The one thing I really do worry about re Obama

[cali]

I worry about his getting us out of Iraq. as promised, in 16 months.

I'm confident about him in many regards and on many issues, but I worry that he'll backtrack on Iraq.

And I worry as well, that he's making a tremendous mistake regarding Afghanistan, but he was clear about his intentions in that regard.

Staying in Iraq for longer than 16 months is not something I can support Obama on.

[jaxx]

1. I just read this a few mins ago and it made me think 16 months is it.

P.2 <snip> Obama has said he will meet with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as well as the service chiefs during his first week in office. At the top of his agenda for that meeting will be what he has called the military's "new mission" of planning the 16-month withdrawal timeline for Iraq. Senior officers have publicly grumbled about the risk involved.

"Moving forward in a measured way, tied to conditions as they continue to evolve, over time, is important," Mullen said at a media briefing four days before his Nov. 21 meeting with Obama. "I'm certainly aware of what has been said" prior to the election, he said.

<snip> The president-elect's invitation to Mullen, whom Obama previously had met only in passing on Capitol Hill and whose first two-year term as chairman does not expire until the end of September, was seen as an attempt to establish a relationship and avoid early conflict. While some Pentagon officials believe an Iraq withdrawal order could become Obama's equivalent of the Clinton controversy over gays, several senior Defense Department sources said that Gates, Mullen and Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of the military's Central Command, are untroubled by the 16-month plan and feel it can be accomplished with a month or two of wiggle room.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/29/AR2008112901912_2.html?hpid=topnews

[elkston]

2. Obama knows that more troops alone cannot "win" Afghanistan.

He's not trying to "shock and awe" in order to defeat Bin Laden. He has explained that more troops are simply there to provide support and stability so that the forces already there are not always on the run (and the defensive).

If the troops can catch their breath, we can concentrate on the humanitarian and relief projects that will make Afghanistan stronger and more able to resist the charms of the Taliban.

The military can clamp down on insurgents while intelligence and local police actions will actually CATCH high level terrorists.

[a kennedy]

4. I just think did Russia ever win in Afghanistan???

nope, hate the idea of committing more troops there. :cry:

[grannie4peace]

3. don't worry- obama is a man of his word!

[patrice]

5. I worry about permanent bases and "getting out" but there being some"necessity" to go back.

The Invasion and Occupation of Iraq is a fundamental issue having to do with the essence of who we are as a country and why, therefore, we are in the mess that we are in with the World and DOMESTICALLY.

This country WASTES itself and enslaves its People for War - ANY War.

Changing that would be Real Change, anything else is going to be, dare I say, "lipstick on a pig."

[sufrommich]

6. I think he'll get us out,if for no other reason than we

literally can't afford it. Then Iraq will fall into chaos and the UN will have no other choice but to put UN forces there. Regardless of how and when he can get us out,Iraq will be fucked up for a long time,the Bush legacy will live on there for years to come.

[Thrill]

7. I'm not. Mainly because Iraq wants the troops out. And there has already

been a reduction.

[Jennicut]

8. Its costing us too much to stay there much longer and if Obama wants to

get anything else done then he will need to get us out of Iraq. Its common sense and he is a common sense guy.

[mtnsnake]

9. This is one issue that he simply can't backtrack on

Obama's meteoric rise to fame and power was partly due to his incredible gifted personality, but the theme behind everything was that he was the peace candidate. He didn't win the Primaries because of his economic prowess, he won the Primaries (and General Election) because he is the man we're all counting on to end the war as he promised and have all the troops home within 16 months.

There are no excuses not to end the damn thing, and we have to hold his feet to the fire on that one. I worry, too, a bit, though. I don't want to see us in any other prolonged wars either that get more people killed while lining the pockets of all the munitions contractors. Obama had better be the Peace president just as he was the Peace candidate.