Into the Frying Pan
18 February 2009 7:53 am by PamelaLeavey
Following fast on the heels of President Obama signing the stimulus bill on Tuesday came the news that he “would send an additional 17,000 American troops to Afghanistan this spring and summer, putting his stamp firmly on a war that he has long complained is going in the wrong direction.”
The new order from the Obama administration increses the troop level in Afghanistan by nearly 50% and White House officials said, “[a] further decision on sending more troops will come after the administration completes a broader review of Afghanistan policy.”
Mr. Obama said in a written statement that the increase was “necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires.”
At least for now, Mr. Obama’s decision gives American commanders in Afghanistan most but not all of the troops they had asked for. But the decision also carries political risk for a president who will be sending more troops to Afghanistan before he has begun to fulfill a promised rapid withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
Many experts worry that Afghanistan presents an even more formidable challenge for the United States than Iraq does, particularly with neighboring Pakistan providing sanctuary for insurgents of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
The announcement, which was expected, drew heat from anti-war groups before it was even made. Knowing he was stepping into the frying pan, Obama also noted in his statement that “the fact that we are going to responsibly draw down our forces in Iraq allows us the flexibility to increase our presence in Afghanistan.”
AP News reported yesterday that the U.N. said in a new report that “the number of Afghan civilians killed in armed conflict surged to a record 2,118 people last year as the Afghan war turned increasingly bloody.”
This is now Obama’s war on terror, compliments of BushCo. The question for many of us to President Obama is simply, “when will it end?” There really is no doubt things have heated up there and it’s the war we should have been fighting, but “when will it end?” And how many more American lives will be lost?
This should surprise no one. Obama has said all along that this was what he was going to do. The question becomes, how long, and to what ends this will have. Obama needs to tell us what the end game is here and how much is this going to cost us in lives and money that this country does not have. This is the part of Obama I don’t like.
I think Obama will be very cautious, and flexible on this. I agree, the end game needs to be explained to us.
With the Pakistan government giving up control of the border areas to the Taliban, this move by Obama seems risky. To me the main threat seems to be shifting from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Without the support of the Pakistan government I don’t see how more troops into the area is going to do anything but make matters worse. This is really starting to look like another Vietnam.
Where has everybody gone too? The site has been dead for days.
angels81 Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Crunch mode at work for me.
I’ve been in and out the last few days. About to go again to pick up meds and go to the commissary. Also have to go to the house we bought because our son says that there is a leak in the kitchen. It was a repo, so buy as is.
We saw where the tile was coming up and he said that’s where the water is. Hubby is going to pull dishwasher out and see if that’s the leak.
I will say the same thing as I said about Bush. Obama was actually challenged about his position on this in debates. Americans heard his answer. He never failed to say the problem with Iraq was that Afghanastan needed more troops.
I deemed him far less progressive than Hillary on that front.
Still do.
We’re going to war, folks.
And just like with Iraq, my own voter hands are clean.
AnninCA
I’m not sure there was much difference between HRC’s stance on Afghanistan and Obama’s during the debates. If I am not mistaken both acknowledged that that was where we should be and we needed to put more focus on it. It does suck however, none of us wnat to see this go on forever.
PamelaLeavey Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
___
Taylor would be proud!
and you’re right.
“This is the part of Obama I don’t like. angels81″
DUDE!! Pinch me! (joke)
I am all in favor of going after the folks and their protectors who actually are responsible for 9/11.
Osama? KILL HIM. His organization and anyone we find attatched to or helping them? KILL THEM. Taliban? KILL THEM.
I have no illusions about Afghanistan becoming a democracy. Never was and I doubt it ever will be. I just want to ensure that anyone who kills Americans knows they, THEY, not the poor population of a country that had nothing to do with their acts but THEY will pay a terrible price. A TERRIBLE price.
AND the added bonus that these particular murdering religo/wackjobs won’t kill anybody else.