UK Times Uses U.S. Soldiers in Anti War Campaign
08 October 2009 2:30 pm by Taylor Marsh
As Pres. Obama and his administration head into the moment where they’ll announce their Afghanistan – Pakistan strategy going forward, everyone who is against staying is out making their final arguments, some righteously meant, others opportunistically taking advantage of the situation to capitalize on their favorite point, while hitting Pres Obama broadside. Meanwhile, get prepared for a compromise on McChrystal’s request, though we still have to get down to dealing with the Taliban. (See this post.) Anyway…
Today it’s the Times UK with a shameful headline with an obvious agenda: American troops in Afghanistan losing heart, say army chaplains, complete with a devastatingly poignant photo of an American military man in despair. Huffington Post, Drudge Report, with it’s screaming TROOP MORALE FALLING headline, Islam Online and Democratic Underground all blasted the UK story on their homepages this morning. Mission accomplished.
No one is doubting that there are soldiers who are feeling down about Afghanistan. How could they not? George W. Bush didn’t have a strategy in Afghanistan, which included screwing up in Tora Bora where bin Laden was allowed to escape, focusing instead on preemptively invading Iraq. Pres. Obama not turning his attention to the region until now.
But how many service members do you think these army chaplains talked to in the two U.S. battalions that are the focus of this article compiled in the middle of a deadly, forgotten war? What difference would a clear cut mission make? Perhaps a lot, as polls show Americans are divided right now, even as support is softening amidst the open debate, so an effective strategy could make a difference.
Also from the article, though it’s not being mentioned much.
The base is not, it has to be said, obviously downcast, and many troops do not share the chaplains’ assessment. The soldiers are, by nature and training, upbeat, driven by a strong sense of duty, and they do their jobs as best they can. Re-enlistment rates are surprisingly good for the 2-87, though poor for the 4-25. Several men approached by The Times, however, readily admitted that their morale had slumped.”
The article’s intentions are clear. But it also provides ammunition to the Democratic president’s adversaries at a time when the U.S. commander in chief is making one of his most difficult decisions.
Gateway Pundit’s headline blares: Stunner… Troop Morale Falling Under President Obama. The Jawa Report even worse, as the right tries to sew the narrative of Obama as failed commander in chief, ala Jimmy Carter.
This is a lie. Troop morale in Afghanistan first cratered under George W. Bush, because he left our men and women in Afghanistan ill-equipped, under-resourced, and with no clear mission since the initial bombing, which happened as retaliation for 9/11, let’s not forget.
The intention of the UK Times article may be to further discourage U.S. support for the war, but using U.S. soldiers to do it is unconscionable. And if you think you’re going to find happy face stories in a deadly war zone, let alone one that’s been neglected for 8 years, you are simply too ignorant for the current debate.
