What President Obama said:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

About his choices re: Afghanistan...

From today's LA Times...

"I am painfully clear that this is politically unpopular, precisely because the American people are rightly focused on how do we rebuild America," he said. "I would prefer not having to deal with two wars right now, because we've got a lot of other business we've got to do.

"I'm interested in nation-building here in the United States right now," he said. "We cannot afford another trillion dollars" in war spending.

And he sounded understandably frustrated by his choices in Afghanistan.

"None of this is easy," he said. "We are choosing from a menu of options that are less than ideal."

Asked whether he was satisfied with his decision, he gave this less-than-hearty endorsement: "Given the circumstances, this is the best option available."

I think it's very worthwhile to see his words, his thoughts.

More at link: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-obama-analysis2-2009dec02,0,591124.story

[Clio the Leo]

1. Worthwhile indeed. NT

[Techn0Girl]

2. He also said that our National Security depended on bringing our troops home

New York Times... Obama puts forth a plan to remove ALL troops by end of 2008 .

“The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops,” Mr. Obama said. “Not in six months or one year — now.”


What a difference a year or so makes...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Indeeed he did.

He wasn't President then.

I think he sees the picture is way more complex now.

And also, not to nitpick, that article is about Iraq. Not Afghanistan...

[Connie_Corleone]

6. What does an article about Iraq have to do with Afghanistan?

[cliffordu]

12. Well, shit happens.

I said I was going to make Susan Sarandon fall in love with me too, but I had to move from LA for family stuff so it never happened.....

Oh, and did you know we have a contract with the Iraqis to leave on a specific timetable.

[Cha]

13. That was Iraq and you're not doing yourself any

favors by trying to insert that they're the same.

[ShortnFiery]

16. Yes, Afghanistan has a bigger reputation of being a hell hole - Graveyard of Empires.

Oh yeah, it's even more DIVERSE and TRIBAL culture-wise.

How can anything go wrong there? :crazy:

[Cha]

17. Never expect any rational discussion from you.

[ShortnFiery]

25. No, my points are based on centuries of Military History. Afghanistan is so DIVERSE ...

it's more of "an area" than "a country." No army in mondern history has conquered/pacified this AREA. What makes the USA think that WE will be THE ONLY ARMY/EMPIRE to be successful? That's insane.

[ShortnFiery]

15. No Citizen, escalating troops in Afghanistan makes Americans DoublePlusSAFE.

:crazy: :sarcasm:



INSANITY! Every day we occupy those two Muslim nations with our combat troops, we make AMERICANS less safe, both at home and abroad.

Thanks for selling-out to the Power Elite within the MIC Mr. President. :grr: :(

[JuniperLea]

20. Is this the second or third time you've posted that today?

I've resisted the urge to tell you to read it yourself... but now you really do need to. Please. And understand, there was no clear and present danger in Iraq. That was a war that never should have been... and it clearly wasn't worth ignoring Afghanistan. The Iraq war did nothing but give terrorists a training ground, and ignoring Afghanistan gave them a place to gather and strategically place themselves next to a country in turmoil that has the bomb. Now, do you understand how deadly this is? Do you understand that if Pakistan's bomb gets into the hands of either terrorist organization we run the risk of all out WWIII? Do you understand that Afghanistan is not Iraq? No, I don't think you do.

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Albert Einstein

[stray cat]

4. Nobody cares what Obama said - that would be open minded...

[vaberella]

5. exactly. n/t

[Cha]

19. Nobody who's going around

lying about this cares but there are a lot of people who are in the reality of this crisis.

[valerief]

7. Just because he sounds apologetic doesn't make the escalation right. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. I was just trying to show that he is also conflicted ...

That he struggled to come to this difficult decision.

That's all I was trying to do, by posting this article.

His tone has nothing to do with it, for me, anyway.

[valerief]

14. Yes, he sounded conflicted, but unless Congress stops it from happening,

many more will die.

The Poppy Curtain has fallen.

[ShortnFiery]

18. What you label as "conflicted" is what some of us consider "a waltz" to convince

the American People that he truly CARES about the poor bloody grunts who are going to Kill and Die for NOTHING other than MIC profits and Geopolitical advantage for the moneyed elites who favor the American Empire.

Our troops are there to Kill and Die for EMPIRE - nothing more and Obama is serving his MASTERS in the MIC and Wall Street. He's an eloquent PUPPET, nothing more, nothing less. :(

[Odin2005]

22. LOL, more like you are twisting what he said to fit your pre-conceived prejudices.

[Hekate]

9. KnR California Peggy. Always good to read exactly what the man said. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Thank you...I thought so too. nt.

[cliffordu]

11. K&R.

[JuniperLea]

21. K&R CP!

I'll want to read that over a few times. I think we all should, just to be perfectly clear on what he said.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. Thank you!

I so agree.

We can go on and on, and often do, as we speculate. But we need to read his words.

There we can truly see what he's thinking.

[me b zola]

23. K&R