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OPINION

Obama needs to decide the Afghanistan question

Monday, November 16, 2009
(Updated 3:00 am)

I believe that President Obama has held eight meetings concerning U.S. strategy for Afghanistan. The president holds the title and role of chief executive. Everything he does, or doesn’t do, sends messages to those involved.

There are only so many options in any decision. The job of his Cabinet and advisers is to bring their best information to this task. Somebody once said that it is important to “do something,” even though it may end up being the wrong thing.

Reading our involvement in Afghanistan, several things stand out. Commitment is not total, or response would be automatic. Waiting for the Afghan election results demonstrated that we have no confidence in their government. Quibbling about the number of troops to send indicates one of two things: Either we don’t have enough troops, or we are afraid of losing them. What else do our enemies need to know?

The final decision is redundant.

Ed Philpott
Greensboro

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Slaan

November 16, 2009 - 5:27 am EST

Alright, so you want a decider in chief that will make decisions on a whim? Sure, why not. It can't be worse than that epic planner Bu.... oh wait.

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 1:20 pm EST

"....will make decisions on a whim"

Seems he tends to work that way: Stimulus package, unemployment benefits extension, Cash for Clunkers.

J D R

November 16, 2009 - 5:58 am EST

"Everything he does, or doesn’t do, sends messages to those involved." True .. and it the message is a measured response, I guess that's ... bad?

==

"Either we don’t have enough troops, or we are afraid of losing them. What else do our enemies need to know?

"The final decision is redundant."

-

Whomever "They" is ... already know we don’t have enough troops ... everyone knows they were spent in Iraq ... a country we "converted" in lieu of Afghanistan.

-

Whomever "They" is ... already know we are afraid of losing them ... we proved already. Here's a list of Military Involvement over the past 70 years ...

Korea - It's somewhere ..
Vietnam War - we certainly got tired of losing 'em there
Tehran hostage rescue - "They" know we lost 'em there
Grenada - kicked butt there .. whew hew
Beirut - "They" know we lost 241 Marines then cut & ran within 4 months.
Panama - kicked butt there too
Gulf War - kicked butt .. how it's suppose to be done
Somalia - Another President George H. W. Bush initiative .. kicked butt there too .. but Black Hawk down received a lot of bad press ..
Yugoslavia - It's probably fair to declare that a success.
Afghanistan - Marched in like a lion, out like a lamb ... and "They" know it.
Philippines - Out of the mainstream and still ongoing, but arguably the most successful anti-radical-islamic military intervention.
Iraq - Enough written
Afghanistan - Back in the Saddle Again

... Draw your own conclusions.

xeno10

November 16, 2009 - 10:24 am EST

Mr. Philpott, during the GW Bush-era, we tried an approach to decision-making in which a President made reckless decisions without sufficient planning, allowed stupid policies to continue, without strategic reviews. So, stop tapping your wrist-watch, Mr. Philpott! I strongly suspect that Afghanistan is likely to be just as messed-up a month from now as it is today, and having a "quick decision" from President Obama won't make that much difference! Seriously.

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 1:22 pm EST

"...during the GW Bush-era, we tried an approach to decision-making in which a President made reckless decisions without sufficient planning, allowed stupid policies to continue, without strategic reviews."

Kinda like the stimulus package, unemployment benefits extension, and Cash for Clunkers? Stay tuned, there's more to come.

neocon

November 16, 2009 - 6:40 am EST

Mr. Philpott, we have a weakling in the WH who's waffling rivals that of Jimmy Cotta. The jihadists are well aware of this and are no doubt encouraged by the world apology tour III the 'commander in chief' is engaged in while putting off the dreaded decision of whether to placate His voting base and surrender, or protect the troops in the field by sending in reinforcements.

Sawdust

November 16, 2009 - 8:09 am EST

Good advice to all: Don't hold your breath waiting for Obama to make a command decision. He seems to have skipped all the leadership classes, doesn't have a clue as to the effect his indecision has on both our troops and the enemy. His thin resume' is beginning to tell, and not in a good way. To Obama, all the military is good for is an occasional photo-op, as with his trip to see the casualties coming home a few weeks ago. Look, he can march and salute, just like a real soldier.

xeno10

November 16, 2009 - 9:41 am EST

Commentator Sawdust, you should probably have your coffee (?) before you sit down to post -- or, maybe not have so much beverage (?) before sitting down to post! Because you don't talk "good sense!" And think (?) about this: Perhaps all we need to do to win in Afghanistan is -- LEAVE! Seriously.

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 1:23 pm EST

Like we've left Iraq as he promised?

J.M.W.

November 16, 2009 - 10:08 am EST

Obama is intent on making this decision/strategy his own. All advice is useless. Such are the behaviors of a narcissist.

Hopefully, the maimed soldiers will have someone read their "Dear John's" to them. It's hard to hold up a letter with no arms.

wctbl?

November 16, 2009 - 12:58 pm EST

Crass! And an ass!

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 1:27 pm EST

Excellent post, J.M.W. Thank you! It scares me to no end that we have a "community organizer" who seems to think he knows more when making plans for our troops than the military advisers.

J D R

November 16, 2009 - 3:41 pm EST

I think there is an internal debate going on within the Pentagon .. most of those guys are not as willling to put young men and women into battle as the typical Patriotic Blogger.

truth

November 16, 2009 - 2:58 pm EST

Agreed. I think Obama has already made his decision, BTW.

Personally, I'm all for bringing our troops home and relocating them to the Mexican and Canadian borders.

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 3:13 pm EST

Agreed. As to his decision, it will be announced by one of his minions next time he has a trip.

mamaboilermaker

November 16, 2009 - 6:45 am EST

IMO, we should, in any military situation, either kick butt with all we've got or else don't go at all. It is just awful to leave troops in dangerous situations without permission and resources to win decisively. Given permission to win, I believe our military is THE BEST ANYWHERE. It is politicians who lose wars, not the American troops.

J D R

November 16, 2009 - 7:11 am EST

It is politicians who lose wars, not the American troops .. agreed ... where were you 6 years ago?

mamaboilermaker

November 16, 2009 - 8:15 am EST

I was wishing we'd tell the UN where to go, quit with the sensitivity stuff, kick butt, and get back home. Now we have to get so sensitive we can't even boot terrorists out of our own military until it's too late.

J D R

November 16, 2009 - 11:07 am EST

It's all the kick-butt talk that I do not understand. It seems so WWII'ish ..

Who's butt we gonna kick? In 2001 there were (by CIA estimates) about 3000 butts to be kicked .. and on 9-11-02 a mere 21'ish of them infamously drove 4 Jet Airplanes ... but when we had a sorta chance we didn't kick this fairly well defined set of 3000 butts .. we let them morph back into the landscape .. So who are the bad guys now?

Things were peaceful in Iraq .. not a great place of you wer enot in with the in crowd but all in all things were peaceful in Iraq. The Taliban had some real issues with womens rights, but they were content being chavanists who like to destroy other religious temples and kill other Muslims ... now they are semi-united and clearly killing Americans. The War-Lords didn't care about anything except local power and opium ... now who knows but I sure don't trust them.

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 1:38 pm EST

Yes, things were peaceful in Iraq. Intolerable, but peaceful.

Bottom line is: We have terrorists in this country NOW just sitting and waiting for the time to strike. They would have been here even if bush hadn't started the war in Iraq. We NEED a leader of this country who will have the balls to take steps to protect the people in this country. A good start is securing our borders and severely reducing the influx of illegals coming into this country. We need intelligence to search out the cells (like the one recently found in Caswell County) and eliminate the threat they surely hold. We need someone who will kick ass when it's really needed but do it swiftly and then get out. Admittedly, bush was too far on the kick ass extreme and got us in a mess, but what we have now is too far the other directions and is such a (using my grandma's term) "pantywaist" that it puts us all in danger.

J D R

November 16, 2009 - 3:48 pm EST

"We have terrorists in this country NOW just sitting and waiting for the time to strike. They would have been here even if bush hadn't started the war in Iraq."

Maybe .. sounds kinda "sleeper cell" conspiracy though .. what the Foot Hood tragedy shows is it only takes one or two crazed folk(s) to cause a lot of damage .. on 21'ish on 9-11-01. Similar conclusions can be drawn on many incidents - Tube bombing in London were just a few crazed kids - it was not some grand voodoo in Afghanistan typically calling the details .. (watch The Machurian Canditate again .. I like the original: owned by Frank Sinatra, and had been released only briefly before Kennedy was shot. Frank freaked and pulled it for 25 years).

ghost from white oak

November 16, 2009 - 8:05 am EST

Ah, would have the Stimilus package and porkulus bill been given this much time and afore thought!

Sawdust

November 16, 2009 - 9:33 am EST

Now that's just mean-spirited. Never remind liberals of their mistakes.

Now all we can hope for is that Obamacare gets that much thought. But we all know the answer to that.

mawmaw

November 16, 2009 - 8:43 am EST

Ageee with those who want a well thought out decision. He promised to bring the troops home, and I want him to keep that promise. There is NOTHING to "win" in the Bush wars. I don't want another soldier or citizen to lose their life in these senseless wars. Declare "mission accomplished" and get our troops home.

Sawdust

November 16, 2009 - 9:39 am EST

That's the spirit. The mooslims all love us now that Obama is in charge. Don't they? I mean, except for Major Hasan, they all love us, don't they? Of course they do. We can forget all about the foolish "War on Terror" and concentrate all our efforts on the important stuff, like socialized medicine and government money for ACORN.

Oops, I forgot. We already forgot about the "War on Terror", downgraded to an Overseas Contingency Operation", a term used to prevent bruised feelings in the terrorist world.

Sleep soundly tonight, secure in the knowledge that our enemies have been silenced by the power of Obama's soaring oratory and grovelling apologies.

xeno10

November 16, 2009 - 9:47 am EST

Sawdust, you seem to be just another know-nothing "winger" who talks just to hear his head rattle. Seriously.

Sawdust

November 16, 2009 - 12:27 pm EST

xeno; I'll wager any amount of money that you wish to bet that I am more intelligent than you, and can prove it. Put up or stfu.

dcolin

November 16, 2009 - 1:25 pm EST

Sawdust,

Did you have an amount in mind?

Can I hold the money?\

Oh Sawdust.
What is your IQ? So I know how to make my side bet.

swerdna

November 16, 2009 - 1:40 pm EST

My bet is on sawdust

neocon

November 16, 2009 - 2:00 pm EST

sawdust.

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