Pentagon worried about Obama's commitment to Afghanistan

[laststeamtrain]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

Pentagon worried about Obama's commitment to Afghanistan
By Nancy A. Youssef, McClatchy Newspapers Mon Aug 31, 7:29 pm ET

WASHINGTON — The prospect that U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal may ask for as many as 45,000 additional American troops in Afghanistan is fueling growing tension within President Barack Obama's administration over the U.S. commitment to the war there.

On Monday, McChrystal sent his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan to the Pentagon , the U.S. Central Command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and NATO . Although the assessment didn't include any request for more troops, senior military officials said they expect McChrystal later in September to seek between 21,000 and 45,000 more troops. There currently are 62,000 American troops in Afghanistan .

However, administration officials said that amid rising violence and casualties, polls that show a majority of Americans now think the war in Afghanistan isn't worth fighting. With tough battles ahead on health care, the budget and other issues, Vice President Joe Biden and other officials are increasingly anxious about how the American public would respond to sending additional troops.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to talk to the media, said Biden has argued that without sustained support from the American people, the U.S. can't make the long-term commitment that would be needed to stabilize Afghanistan and dismantle al Qaida . Biden's office declined to comment.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3303057

[Why Syzygy]

1. OG

Does that mean another 'incident' to convince us?

[wisteria]

2. Oh boy, the goals of our involvment there are good ones, but the public

needs to be reminded why we are over there and what the purpose of our mission is. I think the American people need some assurances from our president that this is not an never ending commitment and just what we hope to achieve.

[ZombieHorde]

3. What is the goal?

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Something about a couple of 48" pipelines I think...

[Why Syzygy]

9. Achieve?

Mission? Please elaborate.

[bowens43]

5. I am very disappointed in Obama's escalation of this war.

We need to get the hell out of Afghanistan now. It is just as unnecessary as the war in Iraq.

[mix]

6. +1

[mbperrin]

7. Yes, out now.

Today.

[seabeckind]

8. But if we leave quickly

who will protect those poor, peaceful blackwater contractors as they train the afgan security forces? How will they get out? And who will finish our embassy complex?

I have an idea on that...terminate all contracts with all private contractors in a war zone.

And if it ain't a war...we don't belong there.

<on edit> And it's never been a "war".

[PCIntern]

10. "Pentagon worried about Kennedy's commitment to Viet Nam"

...where have I read this before...??

[Bragi]

11. The "mission" was political

The Congressional Dems supported this war largely as a counterpoint to their (eventual and ineffectual) opposition to the Iraq war, so they couldn't be accused of being totally "soft" on foreign policy issues, the war on terror, etc.

Obama unwisely took this cant right into the election, then failed to finesse his bad campaign policy choice, and has now ended up escalating this unwinnable and pointless war.

I believe that if he doesn't find a way out soon, it will undermine his Presidency. He needs to declare victory and end, or at minimum, de-escalate this war. He needs to "just say no" to the pentagon and the war industry.

[bemildred]

12. Who is the tail and who is the dog here?

The Pentagon is supposed to serve the President, not the other way around.