Officials: Obama OKs more Afghanistan troops

[WoodysGirl]

By Anne Gearan, Ap Military Writer – 1 hr 3 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Defense and congressional officials say President Barack Obama has approved an increase in U.S. forces for the flagging war in Afghanistan. The Obama administration is expected to announce on Tuesday or Wednesday that it will send one additional Army brigade and an unknown number of Marines to Afghanistan this spring. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the total is about 17,000 troops.

That would be the first installment on a larger influx of U.S. forces that have been widely expected this year. It would get a few thousand troops in place in time for the increase in fighting that usually comes with warmer weather and ahead of national elections this summer.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/obama_afghanistan

[arglebargle]

I am reminded of the ending of 'Charley Wilson's War', where, after raising billions of dollars for the Afghan war effort, he can't get even a few million for the aftermath. And we have just done that. Again.

[JBond]

What is the objective? What is he going to to with a total of 50,000 troops? I would like to know more details. We knew the final objective in Iraq was regime change and to promote democracy in the middle east.

What is Obama's end game? What does he hope to achieve?

[arglebargle]

All good questions. I think our ignoring of Afganistan has lead to a resurgent Taliban, both there and across the border in Pakistan, where there is a real chance that extremists could take control.

As for your questions, I would ask Gen. Petraeus, who is now in charge of that whole section of the middle east. It will be interesting to see what strategy they use. Let's hope it works.

[Beast_from_East]

What is the objective? What is he going to to with a total of 50,000 troops? I would like to know more details. We knew the final objective in Iraq was regime change and to promote democracy in the middle east.

What is Obama's end game? What does he hope to achieve?

I would imagine the end game is the complete elmination of the Taliban, especially along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

[VCDefectors]

What is the objective? What is he going to to with a total of 50,000 troops? I would like to know more details. We knew the final objective in Iraq was regime change and to promote democracy in the middle east.

What is Obama's end game? What does he hope to achieve?

Don't worry about Obama. Just be grateful that the men and women who serve have new job opportunities to look forward to. While the rest of the economy continues to tank, the war business seems to be doing pretty good. It just goes to show that a lot of this fear about Obama hurting the military was unwarranted.

[Doomsday101]

What is the objective? What is he going to to with a total of 50,000 troops? I would like to know more details. We knew the final objective in Iraq was regime change and to promote democracy in the middle east.

What is Obama's end game? What does he hope to achieve?

I agree with the increase in large part because the commanders on the ground have asked for increase troop levels. Obama is doing the right thing by listening to his generals. In the end I think what the goal is will be to weaken the Taliban and strengthen the freely elected Government in Afghanistan to help rid the country of AQ training bases and operations capability from that country

[burmafrd]

Problem is that the real struggle is going to center on Pakistan and right now with a weak government the extremists are gaining power there.

[Rowdy]

It just goes to show that a lot of this fear about Obama hurting the military was unwarranted.

His term just started.

[Doomsday101]

I do find it funny that he just came out and said Yes We Can Win This War, yet was so quick to claim that Iraq was a lost cause and could not even bring himself to say that the Surge worked but now it is Yes We Can

[JBond]

I would imagine the end game is the complete elmination of the Taliban, especially along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

If that is the case, how do we define victory? The tribal areas we are discussing are some of the most rugged and isolated in the world. Their main export is illegal drugs. Heroine and Cocaine. Not many other crops will grow in these areas and the people there need money for food and clothing. You can only knit so many rugs in a year.

What are we going to do for the long term stability? The Taliban are exporting these drugs to finance their operations. The Taliban and the people of Afghanistan may not like each other but they have a strong business relationship.

How do we change that with military force? Kill all of them and burn the crops?

I understand the commanders on the ground have requested reinforcements. That is why I am not jumping on Obama. I am looking for legitimate answers.

Are the additional 17,000 troops coming from Iraq? Are they battle hardened troops or are they "green" troops from bases in the US without experience?

People know I am not an Obama fan, but I will hold back judgement until a clear plan is laid out and a better understanding of what Obama wants to achieve is communicated to the US public.

[SkinsFan28]

I could be completely off-base on this one, but I believe Bush doubted our ability to fight a real war in Afghanistan, and that he needed something to take the spotlight away from it, hence even more motivation for the Iraq war. He probably hoped we could quietly dismember Al-quaeda in Afghanistan with Iraq taking the headlines. I also believe that we will really regret getting into a lockhorn all out press in Afghanistan. That place has kicked foreigners' *** from days immemorial, and I doubt it will change now.

[ABQCOWBOY]

If that is the case, how do we define victory? The tribal areas we are discussing are some of the most rugged and isolated in the world. Their main export is illegal drugs. Heroine and Cocaine. Not many other crops will grow in these areas and the people there need money for food and clothing. You can only knit so many rugs in a year.

What are we going to do for the long term stability? The Taliban are exporting these drugs to finance their operations. The Taliban and the people of Afghanistan may not like each other but they have a strong business relationship.

How do we change that with military force? Kill all of them and burn the crops?

I understand the commanders on the ground have requested reinforcements. That is why I am not jumping on Obama. I am looking for legitimate answers.

Are the additional 17,000 troops coming from Iraq? Are they battle hardened troops or are they "green" troops from bases in the US without experience?

People know I am not an Obama fan, but I will hold back judgement until a clear plan is laid out and a better understanding of what Obama wants to achieve is communicated to the US public.


Traditionally, troops deployed to Afghanistan have been SF troops. Now, this may not be the case with these latest troop allocations, I don't know. I have not heard which units will be assigned. However, I would expect that they would be simular types of troops.

It's interesting to me. I believe that President Obama felt as if he could end the War in the Middle East within a year, 6 months, whatever ridiculous claims he was making to get elected. However, and I have always felt this way, I think he's now trying to figure out how to hold true on his promise. I believe that he will essentially waste time learning what President Bush had to learn the hard way as well.

When President Bush made the decision to invade Iraq, I believed then that his single biggest mistake was troop counts. He was overly optamistic about what we could do and how many troops it would take. I never believed that the original troop allocations were sufficiant. I believe the President Obama will have to re-learn this same lesson. It is going to cost us some but I hope he realizes sooner rather then later that we are not going anywhere anytime soon. That's not what I want, don't miss understand. That's what you get when you fight a War in the Middle East. That's why no President, including GW wanted to fight one. We let the Middle East get away with a great deal because we tried to avoid all out War in the Middle East, almost at any cost. Everybody knew that once their, you could not get out.

I believed it at the start, I believed it at the end of GWs term/beginning of President Obamas Administration and I believe it now. We are going to be their for some time to come.

[JBond]

Don't worry about Obama. Just be grateful that the men and women who serve have new job opportunities to look forward to. While the rest of the economy continues to tank, the war business seems to be doing pretty good. It just goes to show that a lot of this fear about Obama hurting the military was unwarranted.


So you have no clue. Big surprise. No wonder you are an Obama apologist.

[VCDefectors]

So you have no clue. Big surprise. No wonder you are an Obama apologist.

Why would I apologize about Obama? I think he makes for an excellent Commander in Chief. The men and women who serve should be grateful for having such an awesome boss.

[JBond]

Why would I apologize about Obama? I think he makes for an excellent Commander in Chief. The men and women who serve should be grateful for having such an awesome boss.

Why? Experience? Is it the quality of people he surrounds himself with? Elaborate please.

[VCDefectors]

Why? Experience? Is it the quality of people he surrounds himself with? Elaborate please.

Yes, all of it. The main thing is creating job opportunities for the men and women who serve without starting new wars. Everybody should be happy.

[JBond]

Yes, all of it. The main thing is creating job opportunities for the men and women who serve without starting new wars. Everybody should be happy.

So community organizing for socialist groups and surrounding yourself with racists and tax cheats is considered experience. They are examples of good enough judgement to be Commander and Chief. Got it.
I appreciate your clarification.:rolleyes:

Is that how Obama looks at the military? As a jobs program? Well, when he gets a bunch of them killed in Afghanistan then he could re institute the draft to reduce the unemployment rate. Plus he won't have to pay social security and medicare benefits to the dead ones. That is considered a win/win in a liberal utopia.

[ABQCOWBOY]

So community organizing for socialist groups and surrounding yourself with racists and tax cheats is considered experience. They are examples of good enough judgement to be Commander and Chief. Got it.
I appreciate your clarification.:rolleyes:

Is that how Obama looks at the military? As a jobs program? Well, when he gets a bunch of them killed in Afghanistan then he could re institute the draft to reduce the unemployment rate. Plus he won't have to pay social security and medicare benefits to the dead ones. That is considered a win/win in a liberal utopia.


Interestingly enough, when General Petrais came to Washington to speak at Congressional hearings, he was grilled for 18 hours on how Iraq was coming along. A great deal was made of the fact that then Senator Obama had informed the General that he would not bow down to Theater Command or the Joint Chiefs etc. That he would make his own decissions based on his own assesments. Recently, when President Obama traveled to the Middle East, he again meet with General Petrais and it was Obama how got blistered by the General for 90 minutes. I have a feeling that President Obama has a different understanding of exactly how things work in the Middle East now that he is the President. It is early in his Administration but I am not encouraged by how he has handled Foreign Affairs to this point. That, of course, is just my opinion.

[VCDefectors]

So community organizing for socialist groups and surrounding yourself with racists and tax cheats is considered experience. They are examples of good enough judgement to be Commander and Chief. Got it.
I appreciate your clarification.:rolleyes:

Is that how Obama looks at the military? As a jobs program? Well, when he gets a bunch of them killed in Afghanistan then he could re institute the draft to reduce the unemployment rate. Plus he won't have to pay social security and medicare benefits to the dead ones. That is considered a win/win in a liberal utopia.

Again, don't worry about Obama. He is more than smart enough to handle the military.

I'm sure those who serve feel that the military is a lot of things (a job, a lifestyle choice, a platform for acting out heroic fantasies, etc.), but the important thing is that Obama is creating jobs, including jobs for those who serve. I don't see what your deal is here. Everybody wins.

[ABQCOWBOY]

Again, don't worry about Obama. He is more than smart enough to handle the military.

I'm sure those who serve feel that the military is a lot of things (a job, a lifestyle choice, a platform for acting out heroic fantasies, etc.), but the important thing is that Obama is creating jobs, including jobs for those who serve. I don't see what your deal is here. Everybody wins.


I don't think I would agree with this assesment VCD.

[VCDefectors]

I don't think I would agree with this assesment VCD.

What assessment would that be? What, you don't think Obama is capable of handling the job? Nah, he'll do just fine.

[ABQCOWBOY]

What assessment would that be? What, you don't think Obama is capable of handling the job? Nah, he'll do just fine.


I don't know if he is or not. At this point, I don't think that anybody can really say with certainty that he is. He has not, IMO, done a very good job of it as yet but it's still early. Never the less, time will tell but the jury is still very definatly out. Anybody who says otherwise on matters of foreign affair is not being honest.

[ninja]

Obama campaigned on bringing the troops home. Now he sends more troops. Not a peep from the Left. Finally the leftwing nutjobs shut their pieholes. You don't hear any more complaints from the anti-war morons.

Those 12 idiots on the OJ jury look like geniuses compared to the typical Obama voter.

[DIAF]

If that is the case, how do we define victory? The tribal areas we are discussing are some of the most rugged and isolated in the world. Their main export is illegal drugs. Heroine and Cocaine. Not many other crops will grow in these areas and the people there need money for food and clothing. You can only knit so many rugs in a year.

What are we going to do for the long term stability? The Taliban are exporting these drugs to finance their operations. The Taliban and the people of Afghanistan may not like each other but they have a strong business relationship.

How do we change that with military force? Kill all of them and burn the crops?

I understand the commanders on the ground have requested reinforcements. That is why I am not jumping on Obama. I am looking for legitimate answers.

Are the additional 17,000 troops coming from Iraq? Are they battle hardened troops or are they "green" troops from bases in the US without experience?

People know I am not an Obama fan, but I will hold back judgement until a clear plan is laid out and a better understanding of what Obama wants to achieve is communicated to the US public.

The Taliban banned the growing of poppy plants in 1999 and eliminated new crop. If the Taliban come back, the poppy crop goes bye-bye.

[DIAF]

Again, don't worry about Obama. He is more than smart enough to handle the military.

I'm sure those who serve feel that the military is a lot of things (a job, a lifestyle choice, a platform for acting out heroic fantasies, etc.), but the important thing is that Obama is creating jobs, including jobs for those who serve. I don't see what your deal is here. Everybody wins.

Creating jobs?

The troops that are being sent over there already have jobs.

[trickblue]

The Taliban banned the growing of poppy plants in 1999 and eliminated new crop. If the Taliban come back, the poppy crop goes bye-bye.

That's true... but that's a by-product of choice...

I would hope a new government would ban it as well. At some point a society has to take responsibility without a dictatorship...

While they DID ban poppy crops, they made up for it by brutalizing their citizens...