Kerry post on the Dem Daily: Not A Forgotten War

[kerrygoddess]

Not A Forgotten War
Posted by John Kerry
September 14th, 2006 @ 9:40 am

As I spent the last weeks working and writing on national security, what jumped out at me over and over is that while I believe we are slowly, painfully forcing a better debate on Iraq, the war we began in Afghanistan after 9/11 has become kind of a forgotten war — even though it is the real epicenter of the terror threat. I was struck by how much in meeting after meeting I heard that Afghanistan was falling apart. But where’s the sense of urgency? I’ve tried to pull together that picture as best as I could — and a specific — no fooling around — get tough policy for Afghanistan to rescue this effort. I’m talking about it today at Howard University.

I don’t think there are any more serious issues to our security than what’s happening and not happening in Afghanistan, and what needs to happen — this isn’t a Jeremiad by any means, but I feel like if we don’t lay it out as clearly and adamantly as we can we’re going to look back and see a huge threat unaddressed while we were completely focused on Iraq. And it’s a threat we know all too well has real life and death consequences.

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4180

[TayTay]

1. Excellent article.

Afghanistan is the forgotten war. While the number of troops in Iraq climbed to 147,000 this month, Afghanistan is starving for want of more attention. This very dangerous part of the world is still a breeding ground for terrorsts and must be watched.

Sen. Kerry said last Sat., in his speech at Faneuil Hall, that the recent would-be terrorists who were arrested in London in a plot to blow up US bound airplanes were part of a plot hatched in Afghanistan. That is where the real war against the use of terrorism is being waged. That is the place that we shouldn't forget about. This Admin can't even get our Allies in NATO to commit to putting in 5,000 more troops there. They are so badly damaged in the eyes of the world that even the place that they can't even get our Allies to agree to that.

[lyonn]

2. Kerry needs to get real Air Time to tell the people not Blogs

Some talking heads last night said that the Dems need speak out, to get some air time and I wondered how that works. Do they go to media and ask - are they asked?? Because if the Dems are not taking advantage of an offer to speak in prime time then we are in Big Trouble - but, if they are not asked then the media is lying to us.

Murtha seems to get air time, thank gawd. Shumer (sp?) gets air time but he is not very good. We all know the Dems that can speak to the crowd. Chris Matthews likes to complain that the Dems will not talk to the issues. Is that a fact? Is he and others that make that comment speaking the truth that the Dems are, in other words, shy, hesitant, fearful of saying the wrong thing??? Whaaaat? Blows my mind.

If this coming election is the least bit suspicious those Dems running for office need to get their act together, forget being Mr. Nice Guy, and stand up for the party. Sheesh

[fedupinBushcountry]

3. He was last night

I spoke to Senator Kerry earlier tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Senator Kerry, do you believe we're winning the war on terror here in Afghanistan?

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: No. I think that the Taliban -- well, winning -- I think it is a losing proposition right now, in the sense that it's going downhill and backwards. The Taliban is resurgent in the south. And there are enormous difficulties on the border.

COOPER: Who do you blame for that? I mean, why -- why have the Taliban, in your opinion, been able to come back?

KERRY: Why do we have seven times the number of troops in Iraq that we have in Afghanistan? I think that tells the story.

The administration took their eye off of Afghanistan, shifted the focus to Iraq, which was not the center of the war of terror. It is Afghanistan. And we are facing enormous problems. COOPER: Some people, though, blame -- blame NATO. I mean, NATO's commander has asked for some 5,000 more troops. Even the troops that have already been promised, a lot of NATO countries haven't delivered.

KERRY: Well, the truth is, as I think General Pace said over the weekend, every member of the coalition, ourselves included, have been dragging their feet. So, the answer is, yes.

But here's the -- look, yesterday, Secretary of State Rice said we cannot allow Afghanistan to go downhill. If -- if Afghanistan goes backwards, we are in serious trouble.

The very next day, people are refusing to put the troops in necessary to be able to do it.

COOPER: The Bush administration says that they're able to fight two wars at once, that -- that the troops in Iraq, the fighting in Iraq, has not taken away from what's happening here in Afghanistan.

KERRY: Well, I think that is ridiculous, on its face.

There isn't anybody who can't see, very simply, that the entire focus of the war on terror shifted to Iraq. The fact is that Afghanistan always was the place where it was of greatest intensity. And this shifting has cost us enormously.

COOPER: How -- how many more troops do you think are needed here in Afghanistan? Do you have a number?

KERRY: Well, I suggested that, for the moment, if you were to increase the special forces units and the -- and the other sectors that I talked about by about 5,000, I believe you could send an important message and give us very, very significant added ability.

COOPER: Unless, though, the U.S. is able to either operate in Pakistan and chase insurgents, chase Taliban fighters, and -- and al Qaeda fighters, into Pakistan, or unless the Pakistan government ups the ante, and -- and, you know, goes after forces in their territory more vigorously, is this really winnable?

KERRY: No. If you can't -- if you can't do one of those two things, you have hit the nail on the head. We have a serious containment issue.

And I think, in the long term, it's going to become much more difficult. Clearly, this is a moment for Pakistan and it's a moment for Afghanistan. But we are completely diverted by an Iran that has become stronger because of our presence in Iraq, by an Iraq that is crumbling on a daily basis, by a Lebanon and a Syria that are deeply troubling, and a Mideast that is more volatile.

So, the administration has really unleashed unbelievably dangerous forces, rather than have contained those forces and brought the world to our side.

COOPER: Senator Kerry, appreciate your time. Thank you.

KERRY: Glad to be with you. Thank you. Be safe.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/13/acd.01.html

Sorry you missed it. Sheesh.

[lyonn]

6. Thanks for that info - very good

Now we need a whole lot more of the same, not just occasionally.

[WildEyedLiberal]

4. He was on Anderson Cooper 360 last night I believe

And I think he was on Wolf Blitzer last Sunday (?)

It is unsurprising that the media talking heads are doing their best to make Democrats look weak and confused. They can't lie away the sins of the Republicans, at this point, so they are now fully invested in making the Democrats look as unappealing as possible. Kerry will go on one of the shows and talk about his plans in detail, and just the next week that same talking head will be lamenting how "Democrats don't have a plan" - despite having just heard a rather in-depth plan the week before. It is deliberate and it is untrue.

[TayTay]

5. Kerry did media this week

He did the Ed Schultz show on radio, as well as a local Boston talk show. He had an interview on HardBall last week, an interview on CNN Sunday afternoon and again last night and has done other call-ins as well.

He is out there trying to get some media oxygen. The major media on the alphabet networks, as we know, shuts out Dems.

[karynnj]

8. Matthews is getting "forgetfull, I think

Kerry was on his show and said in far greater detail and better all the things that Matthews and Maher were whining that no one said less than a week before on HARDBALL. Matthews even wnet to Kerry's office to get the interview.

Kerry was neither shy or hesitant. Link to transcript:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14733559/

[kerrygoddess]

7. Kerry's speech text is up

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4182

[ProSense]

9. Thanks! n/t