No Answer On More Troops in Afghanistan

President Says Current Levels of U.S. Forces Are Under Review

(CBS)  President Barack Obama would not tell CBS News' Bob Schieffer whether he would approve a potential recommendation from General Stanley McChrystal, Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, to send tens of thousands of new American troops into that country.

"I'm not considering it at that point because I haven't received the request," the president said during a taped interview for "Face the Nation" Friday.

CBS News Pentagon correspondent David Martin reported that the request was imminent.

Mr. Obama said that when he took office he ordered a comprehensive review of the situation in Afghanistan, which was "adrift" after the Bush administration.

"In the meantime," he said, "I sent 21,000 troops to make sure that we could secure the election," held in August.

"[M]y job is to make sure that we get a strategy that focuses on my core goal which is to dismantle and destroy al Qaeda and its allies that killed Americans and are still plotting to kill Americans," he insisted.

More from "Face the Nation" (9/20/09):
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Full Transcript: Obama on 'Face the Nation'

Schieffer asked for the admission that it would be difficult for the president to deny the general's potential request for more troops.

"The only reason I send a single young man or woman in uniform anywhere in the world is because I think it is necessary to keep us safe," he replied.

"Didn't you say on March 27th that you have announced a comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan?" Schieffer asked. "I thought you already had a strategy."

"We did," the president explained, "but what I also said was that we were going to review that review that every six months."

Any additional troops sent to Afghanistan would be the result of one of these reviews which concluded that more troops would help, he explained.

[arkieguy]

George Bush made the mistake of his presidency by attacking Iraq before he had finished the business in Afghanistan. Now Obama is paying for it. I felt, when he made the statement during the campaign that he would send more troops there, that he was making a terrible mistake. His mistake was trying to placate those who believe that we have a future in that country,by promising to send more troops if he won. He made the war there his war, and now we shall pay the price.

[zzacrat]

Will somebody show Obama how to swim, he is over his head being President! This guy has no idea of what is going on, he has all of these plans in place, but nothing is getting done, that needs to get done. He has health plans that Congress has no idea about, he has war plans, that he needs to look at, or it wasn't told to him and he has no idea about! Obama is a ding bat when it comes up to being a President! Now let Biden to become President, I really loved that Deer in the Head-Lights look that he had in Iraq, a real Hero he is, no dought he was looking for a door back to the Great USA!!!

[arkieguy]

So you're the guy that has all of the answers to the president's problems and just won't tell him? Give us all a break!

[david393071]

"Schieffer: Didn't you say on March 27th that you had announced a comprehensive new strategy for Afghanistan? I thought you already had a strategy."

"But even as he outlined the new strategy, McKiernan made it clear he was still not convinced there were enough troops to pull it off."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/11/eveningnews/main5007510.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

President Obama (no US Military experience) did not have a new strategy for Afghanistan. That was General McKiernan's War Plan. His mistake was that after the Politicians did not listen; he went public (the CBS interview above)and got fired for embarrassing the current Politicians for not listening to the Commanders on the Ground. General McKiernan's mistake was asking for more Special Warfare US Military and not the Conventional Warfare US Military from Iraq; as Afghanistan is Asymmetric Warfare NOT Conventional Warfare. Historically, Conventional Warfare versus Asymmetric Warfare; Conventional Warfare always loses.

General McChrystal is on the spot as he wears the Special Forces Tab (Qualification) and knows that if he asks for more US Special Warfare he too will get fired. The reason is political, as after the President Clinton Reduction In Forces, the US Military capabilities were cut to the bone, with those RIFed forming Blackwater (Xe), Triple Canopy, and the other lost US Military capabilities filled by Halliburton, KBR, etc.. This lead to the current shortfalls in US Military Special Warfare (decades to train, "operational" experience, replace). What also did not help was the Defense Budget Cuts, just like Vietnam; with President LBJ coming on televison to embarass Congress (about the budget cuts), "this is killing our boys at Vietnam". You cut the Defense Budget after you withdraw us, so that there are no shortages of ammunition, weapons replacement, equipment, and training. And if you think this is not political, how about Congress trying to force the USAF to buy obsolete 1990s "Cold War" Era Aircraft (F-22) instead of the 10 year newer F-35.

http://www.cbsnews.com/1770-5_162-0.html?query=f-22&tag=srch&searchtype=cbsSearch

"by HGOODGUY September 20, 2009 12:10 PM EDT
History is the great leveler of opinions.
If we don't learn from it then we are bound repeat it!

George bush--Iraq--5400 dead--Got rid of Sadaam-wound up with endless chaos! Zero sum gain!"

Wrong guy(s). H.R.4655, 1998, Declaration of Current War At Iraq.

[steven1nc]

So President Obama whom I voted for...as part of the 21,000 man surge in Afghanistan, what did my son get wounded for on Aug 29th when on foot patrol a suicide bomber blew himself up from just 15 ft away? My son is one of the lucky ones...only ten days later he was back on patrol again getting stones thrown at him by Afghan kids. When he comes home on R&R in Oct he is going to have a veterinarian friend cut some shrapnel out of his shoulder, arm, ear, and thigh. And we will get his hearing tested since he is partially deaf in one ear now. So much to do in just 14 days.

[steve54z]

LBJ said (after the war) that he thought the Enemy would wield samurai swords and blow guns, not technology. Americans were killed in Vietnam by satellites, computers, and missiles developed by Russia and China. Barack Obama should take advantage of the native savvy of Afghanistan. Americans there offer only an ignorant reactionary approach.

[jefleshman]

Ok. I dont mind a Commander in Chief wanting to listen to his military leaders assessment of the situation before a decision is made. However it is not just single men or women over here. I was lauging at that quote. I know for a fact our military leaders are privy to information that the average American in not. So I trust their judgement.

Despite the medias attempt to give the public a hopelessness perspective on things. I for one see the open arms and hugs from the Afghan citizens daily over here. They thank us for being here and it is funny and comical the American public believes only bad happens over here. Heck look at are US Headlines. Do you honestly believe that only bad happens in America? No you cannot be that dumb.

It is the same over here. Bad news sells and guess who is buying the crap. Yep you got it the American public. IEDs and death just like in America. CBS top stories 5 children and a woman slain in Florida.Police arrest 4 in Va killings. Heck havent we had enough John and Kate and whom they are sleeping with. Who John Edwards slept with and fathered a child. Micheal Jackson death let the man rest for crying out loud.

Again Death sells and that is all the media is selling you in the news and you believe that is all that is happening over here dispite knowing the fact the headlines are not all that is happening in America. I was glad to see yahoo run the story of our Special Forces and the little boy. Maybe if you knew this type of kindness happens everyday over here you would have a different thought on the war.

Just my thoughts thank you for reading.

[HGOODGUY]

History is the great leveler of opinions.
If we don't learn from it then we are bound repeat it!

Lyndon Johnson--Viet Nam--57,000 dead--lost his presidency zero sum gain!

George bush--Iraq--5400 dead--Got rid of Sadaam-wound up with endless chaos! Zero sum gain!

I happen to support President Obama on everything but this.
It is a "trip to nowhere" that the Russians lost years ago. Just another corrupt "Banana Republic" chasing an imaginary boogie man!!
Al Queda and the Taliban are shadows, smoke and mirrors. We aint gonna catch them. They will simply pop up somewhere else in another country.
Same crap--different day!
We will spend billions of dollars and thousands of American lives and wind up with NOTHING, the same as in the past!!
If the president does not stop this dead in its tracks he will loose the presidency in 2012!!

[timothybledsoe]

The idiot public has their new Bush 2.0 puppet. I wish the criminal federal government would quickly and quietly collapse, taking their fake debt with them.

[wyodutch]

I vote we institute the draft and send a million troops to Afghanistan. Open up some Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises and a few Burger Kings... bring Murkan culture to the 'Stanis.

[steven1nc]

So President Obama whom I voted for...as part of the 21,000 man surge in Afghanistan, what did my son get wounded for on Aug 29th when on foot patrol a suicide bomber blew himself up from just 15 ft away? My son is one of the lucky ones...only ten days later he was back on patrol again getting stones thrown at him by Afghan kids. When he comes home on R&R in Oct he is going to have a veterinarian friend cut some shrapnel out of his shoulder, arm, ear, and thigh. And we will get his hearing tested since he is partially deaf in one ear now. So much to do in just 14 days.