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AmSpecBlog
Afghanistan Becomes Obama's War
Whatever happens in Iraq, President Barack Obama can point to the late and unlamented Bush administration. But now he is making the Afghanistan war his own. Observes Mark Thompson in Time magazine:
Afghanistan became President Obama's war on Tuesday, when he ordered two more U.S. combat brigades into the fight. He will send 17,000 combat troops to join the 36,000-strong U.S. force already in the theater. The fact that the units now ordered to Afghanistan had originally been slated for Iraq underscores the new Administration's shift in priorities.
The reinforcements include about 8,000 Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C., who should be in Afghanistan by late spring, and a 4,000-strong Army brigade from Fort Lewis, Wash., which should arrive in the summer. Those units will be joined by about 5,000 more Army "enablers" to provide logistical support. (See images of Afghanistan's mean streets)
If things work out well, which seems an increasingly unlikely possibility, then President Obama can claim victory. But if the war worsens and there are calls for more troops, the issue may begin to consume his presidency like Iraq did George Bush's administration. Then the change that Obama's allies may begin demanding could be for a new president.
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Teleprompter Messiah| 2.18.09 @ 10:06AM
What is the exit strategy? Isn't that the key component of the Democrat playbook?
Did this pass the global test?
By doing this, aren't we acting unilaterally and isolating our allies by not seeking permission from the Seychelles or Sao Tome?
Not In My Name.
Crusader| 2.18.09 @ 11:25AM
Iraq = boondoggle. Afghanistan is like pi$$ing up a rope.
Why we think these people want a Western-style form of representative government is beyond me.
I said it before and I will say it again, "hearts and minds" has never worked. It will NEVER work with muslims. Allah owns their hearts and minds.
JP| 2.18.09 @ 2:13PM
Of course we don't have to capture thier hearts and minds. The Pushtin tribal leaders can, however, be bribed. Ditto for the Chieftans in Pakistan. Bribing these men into betraying the where abouts of AQ and Taliban terrorists cannot be too hard.
But Obama will wait for a lull in fighting, declare victory, and get out -leaving what allies we do have thier to rot. Putin is also strong arming our allies in East Asia to revoke flying spaces and military bases there. Now that the Pakistaning army cannot guarentee our logistic routes through thier country, supplying our army there is getting more and more difficult.