Obama, The Anti War candidate ?? NOT!

[Cabin4]

Were is the main stream liberal news media? How come they are not calling Obama a liar? The war in Afganistan is escalatiing in troop levels and occosionally reaching into Pakistan. What happened to all the protests by the anti-war crowd? Seems war is just fine as long as its waged by a Liberal.

For those interested, here’s a history of the approximate US troop levels in Afghanistan by year:

year: US troop levels

2001: 1,300

2002: ?

2003: 10,000

2004: 17,000

2005: 20,000

2007: 26,000

2008: 31,000

2009 (spring): +21,000 = 52,000 total (this is current figure as of August 2009)

2009 (projected): +68,000 = 120,000 total (Obama has approved an additional 68,000 troops by the end of 2009)

It looks like Obama is ready to Give War a Chance in the Graveyard of Empires known as Afghanistan. 

[SHOOTALL]

Or tie up US troops ?

[ctrout]

With what's going on at other fronts, this could be the trigger point from steady state to surge operations.  This could greatly disrupt the AEF cycle unless a lot of reservists are activated asap.  The recruiters better start working some over time.  People are already starting to jump ship at unprecedented points in their careers due to increased opstempo (among other things).  In my military career which started in 1989, I have never seen so many 10+ year enlisted decide that it was time to hang up the uniform.  I think it all started about 5 years ago when some genius decided to cut 40,000 manning slots from us to fund new technology.  The military needs bodies and we are continually asked to do more with less.

WE HAVE BEEN DOING SO MUCH MORE WITH SO MUCH LESS FOR SO LONG THAT WE ARE NOW EXPECTED TO DO ALMOST ANYTHING WITH NEXT TO NOTHING! 

I am tired and worn out too and currently being treated for a stress related anxiety disorder.  If I didn't have a family to support and no other skills to fall back on, I'd hang up the uniform too.  Nobody but the Taliban wants to hire somebody who's profession is putting bombs on airplanes.

[BBF]

Shootall: That is my take on this as well

[magooch]

The thing is that we've got to quit fighting these wars with troops.  We've got the right tools to do the job and it's about dang time that we put them to use.  If we would do it right, there'd be a lot fewer problems in the world and it wouldn't cost us much either.  Oh, it might cost us some love and admiration from some of our so called allies, but who gives a crap.  They only like us when we do their dirty business for them.

That's right, I mean nuke em.  We should have erased a few towns and cities in Iraq to get their attention.  I never did believe that those sand n****rs were on our side and they knew danged well who and where the IEDs were being planted.  I also believe our own generals were saps for ever exposing our troops to that crap.

We're headed down the same road in Afghanistan and if we don't wise up and fight the Taliban/al Qaida on our terms, there's going to be a steady stream of torn up GIs coming home with parts missing--if they come home at all.

I'm not worried though, Obama will probably make the same blunders that the Bush administration did and try to deal with the terrorists as if we are in a gun battle.

[beerbelly]

Hell Obama has changed the rules of engagement! The marines in the south no longer can call in artillery and air strikes so as to not hurt any civilians!
 This is guaranteed to get a lot of our boys killed.
   He is trying to level the playing field for his brother Muslims!
                                    Beerbelly

[billy_56081]

The sad part is we have more boots on the ground that are not allowed to shoot back. I have no problem with war on our enemies but HHH's policy will just make our guys targets. Let the soldiers do what they do best, kill people and wreck stuff.

[alsaqr]

The real war on terror, if there is one, is in Afghanistan.  Bush did not put enough boots on the ground in Afghanistan to secure the country.  Oh sure, the Taliban and al Queda left; only to return when they found out that large parts of Afghanistan had no NATO military presence.  The Taliban now controls well over one third of Afghanistan and has operational presence in another third of the country.   

Bush bought into a plan by his bud the Saudi king to negiotiate with the Taliban.  The Saudis would  mediate the negotiations.  Yep, Saudi royal support for the Taliban made it what it is today.  Bush would have let them referee the negotiations.  Go figure.   

Obama is sending more troops as we speak.  Obama has also hamstrung the US military in Afghanistan.  Obama the idiot relieved the Commander of US troops in Afghanistan over some Mickey Mouse trash. 
Nothing is being done to help the millions of Afghans living in refugee camps.  These camps have become hotbeds of support for the Taliban. 

It pains me to say it:  We will probably not win this one. 

[BBF]

 True, you probably won't IMO