Senate will hold hearing on new Afghan strategy Wednesday

[babylonsister]

This is good.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/69793-senate-will-hold-hearing-on-new-afghan-strategy

Senate will hold hearing on new Afghan strategy
By Michael O'Brien - 11/30/09 02:29 PM ET


The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday into President Barack Obama's military strategy in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen will appear before the committee at 9:00 to discuss the Obama administration's new strategy.

Obama will lay out his strategy for U.S. troops in Afghanistan during a prime time address from West Point on Tuesday night. The president is expected to call for an increase in troops tied to a long-term strategy for the U.S. to leave Afghanistan.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that the president ordered military commanders on Sunday night to begin implementing the strategy he'll outline tomorrow night.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has been somewhat skeptical of the wisdom of a surge in U.S. troops.

“The key here is an Afghan surge, not an American surge,” the senator said on Sunday.

[BeFree]

1. Good

Maybe they will answer this question:

Do we really need to be fighting them over there?
Or can we stop them from ever attacking us again right here?

The congress is on record as saying that they have done many things and spent tons of money on fighting them right here.

Has it been successful, or has it all been a waste of time, money and freedom?

[FrenchieCat]

2. Aren't you asking questions that cannot be answered

with any real guarantees?

I think the point is to try and get the job done that was never done,
and to have a strategy to get out no matter what works or doesn't at the end of the day.
Both of these things are new.

At least if something bad ever happens at some point, it won't be because this administration
didn't even try to come up with solutions to an inherited issue...
since it is this administration that would be forced to take the heat,
might as well give them the opportunity to at least deal with things their way.
Then when they are blamed, it will be at least remotely justifiable.

That's way more than we ever got in reference to Afghanistan.

[BeFree]

4. It is a change

Or at least it better be.

But the solution given us, and imo, held by most Americans, is that tired old meme.

A meme, btw, that Obama has grasped and enforced.

Personally, I never thought we had to fight them over there. I never once got sucked in. But then, I don't have to answer to anybody.

[FrenchieCat]

5. I think it is a change.....

but certainly what it isn't is a perfect solution,
cause to be honest, if one takes into consideration the situation,
there aren't any real perfect solutions out there,
even if we'd like to think that there are.

It's like building a house with bricks made out of shit....
at the end of the day, the house will stand, but it might just stink,
especially on a hot day. :(

[avaistheone1]

3. This debate should have been sooner. It needs to happen in the House as well.

The Washington Post has reported that 9,000 troops are on their way to Afghanistan as we speak.

Much of this seems a done deal.

[FrenchieCat]

6. That's because this President is not starting a new war......

Authorization for actions in Afghanistan happened years ago,
with all but Barbara Lee voting Aye.

If you want to have congress repeal the authorization,
then you should start working the phone.

There is no reason that this President, as CIC, should be treated differently from the others....
in that he has to get permission to do what he told us he would do for two years,
and for which authorization has already been given.

Getting an end strategy from this President who also allowed us and himself ample time to debate the issue to decide where we stand is more than we have ever gotten.

At the end of the day, this President understands that he will be held accountable
for his decisions, and that also a might big change.

Work to Vote him out in 2012 if you are pissed that he is making the decisions that he is
is my suggestion to you....

After all, in the end, we get the government that we deserve.
Guess you feel we deserve better....
personally, I prefer this to anything that I have experienced in ages....
but that's just me...so you should go for what works for you.

[karynnj]

8. The SFRC did hold hearings dealing with possible options

Four hearings, starting on September 16 and concluding the first week of October. In those hearings Lugar complained that no administration witnesses were available. The hearings included a diverse group of experts on the various issues. As you feel this should have been done earlier, did you watch those hearings?

(I think there was a House foreign relations hearing as well)

[Cha]

7. Good..I can't wait until

the President speaks and the endless speculation can stop.