Pentagon worried about Obama's commitment to Afghanistan

[babylonsister]

Good. I'm worried, too. It's past time to consider other options.


Pentagon worried about Obama's commitment to Afghanistan

By Nancy A. Youssef | McClatchy Newspapers


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.

"I think they (the Obama administration) thought this would be more popular and easier," a senior Pentagon official said. "We are not getting a Bush-like commitment to this war."

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/74649.html

[polichick]

1. "We are not getting a Bush-like commitment to this war."

Oh dear, no fanatical fear of "terrorists" and the MIC??

Good news.

[theophilus]

2. What is Obama to do?

If we withdraw from Afghanistan and it falls apart he will be destroyed by the RW and replaced with someone in the next election that will start other wars. IMO, getting out of Afghanistan before it is stabilized will hand the keys to the White House to someone like McCain. I think that is why George Will would like to see us withdraw prematurely. It is a really sticky situation.

[babylonsister]

4. I don't know. But,

if the majority of Americans think this is a lost cause, it's not just Dems.

Does he get out and get blamed if something happens? Does he stay and get blamed for staying?

[theophilus]

7. I think if he believes he can make the situation better by staying we will.

The RW will use either position against him but I think leaving prematurely would be more damaging. He didn't take us in there but if progress is seen in the next Friedman (6 mos.) I think he'll be given more time by the people.
We'll see. George the Turd and his people did all possible to sink this country. It is a big mess to clean up.

[jeanpalmer]

11. He has to decide based on principle

not election politics. If he increases troop levels, he will be trapped with no way out. And it will be his war.

He's never going to please the right wing, so he should just ignore them. There is a case for withdrawal to be made to people in the middle. Obama should decide to make it. Didn't Eisenhower run on the promise to end the Korean War. And he ended it and the people accepted it. Same thing here. There is a case to be made to end this war. If Obama does that, the people will accept it. The sooner, the better. You won't see the average person in 2012 clamoring to get back into Afghanistan, or holding against Obama that we left. Anymore than people did with respect to Korea or Viet Nam, once we had left.

I think the best argument for getting out is we've been there long enough. We've sacrified our blood and treasure to give the people there the opportunity to have a democratic government. But it's up to them to support it and defend it. If they're not willing to support it with their lives, why should we? That's their fault, not ours. And I don't see that happening. I don't see large numbers of people joining their military to defend their government. They don't seem to care. That's probably because they see it as a corrupt puppet government, which it is.

Time to pull the plug on that one. We've wasted too much money and too many lives.

[EVDebs]

3. We Are Going to Lose the War in Afghanistan and It Will Help Bankrupt Us--Chalmers Johnson

Americans Agree: The War In Afghanistan Is Not Worth Fighting
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/142088/americans_agree%3A_the_war_in_afghanistan_is_not_worth_fighting/?obref=obinsite

We Are Going to Lose the War in Afghanistan and It Will Help Bankrupt Us
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chalmers-johnson/three-good-reasons-to-liq_b_247758.html

[harun]

5. They've never even defined what "winning" in Afghanistan would be. Heck

they haven't even defined who we are fighting. Is it Al-Qaeda, drug lords, or the Taliban?

[Jennicut]

6. I hope Joe and others can convince him that more troops are a bad idea

The VP was wary about more escalation of this war a few months ago...maybe he learned his mistake with vote for the Iraq War.
I know Hillary and Gates "won" the more escalation debate back then but its increasingly clear this war is costing too much money, too many lives and the public is against it. The public is not against Obama on it yet...they realize he inherited it. But its going to become Obama's war or it already has and it time to pull out. There is not much we can do there. Russia learned the hard way after 10 years that the place was impossible to win a war in. Its time.

[babylonsister]

8. I'm watching Sen. Kerry to see where he goes with this.

I bet he recommends a stand down, too.

Or not. But I hope so.

[Jennicut]

9. Kerry wants to know what our objectives are there.

I think he is wary as well.

[babylonsister]

10. And this admin knows that's a factor. I've read their conclusions

might be shared in the next month or two. So lots of decisions will be made.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. I don't see us getting out any time soon.

[Overseas]

13. We don't want a "Bush-like commitment" to this war; we want to end it.

I want to hear about our plans to withdraw from Afghanistan.

And that is a lie about the "Bush-like commitment"-- they didn't give their generals the troop strength they asked for either. I promoting their war of choice on Iraq, the Bush Gang said we'd be greeted with flowers and the oil revenue would fund the war.

[OwnedByFerrets]

14. A no-win situation for the administration....another fine mess you left us with monkeyboy