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EmailJust Enough Support to Fail
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Amid much fanfare the Chosen One finally issued orders Tuesday to send roughly 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, bringing total U.S. forces to about 100,000. This decision arrives more than two months after a request from General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, for 40- to 60,000 additional troops.
What drove that request? To understand the answer, we must first understand America's overarching objectives in Afghanistan, namely: 1) defeat the ongoing -- and growing -- Taliban insurgency in opium-rich regions like the Helmand and Kandahar Provinces, which are primary funding sources for the insurgents; and 2) set up Afghanistan's government to be able to protect its people within a secure, politically-stable sovereign state. Incidentally, these steps are exactly what we have done in Iraq, in spite of claims that such goals were "impossible." The task at hand is to repeat the process in Afghanistan.
As with any counterinsurgency, the target isn't simply the enemy's militia because generally, killing enemies breeds even more enemies. This principle is especially true if insurgents are able to convince the public that counterinsurgency forces are trying to occupy, not liberate, the region. Rather, the real target is the nation's people -- winning their hearts and minds -- so that the insurgents lose popular support as well as a potential source for additional forces.
This understanding leads us to the answer to our question. The only way to ensure popular support of a counterinsurgency is to protect the public from intimidation and attacks from insurgents. The safer the population feels, the less support it will give to insurgency, and the more willing it is to provide counterterrorism intelligence that will accelerate counterinsurgency efforts. This means the U.S. must not only provide a stabilizing force in the interim, but must also train indigenous Afghan police forces to protect its public. All of this translates into more troops. General McChrystal has asked for a force level he believes necessary to accomplish this task; we owe him support sufficient to get the job done.
The Left hasn't helped Obama's cause any, of course. For example, Rep. John Murtha (D-Earmark, ABSCAM), a liberal "hawk" (that phrase itself is an oxymoron), claims he never got a clear picture of what constitutes "an achievable victory" during his recent trip to Afghanistan -- as if he ever could. Meanwhile, leftist documentarian Michael Moore hurls contempt at U.S. commanders while belittling our troops with condescension: "Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we f*#&in' hate these generals."
Notwithstanding these insights into partially developed brains, we fully support the president's decision to send additional troops to Afghanistan. However, we would go even further, offering two additional suggestions from this "teachable moment:" 1) as commander in chief, you owe your commanders whatever reasonable support they've asked for, and nothing less -- if they botch the job, fire them and get new ones who can execute your directions, but don't hobble their efforts with stingy, second-guessed support; and 2) never delay a decision on a request for support from a combatant commander, whether you grant or deny that request -- a delayed decision at best stalls operations, and at worst leads to defeat from losing the initiative and/or momentum.
Finally, we must ask: is this support -- only three-quarters of the bare minimum requested, at that -- too little, too late? As the Heritage Foundation notes, "[W]hen General McChrystal provided President Obama his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan in August, he identified three troop levels each with a corresponding level of risk that the mission could fail: 1) an additional 20,000 troops that would run a 'high risk of failure'; 2) an additional 80,000 troops that would be a 'low risk option' that has 'best chance to contain the Taliban-led insurgency and stabilize Afghanistan'; or 3) an additional 40,000 to 45,000 troop 'medium risk option.' President Obama's 30,000 troop increase falls squarely between the 'high' and 'medium' risk options. Nowhere in his address did Obama explain how a medium or high risk of failure in Afghanistan could possibly be acceptable to the American people."
Meanwhile, we're praying that the Obama administration hasn't given Gen. McChrystal just enough support to fail.
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Jimmy D
I'm convinced Obama WANTS the failure of all things American.
I'm also convinced that God keeps showing up, though it amazes me all the more in light of our crimes against the innocent, the unborn.
A couple kids with a video camera wreak havoc on the budding brownshirts of ACORN. Thank you Lord!
Someone nerdy enough to be a hacker spills the beans all over the world about the fraud behind Climate Alarmism. Praise God!
I dread what's in the heart of Barack Obama. But God can use the worst things for the best results.
Even though every word he speaks is a lie it seems to me he's being blessed to keep true to his one promise of tranparency. More and more of us are seeing through him plainly. The dread is spreading.
America is awaking the the truth that the foundation of Marxism is deceit and the bedrock below that is a determined hatred of things both Godly and American.
Posted December 3, 2009 at 4:50:04 PM
rasheri
"Impeach Obama"
Posted December 4, 2009 at 2:25:30 PM
Hank S
Altho I could not bear to vote for Obama, I however kept saying he is elected, legally or not. Let's see what he does. Now that I have seen enough to make me sick, I really think he has to go. But within our system, look who would replace him. Not a lot better. What to do? Support the Patriot Post, try to hold on 3 more years, and CLEAN HOUSE!
Posted December 4, 2009 at 4:53:24 PM
mainder
Finally, Finally people are beginning to understand that Obama truly wants to destroy the USA as we know it - he postures as a "post-American" president, but what he really is is a marxist socialist radical - remember, he is the one who said: judge me by those with whom I surround myself.
none of the cabinet advisors, etc. have any experience in running anything - the big O (or zero if you prefer) spent a grand total of 150 days in the US senate - seems the good folk of illinois should ask for their money back as he didn't represtnt them in the senate - he was off running for president - oh yes, he voted "present" 94 times in the Illinois state legislature. What an accomplishment - Sarah palin probably did more work in a year as governor than obama did in his whole career - what a joke he is!!
Posted December 4, 2009 at 10:03:00 PM
Frank E.
12/04/09
under the guile of a concerned leader obuma sends
his field General,Half of his request after a more
than two month delay.delaying a critial misson start.obuma's Homeland security Chief has issued
orders to keep track of combat veterans returning
home.while tuning a blind eye to immigrating muslim
cells who are strategicaly placing themselves around
our land.Then court-marshall those that capture a
mass murderer and bloody his lip!
Posted December 5, 2009 at 2:38:18 AM
Bruce-W
Obama strikes again !!
He is proving to us daily that he is the most inept, inexperienced and unqualified person we have ever put into the presidency and is totally incapable of being the commander in chief of our armed forces. It is inconceivable that 52% of the voters along with massive assistance from the mainstream media (with the exception of FOX News)could lack the gray matter required to properly vet this fraud prior to 11-4-08.
God save America
Semper Fi !!!
Posted December 5, 2009 at 12:50:20 PM
Mary
Thank you Jimmy D!
Reading through your comments made me smile again - there is hope, truth is a powerful thing, and there is still a Force beyond circumstances.
What a heartening reminder.
I'm the mom of two who recently completed enlistments (one Army, one Marine) and one who's still serving (Air Force)and I read what's happening and often get so discouraged it's hard to keep hoping - they're offering their lives for something so precious all of us should be standing firmly behind them, yet our leaders . . .
But there are so many out there who value freedom and truth and the heritage bought for us - surely together we can stand against the forces of evil and pass something worthy along to our children and their children. Thanks to each of you who are trying. Let's keep fighting the good fight.
Posted December 5, 2009 at 4:37:10 PM
Stephen Carter
America's political system is its Achilles heel. It's unacceptable that a leading nation elects a moron into the Presidency who campaigned on a platform of utter lies, and now there is nothing, not a blessed thing America can do for 39 months. Long before that time elapses America's economy can collapse, its legislature can be suborned & replaced by an appointed Council of Czars, its media can consolidate its sycophantic pederasty to this President ... America needs to find a Constitutional mechanism to initiate a referendum on an egregiously incompetent Presidency. Such a reform should allow that when the decision is taken the referendum follows within 3 months. The entire process should result either in the President being confirmed in his/her position, or lead to an election which in turn is finished with inside of 3 additional months. The lack of a Parliamentary-style of changing the government with swiftness, efficiency, and full accountability is seriously hampering America's governance. America would be well-advised to scrap the republican format of its executive / legislative branches, and replace them with a parliamentary chamber in which the head of government must appear at regularly scheduled intervals to answer robust, incisive, aggressive questioning from opposition party members. Obama will likely go his entire four years without ever once having to answer such questions.
Posted December 6, 2009 at 9:15:51 AM
Ileana
What kind of good fight are we fighting, Mary? Are you trying to convince yourself or us?
Nobody is listening to us, we have no power. I don't see any Obamaites changing their tune. They will re-elect him in 2012 with great fanfare. I am truly ashamed that some Americans are so ignorant and blind.
Conservatives have no candidate. They are too busy infighting, wishy-washy, too liberal in conservative clothing, and undermining one another very publicly. Some of them go as far as praising and supporting Obama! The only person standing up to what is happening in our country is Sarah Palin and yet conservatives don't think she is electable, whatever this term means. After all, we elected Obama, how can she possibly be worse than he is? She has infinitely more executive experience than he does. At least she can speak freely without the help of a teleprompter. Just because Hollywood says she is stupid, that is not saying much. These people memorize lines for a living and survive in a make-believe world on celuloid. How credible are they? Why are we even considering their views? They are not part of middle America.
Yes, God intervenes, Jimmy, but the revelations are not changing the course of politics. Acorn is still very much in control of the White House politics and the Census, they still receive funding. Some czars have left the WH yet they are still around the Oval Office. Crazy scientists, economists, and "educators" surround the WH. The hoax of climate data manipulation in East Anglia has been revealed online yet the Obama administration is going full speed ahead with Copenhagen and the EPA is declaring Co2 dangerous... next thing they will be taxing our breathing.
What part of 'we have lost our country to nefarious forces' do you not understand?
Posted December 6, 2009 at 10:05:09 PM
jsmith
Look, I'm the last guy to defend BHO, but GEN McChrystal asked for and has been pledged 40k troops -- 33k US (last number from Sec Gates) and 7k NATO. I would have prefered a larger number -- and so would GEN McChrystal, but he did get the minimum he asked for.
Posted December 7, 2009 at 8:58:57 AM
terry goodwin
On this Historic Day its sad to see how our Gov't can ruin so many good things, when we once were so Superior. Obama has reduced our Country to a shambles, and our Military have no choice but to secumb. Clinton and Obama condemed the Honduran Gov't for what they did to Zalaya, yet we continue to go down that path. As with Ollie Norths article he knows the dangers of what Obama is doing. We both served in an unwinable War when the Politicians took over and stopped the Bombing of North Viet Nam. We paid the price for such Stupidity, as will our Military now! Lt.Col. North continued his career in Political service, and paid the price for their mistakes again. As a Marine we do not sympathize for these men, we wish we could be there to help them. We can only Honor their service as we did for the Men who went before us. This war will be History some day, I only hope that it is learned from. SEMPER FI!!!!
Posted December 7, 2009 at 12:04:58 PM
Darrell
I think that we need to send the entire congress to remedial reading class.
Then we need to require them to read the Constitution of this great nation every day. Hopefully they understand english. Once they can understand what is said in this wonderful document we may allow them to speak. Should keep them quiet for at least 4 to 5 years.
Posted December 17, 2009 at 11:54:59 PM