically supported Syria, Iran, and Egypt against Israel? This conflict goes back to WAY before Israel. Again, you must understand that you cannot appease this enemy. Your options are to convert to Islam or die.
Cactusdan, what about the Gulf War?
The objective of removing Iraq troops form Kuwait was indeed a success. The end result though looked more like Korea where they just went back to their side and a truce was called. We never obtained articles of surrender or anything else from Iraq and now we are there.