Gates: Afghan Troops Will Leave in Stages

(CBS)  Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday that President Obama's 18-month time frame to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan "isn't a deadline" during an interview for "Face the Nation."

"Mr. Secretary, is there a deadline or is there not?" CBS News Senior Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer asked Gates.

"There isn't a deadline," Gates said. "What we have is a specific date which we will begin transferring responsibility for security district by district, province by province in Afghanistan to the Afghans."

Schieffer's full interview with Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to be broadcast Sunday on "Face the Nation."

In his speech Tuesday, Mr. Obama said he will send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. The president said he intends to pull those troops back from Afghanistan after 18 months.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said of the July 2011 date, "it's not an arbitrary time. It is an assessment based on what we see happening that yes, we will be able to transfer responsibility and that will very likely mean some troops can come home."

Republicans have mobilized against the prospect of a deadline for withdrawal including Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., who told CBS "Evening News" Anchor Katie Couric July 2011 was "an arbitrary date for withdrawal."

Gates explained that the 18-month timeline is meant to convince the Afghanistan government that U.S. support is strong but not endless.

"It's an effort to try to let the Afghans know that while we intend to have a relationship and support them for a long time the nature of that relationship is going to begin to change in July of 2011," Gates said. "As the security component comes down, the economic, development and political relationship will become a bigger part of the relationship. We are not going to abandon Afghanistan like we did in 1989, but the nature of the relationship will change."

[stryker54]

Yes they will leave in stages. A few at a time in body bags. This administration wants to ruin the military so we don't have a coup in our own country. Make the people dependent on the govt. so the control the masses, and exhaust so they are tired of fighting in wars that do NO good. The american people better start voting these jerks out in 2010. Hopefully Minnie Mouse won't vote for Obama next time. I would rather here she is F-ing goofy.

[50BMS13]

Dear Mr. Karzai,

You will have all the troop support you need from the United States government I assure you. Don't be worried about my speech regarding 18 months then withdraw. I have to please the left liberals and anti-war crowd in my country, you know, the Michael Moores. We will be in Afghanistan until hell freezes over. I need your support in that you play along with my 18 month withdrawal plan. This will get me elected for my second term in 2012. The left will be easy to please with smooth words. Once I have the second term sewn up, heck maybe I'll implement the draft. I assure you we will follow the same policies of the Bush Administration and will be with you indefinitely. War is money and there is a lot of money to be made in Afghanistan for us. So relax my friend. Play along. That will appease the left in America which is the support and base I need for my second term. We are there to stay. My Secretary of Defense is on board with this. All is well.

Sincerely yours,
Barack Hussein Obama
President of the
United States of America

[quapawsix]

Question what are each of you prepared to do if the government keeps going like it is this country is through.

[stryker54]

I say let's all march on DC and take back our WH, and congress, throw all these idiots out once and for all. Than on every ballot have done of the above, if NOTA wins, we have another election with different people. Basically, lets get rid of all the lawyers in DC. That would help in many ways.

[LogMaster]

The headlines should read:

*HELP WANTED SUPPORTING U.S. ARMED FORCES AND COALITION FORCES*

There's one thing about the discussion of whether you agree with the surge, or disagree with the surge - it is a moot point - it's happening regardless of one's political affilations or ideology.
And where will the boots-on-ground, grunt labor force providing material support come from to feed, house and take care of all those U.S. and coalition troops?? How will the daunting task concerning the logistics of receiving these troops be addressed?? Exactly who will build, maintain and sustain the infrastructure for the new and existing bases in Afghanistan?? logcap4jobs.com provides some incredibly honest, raw, unfiltered, truly *viral* information for anyone considering going to work on the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, and precisely what those intrepid enough to endure the living conditions for a hefty paycheck can expect. The U.S. and coalition troops look to civilians (primarily Americans), working on LOGCAP (Logistics Civil Augmentation Program) for their meals, to do their laundry, take out the trash, keep their living quarters warm in the winter, cool in the summer and much, much more. Imagine for a moment all the disciplines required to build a small city and you'll begin to get an idea of the scope of work necessary to perform the monumental task required to support so many troops - engineers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, truck drivers, laborers, food service personnel, heavy equipment operators, administrative personnel, accounting and finance, HR, mechanics, water purification, refuse removal - the list goes on and on! All these services plus dozens more must be supplied to the war fighter in order for them to concentrate on the mission at hand. logcap4jobs.com knows what it's talking about when it comes to the subject of supplying the support personell for what many have called the "civilian army" accompanying the troops.
It's a job.....and somebody's sure gotta do it.

[enwr77]

There is a worry by the Afghan people that they will be abandoned. They worry we will pull out and leave them to their own. I am confused since some do not want us there. They do not want the occupation. For those that supposedly do want us there, they need not worry. There is a government that will protect them, have soldiers remain, build a western infrastructure, and build successful schools. They will rebuild a nation, because what the Afghans have built is not one. They did not ask us to do this.

May be the American people can elect such a government that will have the same concerns for them. We will have schools that work. We will have a repaired infrastructure that is fuel efficient and green. We will have good paying jobs for those that actually do the work. We will have healthcare for the people and not for insurance companies. We will have a country that cares more for the country that Americans built and will not let the greedy and corrupt destroy her. We will have a nation whose debt was created building our own nation and not destroying what other nations have built for themselves. Inspiration comes from the State of Texas. Texas took in Katrina victims and suffered a hurricane disaster of its own. With every listing of soldiers killed in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, there is always at least one from the State of Texas. Nation building must continue in America.

[erb0087]

"Gates: Afghan Troops Will Leave in Stages"

================================

I know you're trying to save the taxpayers money, sir, but the troops should leave in motorized vehicles.

Stage Coaches are so low tech, so 18th century.

Even if you hit that "Carriage Return" key, it'll still take them forever to get here.

[whammersley]

I have watched Face The Nation for many years. Principally because of its impartiality in news broadcasting. Today, Sunday 12/6/2009, Bob Schieffer has obviously buckled under the pressure from the White House to further its political agenda. I do approve of the direction President Obama is taking in Afghanistan by sending in 30,000 additional troops but the fact that this is a one sided approach to reporting with no opposing view troubles me significantly.

[pensacola8-2009]

Gates is another Cheney or Rumfield thinking as if he also runs the State Department, too. President Obama should beware of the results he will get from Gates.

[hungry1968-17]

"There isn?t a deadline," Gates said. "What we have is a specific date which we will begin transferring responsibility for security district by district, province by province in Afghanistan to the Afghans."






Conservatives aren't going to like this at all.

They want an open ended, never ending commitment, to dying troops and TRILLIONS of dollars being funneled to the military industrial complex.

[YoureSoWrong10]

Your commentary remains the most foul-smelling and juvenile. Congrats.

[hungry1968-17]

I agree.

The smell of conservatism fouls EVERYTHING.

[r9119111]

We now have a democratically elected president who is doing a good job. Thank you, President Obama.

[erb0087]

"We now have a democratically elected president who is doing a good job. Thank you, President Obama."
=================================

A President who has actually put in the hard work to think this war through before acting.

Thank you, President Obama.

To see Obama's predecessor in action, that lazy son of a ***** Bush, check this out: possibly the most pathetic video on all of Youtube:

(His "friendly audience" is laughing at him)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD7BDP3XMG0