House Republicans Criticize Obama Timeline
(AP)
Mr. Obama announced last night that he would begin removing troops from Afghanistan in July of 2011. That's a move that Republicans say will make the surge less effective.
"It never makes sense to tell the enemy when your commitment to fight will run out," said House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-IN), at left, after members met this morning to discuss the president's new strategy.
Republicans also questioned the president's true commitment to winning the war and criticized his speech last night for not focusing enough on commitment to success.
"Republicans want to know, is the president serious about fulfilling this mission?" said Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.
Republicans would not say, however, that they would vote against any bill to fund the new strategy. House Minority leader John Boehner said he wants answers to numerous questions, like how the exit date would work and what can be accomplished over the next year and a half, before Republicans can support the president's plan.
The other sticking point for the House GOP? Democratic proposals to pay for the increase in troops with a war tax. "House Republicans are adamantly opposed, especially during this difficult economy, to passing a tax increase on the backs of our soldiers," Pence said.
Another option for paying for the Afghanistan surge, which Republicans actively support at this time, is using unspent stimulus funds to offset the cost.
Republicans say they will listen carefully to the Capitol Hill testimony of Defense Secretary Robert Gates this week and General Stanley McChrystal next for the answers to their many questions about the new policy.
(CBS)
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Gee, seems like this is the hard question that should have been posed to GW "Shrub" Bush and Dicckless Cheney when they had Obama Bin Laden surrounded in Tora Bora in 2003, 6 YEARS AGO.
We all know how badly the "dream team" botched that, allowing Bin Laden to escape. Of course, quickly winning the war in Afghanistan would have prevented Cheney from going after Iraq, Saddam and his oil reserves which was always Cheney's real goal.
Yet another GOP mess for everyone else to clean up!
This clown supported Bush and his ABANDONING the "war on terror", to instead fabricate the war in Iraq, and he's got the balls to call out Obama's commitment to the effort?!?
What a typically hypocritical POS conservative!!!
Hmmmm, seems I have read that somewhere before....
(Losers whine and Winners make the tough decisions -- it continues).
.
Gee willakers ,,, it took President PantyWaist 6 months
(Apr, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec)
I'M SORRY, President PantyWaist took 9 months to make a decision
to send a token of troops to Afghanistan (1/2 what was requested)
ONLY
to surrender later in 2012.
Pathetic ,,, in a typical liberal manner
************
Funny, You would call anyone pathetic? You don't seem to like facts and math... ever heard of math?
President Obama deployed 21,000 troops into Afghanistan from February to April of this year.
He has deliberated on whether to send additional troops for approximately three months -- today is the 2nd day of December, he had made his decision by last weekend -- still November.
(By the way, General McCrystal may have requested the troops at the end of August 2009, but he did not ask to have them in Afghanistan until 2010).
And please tell me how 30,000 (plus the 5000 NATO has joined in committing thus far) is HALF of 40,000?
Your "surrender" comment is too ridiculous to address... you need help, you are easily influenced by liars and fear mongers. Please get some.
They're only out to oppose Obama - they're not going to try and help him solve our nation's problems. Their goal is to see Obama fail, and they don't really care if America goes down with it.
How true. Some of these traitors and hypocrites would wrap themselves in the flag and walk through the ruins of this once great country, trying to blame someone else.
And what good is a plan, any plan, when you can simply criticize the President? How pathetic.
First, it serves notice to Hamid Karzai that he better get his act together, and he doesn't have forever to do it. Otherwise he will end up dead, or in exile. He's got 18 months.
Second, it serves notice to the Afghan people that they need to get moving. They don't want the Taliban. It's their country, and they have 18 months to figure something out.
Third, It allows our exhausted troops, and their families, to see the light at the end of the tunnel after 8 long years of a horribly bungled war.
Fourth, Obama researched the situation carefully. This is something that the previous corrupt regime in Washington never did. And a big reason why they were such dismal failures.
Fifth, Obama inherited a mess in Afghanistan. Rather than just walking away, we now have 18 months to get it right. If that doesn't work, then we are never going to succeed.
Forget the Republican complainers, and the lunatic talking heads on TV. Setting a deadline is a good idea.
Also to consider:
The 18 months would start in January of 2010
In his speech last night, President Obama said we would START pulling our troops out of Afghanistan [and Pakistan] in July of 2011.
He also said that there had not been ANY requests -- including General McCrystal's, though he didn't say the General's name, his request was definitely one on the table -- that asked for troops BEFORE 2010. This clearly allowed for a period of deliberation.
(A quote to consider: "I will be delivering my plans after a long deliberation, after steady deliberation. I'm not going to be rushed into making a decision..." this was GW Bush in the several months before he sent the troop "surge" to Iraq)
Today, I know there are troops preparing to deploy from my area very soon. I understand they will be in Afghanistan right at or just after the first of the year.
It is my estimation that eighteen months is plenty of time for our troops to get the job done. I have confidence in THEM and I am very happy to report that, from those I have spoken with... they expect to be FULLY armed with PROPER equipment this time. That is excellent.
I have a question for those who find this eighteen month period not sufficient for our fine Military?
How long did the "surge" that so many claim "won" the Iraq War take?
Here's a hint: The 28,000 troops took from January to June of 2007 to fully deploy and by July of 2008 the Iraqi government was`satisfied and asked for the withdrawal of foreign troops.
Interesting parallels, if you ask me.
____
As to the assertion that letting the "enemy" know when we are leaving is so bad, uh... fellas we are letting them know when we are arriving!
Besides, the notion that they will just "play dead" until August 2011 and then "take over" the country is ludicrous -- it isn't the land of Afghanistan they want, they can move to Somalia or any number of welcoming countries... they want to kill "infidels" and spread their fundamental hatred -- the sooner we are out of there, the worse it is for their recruitment and "messaging".