**Heads Up: Clinton, Gates and Mullen Head to Capitol Hill, Live. **

[Clio the Leo]

Benchmarks ahead. Senate Armed Services Committee at 9am. House Foreign Relations Committee at 1:30pm.

CSPAN3....
http://cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN3.aspx


CNN
http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2

[Clio the Leo]

1. Added the CNN link. NT

[bigjohn16]

2. McCain is on board. nt

[Clio the Leo]

4. He wants to WIN!!!

WHEN will the GOP realize this is NOT a football game?

[lxlxlxl]

6. victoryvictoryvictory...the gop blahblahblah

what is 'arbitrary' about a date set with concrete goals? just because you keep repeating it doesnt make it true.

[pinto]

3. Thanks for the heads up.

:thumbsup:

[lxlxlxl]

5. watching now...

thx

[Clio the Leo]

7. Gates: "Rolling back the Taliban is necessary for the defeat of al qaeda."

(I'm just telling you what he's saying guys, take it for what it is. lol)

[Clio the Leo]

8. Gates: "The Taliban in Pakistan operates in collusion with the Taliban in Afghanistan." NT

[Clio the Leo]

9. G: a strong AQ in Af would support a strong AQ around the world. (paraphrased)

[bdamomma]

10. watching and listening now

[Clio the Leo]

11. G: Difference between this and 'nam....

... "we have very real and recent history of extremism" .... cites 9/11.

[Clio the Leo]

12. G: POTUS' strategy is to reduce and hold Taliban long enough...

.... to allow Afg to be able to defend itself. (paraphrased)

[Clio the Leo]

13. This will be measured by clear objectives...

... and not just by the passage of time.

[bigjohn16]

16. Not by the passage of time? With a firm date isn't time a finite resource? nt

[Clio the Leo]

20. Not "JUST" by the passage of time. NT

[bigjohn16]

22. So that means that if the other goals fail the time line will change. nt

[Clio the Leo]

24. Not what he said. NT

[bigjohn16]

27. It's what I got out of the comment.

Yes there is a time line but there are other factors that can change it.

[Clio the Leo]

28. And the timeline is not "everyone out by July"....

... the timeline is "the goal is to begin withdrawl by summer '11"

[Clio the Leo]

14. G: Process similar to what was done in Iraq...

my comment (which, regardless of what our motivation for going there was, worked)

[Clio the Leo]

17. G: At the local level, we'll work with existing tribal leaders....

.... rather than installing new ones.

[bdamomma]

15. I almost wish that Wesley Clark took over this guys place

[Clio the Leo]

18. G: We exect 5 to 7 thounsand troops from NATO. NT

[bdamomma]

19. oh crap, just really sucks, more sacrifice more money more death.

[Clio the Leo]

21. Clinton: This is the best way to protect our nation now and in the future. NT

[Clio the Leo]

23. C: The situation in Afg is worsening. NT

[Clio the Leo]

25. C: While our attention was focused elsewhere...

... the AQ gained momentum in Afg.

[Clio the Leo]

26. C: The duration of our presence is not open ended. NT

[Clio the Leo]

29. C: Kharzi must now match his words with actions. NT

[Clio the Leo]

30. C: The transition will begin in the summer of '11.....

.... we will enact that timeline responsibly based upon the conditions on the ground.

But the timeline is important because it puts the onus on the Afghan gvmt. (Paraphrased)

My comment: Hillary is now reciting the very notion that she and Obama disagreed with one another re: Iraq. This is a special moment to me because it's the reason I was able to choose between the two of them during the primary. He changed my mind from her viewpoint to his.

[Clio the Leo]

31. C: We will be bolstering the Afg agriculture sector. NT

[bigjohn16]

32. We will execute the transition responsibly taking into account the conditions on the ground.

There it is ladies and gentlemen. An open ended commitment.

[Clio the Leo]

33. C: We are encouraging the international community to strengthening it's support of Pakistan. NT

[Clio the Leo]

34. Mullen: I have never seen a military decision so careful thought out as this one. NT

[Clio the Leo]

35. M: our strategy is about providing breathing space...

.... to allow the Afghans to secure their own country.

[Clio the Leo]

36. M: one third of US forces are paired with Afghan forces...

... and I expect that number to rise.

[Clio the Leo]

37. M: This place is the epicenter of global islamic extremism.....

.... it is the place from which we were attacked on 9/11.

[Clio the Leo]

38. M: AQ fighters are better equipped than they were one year ago. NT

[Clio the Leo]

39. M: The President has called for stronger support from Pakistan. NT

[quiet.american]

40. Thanks for this Clio. Love the smackdown that Hillary just gave to Lindsay.

He asked a stupid question:

"When y'all were all decidin' on all this, y'all did consider that this is our last best chance to get it right in Afghanistan, didn't y'all?

Hillary simply said, "Yes sir." -- then added -- "And it's sad that it's now eight years later that we're having to decide on this."

Nice!

[Clio the Leo]

41. Yeah, that was cute. NT

[Cha]

45. SMACK!

[Clio the Leo]

42. One of the reasons I love this country....

.... (now I missed a chunk in the middle so I may be wrong on this) ... but I love how the Code Pink protester/s waited until the hearing was over to start shouting. They didn't have to, they've interrupted hearings before, but I think that speaks to either their respect for the moment or possibly their respect for Hillary (because how could one proud liberal woman not honor another one?)

Either way, it made me smile.

[Cha]

43. Thanks Clio..I just got on and

see you've done your usual excellent transcibing job..so I'll be able to read your notes.

[Clio the Leo]

44. Well, I missed a WHOLE bunch....

... what I typed was only the opening remarks and I missed a bunch of Adm. Mullens.

I strongly encourage everyone to watch the hearing and decide for themselves. I'll post the link when it comes up.

[Cha]

46. Thank you..for what you did

get.

[Clio the Leo]

47. House Hearing starting now!

(I'm watching the WH briefing, if anyone wants to cover the House briefing, feel free)