The orders have been officially issued regarding Afghanistan

[WilliamPitt]

Obama Issues New Orders On Afghanistan
Christina Bellantoni | November 30, 2009, 11:13AM

President Obama huddled at 5 pm Sunday with his top military and national security team, issuing orders for the Pentagon to implement his plan for sending more than 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that Obama "issued orders" from the Oval Office to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Gen. David Petraeus, Adm. Mike Mullen, National Security Adviser Jim Jones, Gen. James Cartwright and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Before that meeting he spoke via phone with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The president also is calling key allies abroad, holding phone calls with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He will call Russian President Dimitri Medvedev and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today. He also is meeting privately with Australia's Kevin Rudd today.

Obama will formally announce the troops decision tomorrow night in a speech from West Point Military Academy.

The rest: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/obama-orders-30000-more-troops-to-afganistan.php?ref=fpblg

[hlthe2b]

1. Military Industrial Complex prevails once again...

Damn.....

[polichick]

3. Yep. Meet the new boss...

[piratefish08]

20. Same as the old boss........

[leftstreet]

2. Do we Rec or UnRec this?

If we're completely opposed to this decision, do we UnRec?

If we're pleased to see this bs exposed and posted here, do we Rec?

I'm so confused

:cry:

[WilliamPitt]

8. These un-rec people are fucking silly

They need a hobby, I think. Stamp collecting, maybe, or relentless masturbation. Something. Anything.

Shitheads.

[jonnyblitz]

10. this is just straight news . i don't understand the unrec reason.

I RECed because i appreciate this validation despite my opinion of the action.

[leftstreet]

16. But it's bad news

To Rec or UnRec...

[dbonds]

18. We un-rec when we don't feel it is worthy of recomending others to read it.

It isn't a vote if we agree or disagree - although it is misused like that sometimes.

[backscatter712]

36. I tend to rec if I find the story useful or informative.

Even if it informs me of something unpleasant.

[donheld]

38. You recommend the thread while UNRECOMMENDING the stupid orders.

[mike_c]

4. what incredibly stupid folly....

Just in time to sweep up my partner's son, the rat bastards. He joined the Marines a couple of weeks ago. Shit. Shit. Shit.

[derby378]

12. My nephew's a newly-minted Marine, and he's headed for Afghanistan right now

I pray that he returns to us safe and sound.

[Zhade]

34. I'm sorry. No more lives should be lost for empire!

I hope he returns safe.

[dgibby]

5. Obama will formally announce the troops decision tomorrow night in a speech from West Point Military

I detest it when any President uses the troops as props. Digusting!

[lies and propaganda]

6. Vomit.

Not what the fuck i voted for.

[LibDemAlways]

7. I guess now the administration will be

able to claim that they are creating jobs. Too bad they're a world away.

http://www.alljobsinafghanistan.com/

[bigtree]

9. it'll be interesting to see

. . . how all of the principals mentioned above roll out to represent this initiative. I'd like to hear more from Jim Jones.

[avalonofmists]

11. All hands on deck for the 'good" war....

:scared:

[Cyrano]

13. The last time this kind of insanity happened:

Lyndon Johnson was president; He sent Americans into a war in the jungles of Asia that couldn't be "won"; We now have a memorial in Washington with almost 59,000 names on it; And that's all that's left as a witness to Johnson's insanity about Vietnam.

Human beings seem incapable of learning from the past.

[Mari333]

14. That cinches his one term. yeah,

OBAMA IS A WARMONGER.
he lost his base.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. Sigh. Oh well...

Pretty much what I expected...

He has surprised me pleasantly on quite a few occasions. I was so hoping that this would be another one.


K&R


Thanks for the update, my dear Will.

[Soylent Brice]

17. : (

[librechik]

19. This is all wrong. To announce your strategy in advance is stupid

if you are actually trying to "win"

I am heartsick over this abomination. We are stuck in a political ritual that helps no one except the monsters who profit of violent deaths and oppression.

[piratefish08]

21. He owns it now.

I hope he knows what he's doing.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. "Bring it On!!" "Smoke 'em out!!" Same song, different singer.

It's an exercise in political CYA to avoid being seen as losing another unnecessary and already lost war.

[Lionel Mandrake]

23. Obama will ... announce ... from West Point Military Academy

He needs a guaranteed-friendly audience for what will be a very unpopular decision.

Does anyone believe that things are looking up in Afghanistan, as claimed by the White House? Where have we heard that kind of bullshit before?

[kenny blankenship]

28. I know I've heard this before ...but where?

[Lionel Mandrake]

31. White House Lauds "Remarkable Progress" in Iraq (2006)

18 March 2006

... A statement detailing "remarkable progress" in Iraq over the past three years as the country moves steadily toward democracy was issued by the White House March 18. The fact sheet, detailing economic, security and political progress in Iraq, expands on comments made by President Bush ...

The White House statement projects a consolidation of these gains in the coming year that will facilitate an increasingly Iraqi-led effort to "stabilize the nation and build a solid foundation for democracy and increased economic growth."

From the United States’ perspective, success of the effort will make America safer by depriving terrorists of a safe haven, more secure by encouraging reform throughout a Middle East region that "for decades has been a source of violence and stagnation," and stronger by demonstrating the reliability of U.S. power and commitments, according to the statement.

Source: http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2006/March/20060318142017retnuhategdirb0.6372034.html

Bush et al. called the statement a "fact sheet". Orwell would have appreciated that.

[jus_the_facts]

24. Fuckin' fuck....

...that is all. :yoiks:

[bdamomma]

25. oh crap, we never seem to be out of war business. just really sucks.

[FlyByNight]

26. Cry 'havoc'...

...and let slip the dogs of war.

Evidently, all too few within the administration gave a shit about what Matthew Hoh had to say. Or cared about that region's nation/empire-destroying history. Or paid much attention to LBJ's presidential history. Or, for that matter, paid attention to Bush's very recent "I'm a war president" history, etc.

This is about feeding the war machine and pipelines (probably poppy plants too). What possible political capital can Obama garner from this? Obama will face justified criticism from his left and be insulted by the right (for not being psychotic enough to "tame" the Afghans). And all this against the backdrop of unfair trade agreements, immense national debt, high unemployment, a mean and unfair healthcare insurance industry, potentially catastrophic global climate change and $600+ billion for force projection. And Obama's doing what?

More money and lives will be wasted to prop up a mind-bogglingly corrupt government as we interject ourselves into a civil war. Sounds familiar.

:banghead:

[Stand and Fight]

27. Recommended because this should be read and discussed.

As a veteran, I can saw that I am glad I got the hell out in 2004. I'm also sad to see that my suspicions about candidate Obama were correct.

[mvd]

29. I'll listen to the speech tomorrow. But as of now..

I definitely need convincing. I believe we already accomplished our goal in Afghanistan. I know the illegal war in Iraq complicated things, which is why I favor a phased withdrawal from Afghanistan and help with infratructure building. But I don't agree with permanent combat troops.

[Techn0Girl]

30. That wil be 100,000 American Men and Woman on the Line there...

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=143927&cat=11

This is NOT change I can believe in .

[Zhade]

32. Well, I wasn't going to vote for this fucking liar again anyway.

Fucking militarist.

[arcadian]

33. ...and Obama loses his 2012 reelection bid.

[natrat]

37. no, the oligarchs own the machines and things are going well for them

[flvegan]

35. Don't blame me, I voted for Kucinich.

My only question is for a clear answer as to why? If he's sending 30k more souls to fight this lost war so that we can bring them all home, then I'm all for it...if that's what it takes. If he's truly escalating with no real end in sight? Well, then I'm disappointed. Not surprised, disappointed.

[BigBearJohn]

39. "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

[earth mom]

40. 100,000 troops to chase 100 al Qaeda members in Afghanistan & 300 in Pakistan

This thread below shows what the "war on terror" is REALLY all about:


The Washington Post reported that there are 100 members of al Qaeda left in Afghanistan and about 300 in Pakistan. With Obama's troop increase to about 100,000, that will be 1,000 troops per terrorist in Afghanistan or 250 per terrorist in all of the ''AfPak'' theater.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7096814

[GeorgeGist]

41. Coward

Obama that is.