Obama: Two More Brigades To Afghanistan

(CBS/AP)  Democrat Barack Obama said Monday that as president he would send at least two more combat brigades to Afghanistan, where U.S. soldiers face rising violence and endured their deadliest attack in three years on Sunday.

The proposed force increase - about 7,000 troops - is part of Obama's plan to pull combat troops out of Iraq and focus on the growing threat from a resurgent al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

"As president, I would pursue a new strategy, and begin by providing at least two additional combat brigades to support our effort in Afghanistan," Obama said in an op-ed published Monday in The New York Times, a day before he plans a speech here on his vision for Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We need more troops, more helicopters, better intelligence-gathering and more nonmilitary assistance to accomplish the mission there," Obama said.

Obama argued the emphasis on Iraq placed by the Bush administration - and supported by Republican presidential candidate John McCain - stands in the way, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds

"I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq," Obama said.

Obama's campaign said his speech will focus on how missteps in Iraq have hurt efforts to strengthen U.S. security. He will also discuss his plans for the new brigades in Afghanistan, call for Pakistan to step up efforts dealing with terrorists, discuss the need for diplomacy to address Iran's nuclear program and address other global challenges such as climate change and energy security.

McCain is planning to speak about his plan for Afghanistan Thursday. He told reporters Monday, "I think we need to do whatever is necessary and that could entail more troops."

U.S. commanders have said they need up to three more brigades in Afghanistan - or as many as 10,000 additional troops - to both train Afghan forces and battle the insurgency. President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have promised to beef up the U.S. force in Afghanistan next year, but military leaders have made it clear they won't be able to do that until they can reduce forces in Iraq.

Obama says he will do that, redeploying combat brigades out of Iraq by summer 2010. He wrote that he would leave in place a residual force of undetermined size behind to "perform limited missions" like going after remnants of al Qaeda and training Iraqi forces.

"Ending the war is essential to meeting our broader strategic goals, starting in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda has a safe haven," Obama wrote. "Iraq is not the central front in the war on terrorism, and it never has been."

McCain took issue with that point. "He was wrong when he said we've lost the war, and he is wrong today when he says that Iraq is not the central battleground," the Arizona senator said. "We are winning there and his proposals would jeopardize the fragility of the success we've achieved. And his refusal to acknowledge that success is remarkable."

There are currently 36,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan, including 17,500 serving with the NATO-led coalition and another 18,500 conducting training and counterinsurgency. The recent spike in U.S. troops there resulted largely from the overlap of one brigade moving into the country, as another is preparing to leave.

Violence is on the rise in Afghanistan. Monthly death tolls of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan surpassed U.S. military deaths in Iraq in May and June, and a militant attack Sunday on a remote military outpost killed nine American soldiers, the deadliest assault on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in three years.

In his op-ed, Obama defended his opposition to President Bush's increase of troops in Iraq despite its success in helping bring down the violence in that country. He credited the increase for protecting Iraqis and weakening al Qaeda's effectiveness.

"But the same factors that led me to oppose the surge still hold true," Obama said. "The strain on our military has grown, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated and we've spent nearly $200 billion more in Iraq than we had budgeted. Iraq's leaders have failed to invest tens of billions of dollars in oil revenues in rebuilding their own country, and they have not reached the political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge."

McCain criticized Obama for his stance on the surge. "The major point here is that Senator Obama refuses to acknowledge that he was wrong," McCain said. "He said that the surge couldn't succeed. He said he opposed the increase in troops. The surge has succeeded."

[samsel3]

And the extermination continues:...........

More than a year and half before 911 the CIA Special Activities Division was conducting operations in Afghanistan, trying to topple the Taliban regime for the Caspian Sea Oil & Gas Pipelines...........We now call such activities terror.

February 12, 1998 John J. Maresca vp of UNOCAL oil appeared before a House sub committee. The purpose of the meeting was to gain support for exploitation of oil & natural gas resources, for the rights purchased by BIG OIL in the Caspian Sea area.

In his testimony he stated, "The key question is how the energy resources of Central Asia can be made available to nearby Asian markets ".

The exploitation option stated : "One obvious route south would cross Iran, but this is foreclosed by American companies because of U.S. sanctions (with Iran ) . The only other possible route is across Afghanistan, which of course has it''s own unique challenges. " He continued saying, " the pipeline we have proposed across Afghanistan could not begin until a recognized government is in place that has the confidence of governments,lenders (world monitary fund & world bank ) ,and our company "......"

UNOCAL and other American companies are prepared to undertake the job ".

[denialator]

Someone needs to tell this "honyak" he does not have enough knowledge or snap to determine military strategy or even the opportunity to play arm-chair general with the war in Iraq or Afghanistan which he strongly opposes and denies the very pupose for from the outset. We don''t need some upstart radical, leftist, Marxist, interloper who thinks he''s going to matter telling anyone what should be done. I don''t even give him credit for being a true American when he can''t even respect the Flag of this great nation by observing the playing of our National Anthem and is embarrassed because of our pride in a national language or wearing a lapel pin symbolic of the sacrifices of veterans which represent our country''s true strength and historical sacrifices to inspire democracy, peace, and freedom for the rest of the world.

"If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...it must be a duck."

Obama...go fly a kite! You don''t belong here.

[hbevis]

"PS. Iraq had Sudam Hussein- fro which we captured and killed- and if you don''''''''t rememeber him- read up, you idiot. He was a terrosits and worked with AlQuieda!

Posted by Ariel133 at 09:18 AM : Jul 15, 2008"


Saddam Hussein never had anything to do with Al Quida. Wow, you really aren''''t very smart are you.

Posted by taddles3 at 12:39 PM : Jul 15, 2008
**********************
It has been so long since we went to Iraq that I can''t remember about Al Quida. How about someone tell me the straight poop one way or the other????

[taddles3]

"PS. Iraq had Sudam Hussein- fro which we captured and killed- and if you don''''t rememeber him- read up, you idiot. He was a terrosits and worked with AlQuieda!

Posted by Ariel133 at 09:18 AM : Jul 15, 2008"


Saddam Hussein never had anything to do with Al Quida. Wow, you really aren''t very smart are you.

[taddles3]

"''''My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you''''''''ll join with
me as we try to change it.''''

- Barack Obama

Posted by Ariel133 at 09:16 AM : Jul 15, 2008"



LOL, that''s a joke quote from a journalist....yea, you''re not too smart are you.

[ariel133]

Obama campaign scrubbed his presidential Web site over the weekend to remove criticism of the U.S. troop "surge" in Iraq, the Daily News has learned.

The presumed Democratic nominee replaced his Iraq issue Web page, which had described the surge as a "problem" that had barely reduced violence.

"The surge is not working," Obama''s old plan stated, citing a lack of Iraqi political cooperation but crediting Sunni sheiks - not U.S. military muscle - for quelling violence in Anbar Province.

The News reported Sunday that insurgent attacks have fallen to the fewest since March 2004.

Obama''s campaign posted a new Iraq plan Sunday night, which cites an "improved security situation" paid for with the blood of U.S. troops since the surge began in February 2007.

It praises G.I.s'' "hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics and enormous sacrifice."

IS THERE ANYTING YOU WON''T FLIP FLOP ON??

[libh8er]

BILLIONS of dollars in weapons, ammo, and weapons technology. Posted by hungry1968 at 09:51 AM : Jul 15, 2008

According to Tom Hanks, that was Charlie Wilson''s war. Guess you never saw it! LOL

[libh8er]

Obama isn''t worthy of being a senator let alone president. He has no clue as to what''s actually happening in Afgagastan.

In the NW quadrant of Pakistan, the taliban is allowed to train and attack in to Afgagastan. Up to now, we have been unable to pursue and attack.

That''s BS just needs to stop as of NOW! If Ubama really had a plan, he would have said, ''we need to tell the towel heads in Pakistan that we will now go after these ***, even in to your country. If you won''t do anything about, WE WILL!''

But since he has no clue, he''s going to send in two brigades. I doubt he even knows how many troops make up a brigade.

I

[hungry1968]

PS. Iraq had Sudam Hussein- for which we captured and killed- and if you don''''t rememeber him- read up, you idiot. He was a terrorist and worked with AlQuieda!


Posted by Ariel133 at 09:19 AM : Jul 15, 2008





Saddam Hussein HATED global terrorists - they posed as much of a threat TO him, as they did FOR him. THAT is why he KEPT THEM OUT of his country.

But since YOU apparently KNOW, what our own intelligence agencies have already CONCLUDED to be false, perhaps you could share your proof / evidence that says Iraq and al Qaeda had a relationship.

The ONLY relationship they''ve EVER had, is Reagan / Bush Sr sold / gave them BOTH (and Iran) BILLIONS of dollars in weapons, ammo, and weapons technology.

[ariel133]

PS. Iraq had Sudam Hussein- for which we captured and killed- and if you don''t rememeber him- read up, you idiot. He was a terrorist and worked with AlQuieda!