The Missiles of November

When I read about the president’s decision this morning my first reaction (even without knowing all of the specific details) was to breathe a sigh of relief.I wouldn’t want his job for anything. It seems that no matter what direction he turns, he’s presented with another tight-rope he must walk.

I’m glad he’s taking this tact. It seems to me that it takes way more courage to reject this one way notion that a troop increase is the only option. This president appears less willing to allow the military to run foreign policy. This is a GOP trait.The final decision is his and the request for a different strategy with a specific end date should be great news to all of us including the 56% who are against a troop increase, which a CNN poll yesterday found.I can’t wait for the Republicans to start whinning about this. They’ll find that once again, they’re on the wrong side of the majority in this country on this issue.

The thing about Barack Obama is that he is a thinking man, and a thinking man is what you always need in times of tough decisions. And as you mentioned Bob, he is well versed in the history of our Presidents.I can’t even imagine the process that George Bush went through, if there even was one, when reaching a tough decision, since he was extremely shallow and in no way a deep thinker. There in lies the difference between these two men.

When I read this last night I thought it was pure genius. I got a chuckle out of it for being smarter than any solution I could think of. The president took a wiff and decided every option smells bad.A small increase with a timetable for getting out would please the hawks and the hippies. I say than in a non-derogatory sense of course.Willpen – Bush didn’t make any decisions. Uncle Dick and the cronies at PNAC made all the decisions.

But I thought he was suppose to be like Bush.That’s what going on in the eco chamber on boths sides. People sullying their pants because that Black guy in office isn’t shucking and jiving like he is suppose to.How could anyone possibly think that this man with the political acumen that he has would just go with the flow on everything? He takes measured steps for a reason. When people, especially people on are side get the hint.But i guess it’s easier to push keys on a keyboard and scream he’s a loser and doesn’t know what he’s doing. I am so sick of the pseudo political computer quarterbacks know-nothings.

I meant to say “people on our side”.Doh!

President Obama did not say he does not want a large troop increase in Afghan. He rejected all of the options not because he is against sending more troops, but because he is for making sure whatever we do will work.In this, I respect the President, as in other things. There is absolutely nothing worse than a Commander-in-Chief who sends troops to any place with little other purpose than to die so that he can say he did something. Every life in the armed services is as precious and important as every civilian life.I think sometimes, people take that for granted. I think a large troop increase with the right plan would work. What we have to remember is that Afghanistan is akin to the poorest of third world countries. If we start teaching them a better way to prosperity, the Taliban will have no chance to win them back.No one likes starving, especially when the regime in power allows you to starve all the while enslaving you to their cold, inhumane rules. The key to the Middle east is not merely democracy, but a much, much higher standard of living. Freedom WITH prosperity will make tyrannical rule difficult to implement.We will beat the Taliban by building a DIFFERENCE. That difference will be in clear contrast to what the Taliban offers, which is basically heavy handed religion without hope of a better life. Only the lunatic fringe wants that kind of life; the kind that puts them in power, and every one else under their thumb. You can beat it, but you have to be patient and committed, more committed than they are. You make them break themselves on your armor, and kill them with their own steel. That’s how you win Afghanistan.

Um…PPP? We didn’t go into Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. The stated objective was to fight al Qaeda, which has, by all accounts, moved out. Time for us to move out, too, unless you’re up for another round of “let’s change the reasons we invaded that country” game…And as for how to win in Afghanistan – no one’s figured that out since Genghis Khan, almost a thousand years ago. The Russians were there for 10 years before they, too, admitted they could not win for there is NO winning there. The people are loyal to the warlords, not to the artificial state of Afghanistan and no matter what we do EVER, that will not change. How many more young men & women have to die there before we get the message?

@PPP I completely agree that the only way to beat the Taliban is through increasing the quality of life in Afghanistan through economic improvements.HOWEVER, I disagree that we can actually WIN in the traditional sense in Afghanistan. I think the voices from people on the ground (like Matthew Hoh, the guy who quit foreign service recently) are telling us the absolute truth….we’re fighting “valleyism” and we’re seen as the invaders. This view of us as invaders is what makes them turn to the Taliban. That plus a power vacuum. So what can we do about these things:1) pull our troops back from all of their positions throughout the country…..we have to get away from the idea of occupying territory. The Taliban are like roaches and we’re like food. Wherever we go, they follow. If we’re in every village, they will be as well.2) consolidate troops along supply routes, economic production centers, and government facilities3) Force a timeline on the Afghan govt to improve openness and democracy without corruption. If the current govt can’t do that, encourage opposing parties who can4) incorporate the various tribes, groups, ethnicities into the current govt-give them a voice (it can be done, not perfectly but viable, see India for example)I’ve been arguing for years that the only way to beat Muslim extremism is to improve economic conditions in and increase cultural and economic exchanges with Muslim countries. Ultimately Al Qaeda’s anger is really with their own leaders (like Karzai and the thoroughly corrupt and blind Saudi Royalty). War and occupying their countries not only destroys their economies but creates a power vacuum that actually speeds up the takeover by the Taliban and other fundamentalist regimes when we leave and we must do so, sooner rather than later.Sorry so long….I need my own blog……4)

What I found interesting was the timing of the White House leaks. First, Obama is “leaning” toward a 2025k troop increase, according to “anonymous sources.” A week later we learn Obama will decide between Nov. 7-11th. A week later we were in that window when “anonymous sources” said Obama was choosing the 40k option. Three hours later, it was NONE OF THE ABOVE, with only a few thousand more troops possibly going. Today is the 12th of November and he’s starting over, asking for timelines and targets to withdraw.It’s narrative management: lowering expectations and then exceeding them.

Above should be 20-25k

@Matt, I agree. There has been a definite pattern to leaks from the WH on this and other agendas….

First, I would expect all military personnel and purportedly pro-military pundits to welcome this decision. After all, we/they were all big fans of the Powell doctrine* before rumsfeld/cheney/bush & co wiped their collective rears with it. *Short version: Know what you want to accomplish, use overwhelming force to accomplish it, and have an exit strategy for leaving after you accomplish it.

The Taliban and Al Qaeda were separate entities, but to make Afghanistan inhospitable to AQ, the Taliban had to go.

Using the win/lose thing is misleading. Sure, it allows chicken hawks and meatheads to complain that the yahoos in DC (especially the liberal ones) “won’t let us win.” Unless a desired outcome is established, there can not be a strategy developed to achieve it.

You do indeed have to fins a way to make their lives better. Big problem we always have though is trying to make their lives better by making them like ours. While there are some who want to be “like us”, the overwhelming majority just want to live their lives as they have for centuries and security for their families.

Well, the Taliban went & came back & al Qaeda decamped to Pakistan and other places.It’s not our place to “make their lives better”. It’s their country & they want us gone! No matter how long we stay, they will stay longer because IT’S THEIR COUNTRY.And make no mistake, Karzai is NOT their leader. He is a corrupt, hand-picked US puppet with some bit of power in Kabul, but nothing elsewhere – that’s where the warlords rule & where peoples’ loyalties lie.Would we like to see the Taliban totally crushed? Sure. Of course. But that’s NOT why we invaded Afghanistan. We need to get the hell out. NOW.

Ultimately, the best solution for Afghanistan is the one Bush wouldn’t accept: call a Loya Jirga and abide by their decision.

yes, Matt. Exactly