Obama's Afghan Plan Will Include Exit Strategy

Saturday, November 14, 2009

President Barack Obama's strategy for Afghanistan will include a plan for "how we're going to get folks out" after a secure environment can be passed to the Afghan government, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday. "We have been there for eight years. And we're not going to be there forever," Gibbs said. "It's important to fully examine not just how we're going to get folks in but how we're going to get folks out."

Posted by 726 at 02:31 PM | 44 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry

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Finally!

#1 | Posted by LetUsPrey at 2009-11-13 11:33 AM | Reply | Flag:

The problem is all inside your head she said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
She said it's really not my habit to intrude
FurthermoreI hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued
But I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
Fifty ways to leave your love
You just slip out the backJack
Make a new planStan
You don't need to be coyRoy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the busGus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the keyLee
And get yourself free

#2 | Posted by skizziks at 2009-11-13 01:03 PM | Reply | Flag:

Putting the cart before the horse is typical for Obama.

#3 | Posted by KBM at 2009-11-13 01:37 PM | Reply | Flag:

"President "Dither and Waffle" Looks For Escape Hatch From Afghanistan"

"His plan comes up short. There's not enough troops, not enough resources and not enough urgency. What President Bush and Senator McCain don't understand is that the central front in the War on Terror is not in Iraq and never was. The central front is in Afghanistan and Pakistan where the terrorists who hit us on 9-11 are still plotting attacks seven years later."

Barack Obama
Campaign Speech
September 9, 2008

"As President Obama continues to dither and waffle October became the deadliest month for the US in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001."

"The average monthly US deaths in Afghanistan have nearly quadrupled since Barack Obama took over in January."

"No wonder troop morale is down in Afghanistan."

gatewaypundit.firstthings.com

#4 | Posted by KBM at 2009-11-13 01:45 PM | Reply | Flag:

"We have been there for eight years. And we're not going to be there forever," Gibbs said. "It's important to fully examine not just how we're going to get folks in but how we're going to get folks out."

Well, I don't know if that's a subtle hint that we're going to escalate even further, but regardless, at least they're thinking about an exit strategy; that's good news.

#5 | Posted by LIVE_OR_DIE at 2009-11-13 04:43 PM | Reply | Flag:

He's been president for 11 months, was running for president for 18 months, and was in the Senate prior to that. And he still doesn't know what he wants to do in Afghanistan.

There are two possible exit strategies. Victory, then withdraw. Or withdraw sooner.

#6 | Posted by rightisright at 2009-11-13 05:02 PM | Reply | Flag:

victory = all the people there are dead.

support the troops = bring them all home.

#7 | Posted by Shawn at 2009-11-14 02:51 PM | Reply | Flag:

Putting the cart before the horse is typical for Obama.

At least he's managed to decide on how he wants to hook them together. If he just stood there, scratched his head and shrugged, he'd be indistinguishable from the guy who managed to plan absolutely nothing.

#8 | Posted by Axiom at 2009-11-14 03:07 PM | Reply | Flag:

"There are two possible exit strategies. Victory, then withdraw. Or withdraw sooner."

Tell that to the Russians and the British. There is no victory ever in Afghanistan. There is a purpose for being there though, to find and kill Al Quaeda, exactly as the President has said on many occasions. Only a lunatic like Bush would invade two countries without enough troops to actually complete the mission in either and without an exit strategy.

#9 | Posted by danni at 2009-11-14 04:14 PM | Reply | Flag:

planned failure

Jimmy Carter 2.1

#10 | Posted by vernon at 2009-11-14 04:31 PM | Reply | Flag:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo
oooooo ............ waiT

That could be interpreted as anti-Islam

'could'

will the HuffWhore rogers exile me again?

#11 | Posted by vernon at 2009-11-14 04:36 PM | Reply | Flag:

i am glad someone finally contemplated an exit strategery.

#12 | Posted by AuntieSocial at 2009-11-14 04:37 PM | Reply | Flag:

The plan is to exit "after a secure environment"-- come on folks, you thought it was hard to establish a secure environment in Iraq, how hard is that going to be in Afghanistan when Russia couldn't accomplish it. It would be interesting to know what the definition of a "secure environment is and I'll bet they won't tell us since they probably don't know themselves.

#13 | Posted by matsop at 2009-11-14 04:41 PM | Reply | Flag:

It is not good for the Christian's health to hustle the Arian brown.

For the Christian riles while the Arian smiles, and it weareth the Christian down.

And the end of the fight is a tombstone white with the name of the late deceased.

And the epitaph drear, A fool lies here who tried to hustle the East.

Kipling

#14 | Posted by mista Kurtz at 2009-11-14 04:54 PM | Reply | Flag:

Well he does have some experience at an exit strategy via his legislation surrendering in Iraq and bringing them home within 16 months. regardless of the situation on the ground. We also know one of his exit strategies in Iraq was to stop training and missions with Iraqi security forces.So can NATO be next? Of course the "exit strategy" is the latest excuse for his dithereing, after the last one about waiting for the elections has expired. Balls still in your court Obama, how about taking it and doing something????

#15 | Posted by crispee_oc at 2009-11-14 05:13 PM | Reply | Flag:

"What the president wants to ensure is that we take into account and understand so that the American people can understand our time commitment and ensure that we have the strongest partner in the Afghan government.

Of course earlier in the article Gibbs says this, "That's part of his desire to get a sense of where we are rather than committing to an open-ended conflict."

#16 | Posted by crispee_oc at 2009-11-14 05:21 PM | Reply | Flag:

Remember, it's about actions, not words. Have we learned anything the last 9 months? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me multiple times shame on me.

#17 | Posted by matsop at 2009-11-14 05:39 PM | Reply | Flag:

The USA has only fought a very few wars that were actually for the defense of the USA. Of course the families of those who fought and died don't like to hear that. I don't like to think about it because I was in uniform too.

Probably but not surely the latest was WW2. We should exclude the Spanish American, WW1, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars have been discretionary and initiated at the behest of war profiteers and to benefit the short term economy. In the process they've killed millions.

#18 | Posted by Robson at 2009-11-14 06:15 PM | Reply | Flag:

Bring them home.....

Send RightisRight there instead. He's good at sacrificing other people's children in the name of the Jesus.

To hell with Afghanistan and Iraq.

#19 | Posted by ArmyVet at 2009-11-14 06:37 PM | Reply | Flag:

It's a step up from the last adminstration.

I hope this becomes a reality.

#20 | Posted by Lisa at 2009-11-14 07:00 PM | Reply | Flag:

"Of course the "exit strategy" is the latest excuse for his dithereing, after the last one about waiting for the elections has expired. Balls still in your court Obama, how about taking it and doing something????"

Don't you feel like an ass using Cheney's word "dithering" after the utter failure of Bush/Cheney in Afghanistan for seven long years. We shouldn't even be discussing this, we should have accomplished the mission years ago and would have had those two freaks not diverted resources to Iraq. You parrot the big loser Cheney and become one yourself.

#21 | Posted by danni at 2009-11-14 07:21 PM | Reply | Flag:

#21...

Cheney's word? "Dithering" has been coined by the right? Or as usual, you can't help yourself by posting something with Cheney? Which as usual has nothing to do witht the retort or thread....

Can you really sit there with a straight face, and say Obama has not been resolute in acting or doing as the CiC regarding Afghanistan? Or refute his surrender policy in Iraq last year?

#22 | Posted by crispee_oc at 2009-11-14 07:33 PM | Reply | Flag:

EXIT STRATEGY - No good war plan should be without one.

'There are two possible exit strategies. Victory, then withdraw. Or withdraw sooner.'

#6 | Posted by rightisright

The overly simplistic standard war plan of the Right! Goes a long way to explain why the USA gets bogged down in so many unjust conflicts.

They say Victory is the goal but they DO NOT define what victory IS.

#23 | Posted by Monstman at 2009-11-14 07:43 PM | Reply | Flag:

www.tomdispatch.com

What was that quaint saying about those who don't learn from history..?

#24 | Posted by Zarathustra at 2009-11-14 09:02 PM | Reply | Flag:

So it is finally sinking in? That there is no way in hell you can win? That I was right all along? That you have maximum 2, 3, years left, no more. Maybe a lot less than that.

Amazing.

These were the American fools who thought they could take on Pakistan as well. LOL

Take on Afghanistan first, gents. THEN try us on for size. hahahahahahahahaha

#25 | Posted by Tosser at 2009-11-15 02:35 AM | Reply | Flag:

Post 14 is a classic.

I love Kipling.

And you can see the attitude of the Christian he descries as that of the war-mongers here, while I can't help but feel like the "Aryan brown".

From the same poem:

We be the Gods of the East -
Older than all -
Masters of Mourning and Feast -
How shall we fall?

"Naulahka"

#26 | Posted by Tosser at 2009-11-15 02:43 AM | Reply | Flag:

Having a plan with benchmarks, objectives and a time line is just unheard of and bad for business!

Sincerely

Every Failed Business in History

#27 | Posted by Redneckville at 2009-11-15 09:20 AM | Reply | Flag:

Gimme A Hippie

Where have all
the cowards gone?
No war protest?
No hippie song?

No take the streets?
Afgan assault?
No acid treats?
Obama exalt?

No greasy hair
with bad BO?
Was rage for Bush
a Commie show?

DIRK, POETSARENA.COM

#28 | Posted by Dirk at 2009-11-15 10:59 AM | Reply | Flag:

The overly simplistic standard war plan of the Right! Goes a long way to explain why the USA gets bogged down in so many unjust conflicts.

They say Victory is the goal but they DO NOT define what victory IS.

#23 | Posted by Monstman
* * * *

Uh huh. All those famous right-wingers like Lincoln, Grant, FDR, and Truman who went for "Unconditional Surrender".

But I'll leave it to Obama and Company to nuance their way to a new definition of victory, which will involve paybacks to our former enemies for the next hundred years.

#29 | Posted by rightisright at 2009-11-15 11:30 AM | Reply | Flag:

Hey - we still have troops in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Guam etc....should we have a WW2 Exit Strategy....or did we go into WW2 with the focus to WIN IT FIRST ..then decide how to back out..(and it this case ..we havn't)

OBAMA - Here is an important tip for being President- MAKE A DECISION! You announced that you had a NEW AFGAN Strategy in the Rose Garden in MARCH that you said you were implementing...did you lie then? (well ..that would only be #1000)

O-man..just showing up may be good enough in the Senate...but not if you are trying to run the US...(or are you trying to RUIN the US.?)

#30 | Posted by foshaffer at 2009-11-15 04:28 PM | Reply | Flag:

The cost of one US soldier in Afghanistan is reported as $1 million per year.

There is a classic example of bad value for money.

Stop it! Cut the Defense Budget! Stop letting crazy people kill our troops, at home and abroad!
We have too many troops, not too few!

Disarmament is the key to world peace.

I believe Obama believes that too. But it's a hard road.

#31 | Posted by sitdown at 2009-11-15 07:39 PM | Reply | Flag:

He's been president for 11 months, was running for president for 18 months, and was in the Senate prior to that. And he still doesn't know what he wants to do in Afghanistan.

We all know Bush's plan for afghanistan. Mission Forgotten.

Let's see. Obama could declare a tie like Ike (R)did in Korea. He could declare Peace with Honorable mention like Nixon (R)did in Viet nam. He could flat out cut and run like Reagan (R)did in Lebanon. He could leave the job unfinished and declare victory like Bush1 (R) did in Iraq. He could fart around and rack up casualties and hand the disaster off to the next guy like Bush2 (R)did in Iraq and afghanistan.

which one of those would be Rightwingnut Approved?

Which one

#32 | Posted by northguy3 at 2009-11-15 08:20 PM | Reply | Flag:

"Bush, in Austin, criticized President Clinton's administration for not doing enough to enunciate a goal
for the Kosovo military action and indicated the bombing campaign might not be a tough enough
response. Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit
strategy is,' Bush said."

April 5, 1999 -- USA Today quoted Senator Richard Shelby (R AL), as saying, "Obviously, we are
not winning the war." [USA Today, 4/5/99]

April 9, 1999 -- The Washington Post quoted Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) as saying, "Now that you see
this refugee crisis, we really have to find a strategy to win in some way, whatever that means. We're
all having trouble figuring out what a win is."

www.democrats.org

#33 | Posted by northguy3 at 2009-11-15 08:27 PM | Reply | Flag:

We went into Iraq and Afghanistan for oil and to enforce continuation of dollar as the planets reserve currency. After all those wasted lives and money we got zero oil from Iraq and can expect little success controlling the pipeline through Afghanistan. But no one in power cares, because while the country sinks into an abyss, they take all the money. The value of our dollar and dominance as the sole reserve currency in going down.

#34 | Posted by nutcase at 2009-11-15 09:41 PM | Reply | Flag:

We went into Iraq and Afghanistan for oil and to enforce continuation of dollar as the planets reserve currency. After all those wasted lives and money we got zero oil from Iraq and can expect little success controlling the pipeline through Afghanistan. But no one in power cares, because while the country sinks into an abyss, they take all the money. The value of our dollar and dominance as the sole reserve currency in going down.

Posted by nutcase at 2009-11-15 09:41 PM | Reply

Sorry Nutcase but we have been getting a steady stream of oil from Iraq since the very begining of the Illegal Iraq War.

www.eia.doe.gov

Crude Oil Imports (Top 15 Countries)
(Thousand Barrels per Day)
Country Aug-09 Jul-09 YTD 2009 Aug-08 YTD 2008

------------------------------
------------------------------
--------------------

CANADA 2,007 2,110 1,928 1,873 1,926
MEXICO 1,057 985 1,126 1,292 1,209
VENEZUELA 1,007 865 1,014 1,146 1,049
NIGERIA 877 858 694 1,035 998
SAUDI ARABIA 745 1,137 1,022 1,533 1,537
IRAQ 500 365 459 663 675
ALGERIA 404

#35 | Posted by LarryMohr at 2009-11-15 09:52 PM | Reply | Flag:

North...or he could do a half assed plan like Kennedy did for the bay of pigs...or like Kennedy and Johnson try to run a war from the whitehouse (which is the tactic that they are taking now. -THAT is what caused the problems in Vietnam) Or like Clinton - send a missle up some camels ass to keep the press distracted from the ass you were getting.

********************

Bush 1 screwed up Iraq by not making Saddam sign the peace agreement - Bush 2 did the right thing in both Afganistan and Iraq given the information that he was given at the time. The surge worked and stabilized Iraq and now we need to do the same and stabilize Afganistan.

Screw the exit strategy...win first - kick ass and rebuild the political and economic infrastructure and we will be safer. But that will not happen because - as we have seen with our own economy - Obama does not know the first thing about economics - only what he has been taught in socialist school.

#36 | Posted by foshaffer at 2009-11-15 10:39 PM | Reply | Flag:

Dear EIA.DOE

"the Illegal Iraq War."

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 is a United Nations Security Council resolution adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on November 8, 2002, offering Iraq under Saddam Hussein "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations" that had been set out in several previous resolutions.

Sorry to expose your lie or was that ignorance?

#37 | Posted by Dirk at 2009-11-16 12:12 AM | Reply | Flag:

Sorry to expose your lie or was that ignorance?

Posted by Dirk at 2009-11-16 12:12 AM | Reply

BWHAHAHAHAH Sorry do get more educated upon the subject matter at hand.

www.worldpress.org

12. Decides to convene immediately upon receipt of a report in accordance with paragraphs 4 or 11 above, in order to consider the situation and the need for full compliance with all of the relevant Council resolutions in order to secure international peace and security;

13. Recalls, in that context, that the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face serious consequences as a result of its continued violations of its obligations;

14. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

#38 | Posted by LarryMohr at 2009-11-16 12:20 AM | Reply | Flag:

Tell that to the Russians and the British. There is no victory ever in Afghanistan.

#9 | Posted by danni at 2009-11-14 04:14 PM | Reply | Flag: GETS HER HISTORY FROM RACHEL MADDOW

Danni, The British staged two wars in Afghanistan -- 1878 and 1919. They did not lose either one.

After nine years the Russians gave up, but only AFTER the natives had gotten billions in support from the U.S., China and Pakistan.

#39 | Posted by vernon at 2009-11-16 08:44 AM | Reply | Flag:

After nine years the Russians gave up, but only AFTER the natives had gotten billions in support from the U.S., China and Pakistan.

Posted by vernon at 2009-11-16 08:44 AM | Reply

And now the natives will be receiving money from our enemies. Add into the equation this fact: We taught them how to take down a super power.

Now we're a dwindling superpower with a presence in Afghanistan. You do the math.

#40 | Posted by Alexandrite at 2009-11-16 08:47 AM | Reply | Flag:

Disarmament is the key to world peace.

I believe Obama believes that too. But it's a hard road.

#31 | Posted by sitdown

Disarmament is the key to world peace? How exactly do you do that when...

...weapons can take the form of almost anything?

Would you outlaw planes, trains, and automobiles? We know they all can certainly be used as weapons.

If there are still evil people in the world, how does willfully refusing to defend yourself make the world more peaceful?

As world history so clearly demonstrates, the exact opposite would happen.

#41 | Posted by BENDOR at 2009-11-16 09:08 AM | Reply | Flag:

will the HuffWhore rogers exile me again?

Let me call you a Waaaaahbulance.

#42 | Posted by 726 at 2009-11-16 09:10 AM | Reply | Flag:

Under reagan, they pretended neutrality in the iraq/iran war and we knew saddam was using chemical weapons, yet rumsfeld was sent to make deals on oil, banking and provided helicopters (which were supposedly civilian/not militarily outfitted, and the duplicity continued in the UN:

Iran had submitted a draft resolution asking the U.N. to condemn Iraq's chemical weapons use. The U.S. delegate to the U.N. was instructed to lobby friendly delegations in order to obtain a general motion of "no decision" on the resolution. If this was not achievable, the U.S. delegate was to abstain on the issue. Iraq's ambassador met with the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Jeane Kirkpatrick, and asked for "restraint" in responding to the issue - as did the representatives of both France and Britain.

www.gwu.edu

a lot of documented info in this

#43 | Posted by woke at 2009-11-16 09:50 AM | Reply | Flag:

I guess no one likes a lot of documented info....

LOL

#44 | Posted by woke at 2009-11-17 08:14 AM | Reply | Flag: