Remember I said this many times before.

The US has only 2 years left in Afghanistan.. 3 at the most.

And there is nothing they can do about it.

We have seen all this before with the Russians. They are at the stage called "front loaded withdrawal".

Any person who studied at a military academy would tell you what that means.

The US has only 2 years left in Afghanistan.. 3 at the most.

Much could be accomplished... or lost... in that time.

They are at the stage called "front loaded withdrawal".

One of your generals said as much.

Well, 2 years from now, please remember I said so first.

I will call you as primary witness in front of DR morons. LOL

One of your generals said as much.

Retired Gen. Hameed Gul... I think?

He was one of the guys most responsible for kicking the Russians out of Afghanistan. He knows what he is talking about.

The US ought to just drop everything right where it is, get on the plane, and get out. Just leave. This "war" was lost a long time ago. This is a place where an occupying force cannot "win" and everybody with any sense knows that. Bush failed to accomplish what he originally went in there for, and Obama inherited this mess. Now this general is calling for supposedly "putting more emphasis on protecting Afghans" which sounds a lot to me like just an excuse to keep staying there. Remember Vietnam. Get out.

Lose the war or our country should be a "no-brainer."

America cannot afford to lose against the middle eastern peoples in this fight against evil. We should stay there until we get the job done. And we should enlist the youngsters in this country who do nothing to help. We should reinstate the draft. How can we possibly say we are a "good" country if we are not ready to stand and fight 100% against evil?

We should stay there until we get the job done.

We never really defined the job. Nobody can say what "victory" in either Iraq or Afghanistan looks like and that includes those that sent us there.

It's all about the Natural Gas/Oil Pipeline from the Caspian Basin through Afghanistan. Tat is the crux of the whole shebang.

Larry

And we should enlist the youngsters in this country who do nothing to help

I agree with you except for this, crotchety old man. I enlisted at 18 and there are tons of "youngsters who do nothing to help" actually helping right now.

Also, I would not want to be deployed with the type of riff raff that would be drafted.

And it's 1 - 2 - 3 -
What are we fightin' for?
I don't know and I don't give a damn,
Next stop's Afghanistan .....

If Obama is really continuing Bush's "spreading democracy" nonsense over there then he's just as stupid as Bush. The only reason we had to go in there was to kill our attackers and their supporters. Bush undermined that effort a bit but the opportunity has passed and it is time to move on. There was never any reason for this to be a long term engagement.

br />

Something that the Republican Party an their friends at Fox News seem to forget, we are a Democracy not a Fucking MILITARY BASED Government. The Military Head is not a GENERAL but the President of the United States......Five Years after the start of the Iraq War President Bush just capitulated to the Military on everything an thus it War started out as a diasaster....President Obama is wise to take him time an figure a way to get the hell out of Afghanistan, not just continue to add troops with no end in sight....

What was that about Bush having taken his eye off the ball and not committing enough military resources in Afghanistan? And wasn't Obama's new hopey changey, apologize for the sins of the U.S. foreign policy strategy supposed to secure new widespread support from our allies, something he said that Bush's policies had failed to do?

It's going to be interesting to see how the libtards on this forum spin this. On the recent capitulation to Russia on the missile shield issue, they said that it was an example of Obama's strength.

3/27/09 -

President Obama outlined in a major speech what he called "a comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan" that, he added, "marks the conclusion of a careful policy review." That strategy unambiguously stated that the United States would prevent the return of a Taliban government and "enhance the military, governance and economic capacity" of the country.

Now -

"We are in the process of working through that strategy," said on CNN." The first question is are we pursuing the right strategy?" On NBC he said, "if supporting the Afghan national government and building capacity for their army and securing certain provinces advances that strategy" of defeating al-Qaeda, "then we'll move forward. But if it doesn't, then I'm not interested in just being in Afghanistan for the sake of being in Afghanistan."

It would be a joke if it didn't cast us in such a pathetic light.

In my opinion, the only two options are to drastically increase troop levels and do our best to ensure a victory, or just pull out now. Keeping things the same will result in a scenario where there is no end in sight, a few troops dying here and there for nothing.

Unless someone has proof that Afghanis or their government intend to attack America, my opinion is that we should leave. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks about it either. If someone sees it as weak and they actually want to step up, we can destroy them at that time.

More on Hopey Changey's 3/27/09 address:

"If the Afghan government falls to the Taliban or allows al-Qaeda to go unchallenged," he said then, "that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can." Afghanistan, he continued, "is inextricably linked to the future of its neighbor, Pakistan," where al-Qaeda and the Taliban now aim at seizing control of a state that possesses nuclear weapons. Moreover, Mr. Obama said, "a return to Taliban rule would condemn their country to brutal governance . . . and the denial of basic human rights to the Afghan people especially women and girls."

"To succeed, we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban's gains, and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government," Mr. Obama concluded. As Gen. McChrystal's report makes very clear, keeping faith with that goal will require more troops, more resources and years of patience. Yet to break with it would both dishonor and endanger this country. As the president put it, "the world cannot afford the price that will come due if Afghanistan slides back into chaos."

And we should enlist the youngsters in this country who do nothing to help. We should reinstate the draft. How can we possibly say we are a "good" country if we are not ready to stand and fight 100% against evil?

#7 | Posted by DukeMantee14

Amendment 13 to the Constitution of the United States of America, Section 1

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

oh come on, those are just meaningless quotes from when he was campaigning, we can't actually expect him to keep those promises...

i love how last year it was "bush must draw down iraq troop numbers and increase them in afghanistan where the real war is!"

now it's "we should pull the hell out of there."

thank god the liberals didn't get their way in '05.... but u may now. sadly.

Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Change You Can Believe In!

Obama - 3/27/09:

"As Gen. McChrystal's report makes very clear, keeping faith with that goal will require more troops, more resources and years of patience. Yet to break with it would both dishonor and endanger this country."

Dishonoring and endangering our country is nothing new for demoncraps. It's a by-product of hating your country.

America cannot afford to lose against the middle eastern peoples in this fight against evil

America is only in Afghanistan and Iraq because of the natural resources there.

In Iraq's case, oil and in the case of Afghanistan natural gas.

That truth certainly didn't end when Obama became POTUS.

Wot's more evil than an unjust occupation?

Do you really fear international terrorism that much?

That you would countenance an eternal occupation (or at last until the oil ran out) to avoid it?

Cos quite frankly it's America's one sided backing of Israel that's doing more to piss off the global Muslim community more than any other single factor but this Eternal War (tm)thing is number two on that chart with a bullet.

The longer the troops stay over thre the more anti-American and extremist the entire region becomes.

On Topic?

General wants more troops in-country?

LOL. Never knew one who didn't.

Be Well.

What is victory in Afghanistan?
What do we get for the blood spilled and lives lost?
Or do you guys think it is a football game?
Sorry about your son Mrs. Tillman but hey we WON!
Yay US!
If victory in such a situation is possible; it would be Pyrrhic victory at best.

The US has only 2 years left in Afghanistan.. 3 at the most.

#1 | Posted by Tosser

Has any country defeated Afghanistan? Now the middle east is different. Just about every country that has tried, has run over and rulled that part of the world.

Has any country defeated Afghanistan?

Only Sikander-e-Azam... (Alexander the Great).

And he did it by marrying his army to the locals, creating a new race called "Pathan". LOL

"And he did it by marrying his army to the locals, creating a new race called "Pathan". LOL"

So he didn't conquer them he befriended them as (semi)equals, yes?

HOW MANY MORE MUST DIE IN OBAMA'S WAR ?

It's a tough call for Bam.
On one hand,
he could cater to the emotional whims of his far left base and loose this war in an effort to keep them pacified and possibly reduce the GOP gains in 2010,
or on the other hand,
he could remain committed to the effort he supported 6 months ago, risk alienating his far left base and potentially loose the Dem control of the House in 2010.

Hmmmm...

Be a community organizer or be a committed president...

A tough call for Bam.

Hmmm.. How bout we put you on the front lines "Libertarian"?
I am willing to bet you change your tune post haste!

This is not about an election or petty politics.
It is about real people getting shot and blown to hell.

For what?

^ Ask me again in 3 weeks and I'll let you know what it's like.

So he didn't conquer them he befriended them as (semi)equals, yes?

Yes. We still see ourselves of Greek origin (mixed with mongol/hun/tartar).

Alexander used to go for recreation and shopping in Peshawer, it is recorded. (Peshawer, Pakistan, is over 2000 years old)

America is only in Afghanistan and Iraq because of the natural resources there.

#20 | Posted by dethspud

What are the 'natural recources' in Afghanistan?

What are the 'natural recources' in Afghanistan?

#30 | Posted by Sniper

Rocks. Lots and lots of rocks.

And poppies. Lots and lots of poppies.

Uhm...

I think that's pretty much it.

"^ Ask me again in 3 weeks and I'll let you know what it's like."

Touche, assuming you are not lying.
What will you be doing? Over there?

We cannot accomplish anything in Afghanistan from 2009-2011 that we couldn't have accomplished from 2007-2009. It's time to begin getting out.

#32 | Posted by Salaryman

I really can't tell you what our mission is for OPSEC reasons but, I can say I'm a 19D Cavalry Scout...that's a Combat Arms MOS. Rest assured, I'll be armed and patrolling somewhere doing something.

I'll take you for your word, and wish you heartfelt Godspeed, and get home safely.

What are the 'natural recources' in Afghanistan?

#30 | Posted by Sniper

Rocks. Lots and lots of rocks.

And poppies. Lots and lots of poppies.

Uhm...

I think that's pretty much it.

#31 | Posted by ZOT

The Soviets had estimated Afghanistan's proven and probable natural gas reserves at up to 5 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in the 1970s. Afghan natural gas production reached 275 million cubic feet per day (Mmcf/d) in the mid-1970s. However, due to declining reserves from producing fields, output gradually fell to about 220 Mmcf/d by 1980. At that time, the Jorquduq field was brought online and was expected to boost Afghan natural gas output to 385 Mmcf/d by the early 1980s. However, sabotage of infrastructure by the anti-Soviet mujaheddin fighters limited the country's total production to 290 Mmcf/d, an output level that was held fairly steady until the Soviet withdrawal in 1989. After the Soviet pullout and subsequent Afghan civil war, roughly 31 producing wells at Sheberghan area fields were shut in pending the restart of natural gas sales to the former Soviet Union.

At its peak in the late 1970s, Afghanistan supplied 70%-90% of its natural gas output to the Soviet Union's natural gas grid via a link through Uzbekistan.

"Don't discount the poppy crop."

Don't discount Afghan hash.

There are brave troops risking their fucking lives right now in Afghanistan and that piece of dogshit Obama is laughing it up on Letterman and "thinking" about supporting our troops. How much of a dumbass to do you have to be to support Obama now?! Seriously!

Key word there is "thinking".

Yes, Obama is actually thinking before expending more troops in Afghanistan.

As opposed to BushCo who obviously didn't.

Which means that he actually is supporting the troops as opposed to Dumbya who didn't.

You, by insisting that commiting to a forever war is in their best interest DO NOT support the troops.

K?

Be Well.

"There are brave troops risking their fucking lives right now in Afghanistan and that piece of dogshit Obama is laughing it up on Letterman and "thinking" about supporting our troops. How much of a dumbass to do you have to be to support Obama now?! Seriously!

#36 | Posted by utastaff"

Shut the hell up you stupid fucking flyboy.

SERIOUSLY!

Obama has to tread a fine line between the left wing and the centrists. The peaceniks wing wants an end to this stupid ass war.

WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK LEAKED THE REPORT?!?

OH....

Wait a minute

I know you you are the asswipe that DOESN'T THINK.

NEVERMIND...

Don't discount Afghan hash.

Mmmmm, black Afghani hash is the best.

The secret is the ghee!

Be Well.

"Don't discount Afghan hash."

Nothing special there. Hash is only as good as the cannabis it's made from, and the best cannabis is being grown in California or Amsterdam, not Afghanistan, these days.

Key word there is "thinking".
#39 | Posted by dethspud

He was "thinking" about this before his inauguration. He commited MORE troops than Bush did to Afghanistan and has had since Jan. 20th the opportunity to THINK about a war that he allowed to continue and grow under this presidency. While American troops are DYING in combat, that piece of shit "thinks" about supporting our troops while he laughs on David Letterman's couch. He was "thinking" about the war while lounging on the beach of the $20 million beachfront estate he vacationed on in Martha's Vineyard. Now Obama is "thinking" about Afghanistan while lounging in the $7,000 a night Presidential Suite at the Waldoff Astoria. Maybe after a ton of American troops continue to die he will come around to a decision in a year or two after all that damn "thinking."

Yeah, I guess he would be "thinking" about how to fix the disaster the Bush administration left behind in Afghanistan. Most military opinions I've heard are that we had a window of opportunity in Afghanistan for about the first two years there but that Bush didn't send enough troops or resource.
Now Obama has to decide whether he wants to commit many more troops and for a very long time with no guarantee of success. He doesn't necessarily want to just bring the troops home after all the efforts and deaths already sacrificed there. I only wish Bush would have "thought" about the things he did instead of just going ahead so stupidly. Tora Bora stands out in my mind as a missed opportunity, it's symbolic of the Bush efforts in that country.

"While American troops are DYING in combat, that piece of shit "thinks" about supporting our troops while he laughs on David Letterman's couch. He was "thinking" about the war while lounging on the beach of the $20 million beachfront estate he vacationed on in Martha's Vineyard. Now Obama is "thinking" about Afghanistan while lounging in the $7,000 a night Presidential Suite at the Waldoff Astoria. Maybe after a ton of American troops continue to die he will come around to a decision in a year or two after all that damn "thinking.""

#43 | Posted by utastaff

I notice you are right out there on the front lines you fucking CHICKENHAWK.

I guess you DID notice that OBAMA devoted MUCH more resources to this effort than the previous admin did so STFU dumbass.

Maybe if you are SO concerned about these troops you should support ending this PIPEDREAM of a war in Afghanistan. It is doing NOTHING to help the security of the USA.

As Bush learned pretty quickly on THIS IS NOT ABOUT OSAMA BIN LADEN.

McChrystal:

"Afghan social, political, economic, and cultural affairs are complex and poorly understood."

Excuse me? We've been there for EIGHT years, and he sounds like we just got there?

Isn't that the source of our doom? We have had eight years to figure out these Afghan essentials, but we did not, because the men in charge decided to fight another battle.

After rightly blowing the Taliban out of their socks, we had our chance to comprehend and possibly recreate Afghanistan. McChrystal may well be the right man for the job, if it were still 2003.

Watch these 3 videos of Afghan army on weed.

And we should enlist the youngsters in this country who do nothing to help. -- #7 | Posted by DukeMantee

Good grief. The youngsters didn't create this mess.

My candidates for enlistment would be, in no particular order: Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld; mortgage brokers who engaged in predatory lending; bankers who over-leveraged their companies and then asked for bailouts; Fed and SEC officials and members of the House and Senate banking/finance committees 2003-2008; Paulson; and, with apologies to Mom, anyone who voted for George Bush in 2004. 10's of millions of troops may not be enough to win in Afghanistan, but thinning those ranks could do a lot for the world.

Maybe after a ton of American troops continue to die he will come around to a decision in a year or two after all that damn "thinking.""

Why should Obama care? Bush obviously didn't give it a second thought.

"Now watch this swing!"

The only real threat to our security is Pakistan because of their nuclear weapons.

Aghanistan has 30 million people, most small and unemployed, sharing $21 billion, mostly generated by opium and heroine trafficking. About $56/person/month. We have spent $10 billion, supposedly training 90,000 Afghan Security Forces for police and military work, over the last eight years. The unemployed show up for class over and over under assumed names to collect money, food and weapons from the US schools. Many of the trainees are really Taliban whose sophistication on the battlefield continues to improve. Karsai's election is a fraud, but the West is struggling to provide their puppet legitimacy. Police set up in towns and checkpoints are quickly killed and the Afghan Army cannot muster even 6,000 troops. Our valient soldiers carry the burden while the Taliban hit and run where we have a strong presence and run the show where we are spread too thin.

Its another fucking US hi-tech military failure, obvious to top brass whom Gates recently replaced. Those officers are busy concocting a storyline that they would have won if Obama had let them do their job and provided enough resources. My neighbor is equally convinced we would have won in Vietnam if the military had not been shackled by politicians. Its all bullshit and its bad for you.

Maybe if you are SO concerned about these troops you should support ending this PIPEDREAM of a war in Afghanistan. It is doing NOTHING to help the security of the USA.

#45 | Posted by Monstman

Well tell all that bullshit to Obama and the libtard Democrats in Congress. You Democrats control both chambers of congress and the executive branch and yet you complain about "Bush's wars." Quit crying like little bitches and end the war then. You have the power and nothing can stop you. Start writing Obama to put down his glass of Cristal and kick the whores out of his bed and end the war then or else you STFU!!!

"End the war, then..."

Wars take on a life of their own. This is what Bush was warned about, this is what he never believed. One more kid who thought we'd all be home for Christmas.

Obama is attempting to deal with a number of real messes. You guys were glad to create them, glad to nurture them.

Now you're upset someone was given a shovel and is trying to dig shit from the stable.

Utterly predictable and predicted. You guys were, and are, crazy.

The Oligarchy isnot so much concerned with winning or losing any war. They just want war so they can take more ofour money. But even that pales in comparison to the bailout scam.

Heres a solution to Afghanistan:

Have an American soldier from every unit, marry into a local war-tribe. Recruit Yanks just to go to Afghanistan to become husbands. And then once you're married into an Afghan tribe, tell them that you're now allied with the US and proceed to help each other against the Taliban.

The only sacrifice called for will be that American men will now be married to Afghan girls. Forever.

Does the US have men who can shoulder this weight for their country?

Does the US have men who can shoulder this weight for their country?

No. They are closet racists. They can't do THAT.

closet racists

Mebbe, but if they had the balls (literally) to do it...IMAGINE.

An entire gneration of kids with Dads from Kansas and Kentucky, with Moms from Kabul and Kandahar, all populating Okinawa like bases in Afghanistan's Pathan country.

And if its American Dads, there would be no compunction on the kids being Muslim. An entire generation of half-American, half-Afghan, all-white atheist kids in South Afghanistan.

Man, THAT would be dedication to the mission.

Mebbe, but if they had the balls (literally) to do it...IMAGINE.

I would rather not imagine.

American genes plus Pathan genes (who are Mongol plus Greek... a crazy combination as it is) will produce a seriously fucked up people. LOL

If they do make enough babies to create a race of such, those bastards would be capable of anything... none of it good.

interesting take on this yesterday on oreily I think it was

was this general 'set up' by obama

and it wasnt that long ago that the fuckin liar assured us that he had a plan for afghanistan and now he's not so sure.

fuckin liar

They just want war so they can take more ofour money. But even that pales in comparison to the bailout scam. -- #53 | Posted by nutcase

The only sacrifice called for will be that American men will now be married to Afghan girls.

Who knows what you might find under all that dirt.

Yeah, I guess he would be "thinking" about how to fix the disaster the Bush administration left behind in Afghanistan. Most military opinions I've heard are that we had a window of opportunity in Afghanistan for about the first two years there but that Bush didn't send enough troops or resource.
Now Obama has to decide whether he wants to commit many more troops and for a very long time with no guarantee of success. He doesn't necessarily want to just bring the troops home after all the efforts and deaths already sacrificed there. I only wish Bush would have "thought" about the things he did instead of just going ahead so stupidly. Tora Bora stands out in my mind as a missed opportunity, it's symbolic of the Bush efforts in that country.

#44 | Posted by danni at 2009-09-22 04:18 PM

This above crap gets real old. Fact: Obama didn't inherit anything he campaigned for it demanding he could do a better job in ALL THINGS. He bought it!
The guy's so far in over his head and the dupes that put him there along with the fradulent votes should be ashamed. But they're too damn stupid and self centered believing they can somehow get something for nothing that we've got this clueless bastard as president.

Wake up. There's only 2 ways to get ahead (a better job)in life. You either do the same job for less money or a better job for the same money as the other guy.

How many of you always buy the highest priced anything?

Think about it!

When otherwise ambitious people become un-ambitious the drones will be sitting around saying wtf happened.

Washboard-

re:The guy's so far in over his head and the dupes that put him there along with the fradulent votes should be ashamed.

LOL. Bush, however, was clearly qualified because his dad was president and he drank a lot, got us into two endless wars - one based on outright lies - and wrecked the economy, while simultaneously making the US a torture state that illegally spies on its people.

And you probably voted for him.

(BTW- what were the "fradulent votes", asshole?)