Obama: Afghanistan War Is "Fundamental"
5247156The war in Afghanistan is "fundamental to the defense of our people," President Obama said Monday, addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars conference in Phoenix, Ariz. -- but the fight will not be easy.
"The insurgency in Afghanistan didn't just happen overnight. And we won't defeat it overnight," the president said. "But we must never forget. This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9-11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans."
The president said he is increasing financial support for both the military and veterans, but that waste will need to be rooted out of the system. He announced a new competition, challenging all 57 regional Veterans Affairs offices to come up with the most efficient ways to harness information technologies and breakthrough the bureaucracy.
"And then we're going to fund the best ideas and put them into action," the president said. "All with a simple mission—cut those backlogs, slash those wait times and deliver your benefits sooner."
The president's chief performance officer, chief technology officer and chief information officer will work with VA Secretary Shinseki to reform the system.
Mr. Obama said his increased investments will also help the military fight all challenges, like "18th-century-style piracy and 21st century cyber threats."
"We need to keep our military the best trained, the best-led, the best-equipped fighting force in the world," he said. "That's why — even with our current economic challenges — my budget increases defense spending."
Mr. Obama said his strategy in Afghanistan encompasses diplomacy, good governance and development along with military force. Soldiers are implementing new tactics such as taking the fight to Taliban strongholds, helping Afghans improve their everyday lives and securing polling places for this week's election.
Richard Holbrooke, Mr. Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan, said Monday that the Taliban has failed in its attempt to derail the election.
The administration has increased the size of the Army and Marines Corps two years ahead of schedule, approved another temporary increase in the Army and has halted personnel reductions in the Navy and Air Force. Mr. Obama said this would enable him to put an end to stop-loss for those who have already served.
The president's budget includes the largest increase in the VA budget in more than 30 years, the president said, adding that over the next five years he will invest another $25 billion more.
"These are major investments, and these are difficult times," he said. "Fiscal discipline demands that we make hard decisions—sacrificing certain things we can't afford. But let me be clear. America's commitments to its veterans are not just lines in a budget. They are bonds that are sacred."
Yet the waste in military budgets, the president said, are "an affront to the American people and to our troops."
"We can't build the 21st century military we need — and maintain the fiscal responsibility that Americans demand — unless we fundamentally reform the way our defense establishment does business," Mr. Obama said.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The insurgency in Afghanistan didn't just happen overnight. And we won't defeat it overnight," the president said. "But we must never forget. This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who attacked America on 9-11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans."
The president said he is increasing financial support for both the military and veterans, but that waste will need to be rooted out of the system. He announced a new competition, challenging all 57 regional Veterans Affairs offices to come up with the most efficient ways to harness information technologies and breakthrough the bureaucracy.
"And then we're going to fund the best ideas and put them into action," the president said. "All with a simple mission—cut those backlogs, slash those wait times and deliver your benefits sooner."
The president's chief performance officer, chief technology officer and chief information officer will work with VA Secretary Shinseki to reform the system.
Mr. Obama said his increased investments will also help the military fight all challenges, like "18th-century-style piracy and 21st century cyber threats."
"We need to keep our military the best trained, the best-led, the best-equipped fighting force in the world," he said. "That's why — even with our current economic challenges — my budget increases defense spending."
Mr. Obama said his strategy in Afghanistan encompasses diplomacy, good governance and development along with military force. Soldiers are implementing new tactics such as taking the fight to Taliban strongholds, helping Afghans improve their everyday lives and securing polling places for this week's election.
Richard Holbrooke, Mr. Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan, said Monday that the Taliban has failed in its attempt to derail the election.
The administration has increased the size of the Army and Marines Corps two years ahead of schedule, approved another temporary increase in the Army and has halted personnel reductions in the Navy and Air Force. Mr. Obama said this would enable him to put an end to stop-loss for those who have already served.
The president's budget includes the largest increase in the VA budget in more than 30 years, the president said, adding that over the next five years he will invest another $25 billion more.
"These are major investments, and these are difficult times," he said. "Fiscal discipline demands that we make hard decisions—sacrificing certain things we can't afford. But let me be clear. America's commitments to its veterans are not just lines in a budget. They are bonds that are sacred."
Yet the waste in military budgets, the president said, are "an affront to the American people and to our troops."
"We can't build the 21st century military we need — and maintain the fiscal responsibility that Americans demand — unless we fundamentally reform the way our defense establishment does business," Mr. Obama said.
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Maybe the right answer is a debate of just the FOUR and tell the two parties they are DONE and DEAD. Elect a peacepresident and see let our troops find peace and life, liberty and happiness! Void the election and demand the national agenda that the lip service needs to enact--ONLY TRUTH VOTING will net TRUTH POLICY in office for a nation and a world to "believe." Reality check. Democracy is not "incumbents only". Change WAS WANTED and Peace WAS WANTED, and the MEDIA did not present the truth, there should have been a show-down of the two facing the four in ONE DEBATE not separate.
We need to make the truth of the nation happen. I did not vote for Obama! Truth of the four against two, can start with what was an "official announcement" 9/10/08, before the news media, at the National Press Club. Ron Paul called a press conference and gave an introduction to "unity" of four agreed principles by four challengers on the ballot. The unity represented a reality check for honest politics to deliver the change, peace, and hope due: (1) reverse the foreign policy in the Middle East to peace and bring the troops home; (2) Privacy for citizens as a lawful civil liberty; (3) Cut the red ink military bloated budget of trillions restore sanity to the proper use of taxes; (4) Protect the Federal Reserve.
See: http://www.tiny-url.org/debates08
U-Tube. The press was there, but they did not bother to deliver the election coverage of ballot box power to the people OVERDUE!
Who should have won if the nation wanted a Constitutional government and peace, and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?" One of the four challengers against the incumbent corruption of our honest Constitutional framework for a lawful and respectable government. No nukes, also agreed by the four against the ugly two who took the control against the proper debate contest for the people to win their agenda to vote FOR the people's government NOT a "military industrial complex" against the world in red ink, the world is not willing or interested in Obama as their ugly military offender in a high order.
Who here believes the Obama "necessity" not choice, is something he did not do, but inherited? He is a wimp? No, he is a "Coward In Chief" who did not and cannot offer honest change or peace. Stand before the 90,000 increased troops? Obama? You gotta be kidding. He cannot begin to stand. He never stood. He lied all the way, and still is. Likely he is waiting to be taken down. Give him three choices, or force the change against any choice: If he is to stay, he can hang for treason of declaring a war that is not his to declare, he does not intend to uphold the proper respect for Congress and thereby protect the country and the peace due, Congress declares war, NOT the President; he can hang for refusing to ask Congress before trying to force it against the will of the country and B-Commander In chief, IF Congress declares war, must stand as leader before the army-he will get shot Standing for War not wanted! Enemies not declared! He lied about peace before he was elected, he wanted war, he has to stand in person before the soldiers whose lives he is SOOO ready to risk, he must risk his NOW, while he is soooo adamant, if he is honest.....he is not honest, he is a liar in chief, honest about his villainry against soldiers and both the U.S. government and the Afghan government; C-He should resign for failure before he has to be tossed out - either by a voiding of an illegal "no contest" election of "incumbents only" against proper lawful contest on the ballot overdue before the nation, or impeached because he is what he offered, I HEARD HIM, he wanted to do what Bush did only "better" as if the nation did it, they did not, Congress did not...that is what he wanted copy Bush after having said NO to Bush's War, then he said INCREASE IT! We did not say that, we did not elect that! Obama is without honor and seeks violence increased as if that is protection, it is heinous, and he deserves to have to face his lies, choose which Way! In Person Commander in Chief, can be shot on the foreign soil as a pretender declaring enemies who do not choose that status, they are not seeking any war and he knows it. He should face them before asking any soldier. That is enough.
Obama did not offer peace, he offered HYPE WORDS and UGLY ACTIONS, Peace as the hype word and ugly military increased in red ink trillions and troops intended as HIS INCREASE of 90,000 troops to "invade and occupy Afghanistan."
We did not have a proper democracy and he was not facing the proper challenge of the peacemakers of the ballot for the public to choose a WINNER against the UGLY Americans who think they can take away not just our freedom but "everyone's" certainly including Afghanistans, as is in PLAIN VIEW.
Obama is an ugly war criminal facing the nation RIGHT NOW!
Stay The Course, Mission Accomplished, nothing has CHANGED.
SearingTruth
A Future of the Brave
And President Obama added:
"Today I am announcing that I have sent the Vice-President to the Afghan mountains to negotiate a truce with the Taliban."
Joe at distant secret Afghan Taliban hideout: Take me to your leader young Taliban!
Goat: Baaaaaaaaahh!
You are an ungrateful SOB these men are protecting your arse while you make disparaging remarks where it is safe. You don't deserve the protection they are giving you.
Not all members of the military are "protecting us".
Many people that served in the military for only a couple of years, have FREE VA health care benefits FOR LIFE, simply by earning an honorable discharge.
VA health care benefits for life, should be reserved for retirees and combat veterans ONLY.
By the way, I served three years and will be eligible for those VA health care benefits when I get older / retire, AND will get the prescription drug programs too.
Do I REALLY deserve it for serving three years in a Northern Virginia motor pool, getting drunk nearly every night, as a member of the US Army?
I don't think so.
Not only do you deserve it, you're gonna need it!
Presidents have to have nation building. If fulfills their role as commander in Chief, Defender of the Free World, and Keeper of the Faith.
Funny that you keep making this bizarre claim, but there was only ONE PRESIDENT that believed in this disaster of an idea. And it ain't Obama.