Joe Biden: We'll Be Out Of Afghanistan By 2014, 'Come Hell Or High Water'

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Joe Biden: We'll Be Out Of Afghanistan By 2014, 'Come Hell Or High Water'

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/19/joe-biden-afghanistan-wikileaks_n_798759.html

First Posted: 12-19-10 10:54 AM | Updated: 12-19-10 11:40 AM



WASHINGTON -- Vice President Biden promised Sunday that the United States will withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014, "come hell or high water."

Last week, the Obama administration issued its strategic review of the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, assuring the public that it is still on target to begin withdrawing U.S. troops in July 2011 and fully hand over security operations to Afghan forces by 2014. But many observers have raised concerns about what the pace of withdrawal will look like within that time frame.

But in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, Vice President Biden said that the withdrawal that begins next year will be more than symbolic:

It will not be a token amount, but the degree to which we draw down -- if I can make an analogy to Iran, excuse me, to Iraq, which I've been put in charge of -- What happened there? We signed three years ago an agreement with the Iraqis saying that what we're going to do is two summers ago we're going to draw all combat troops out of the cities, populated areas. Then we said that our administration, we're going to draw 100,000 troops out the next summer, and we're going to be totally out.

In the meantime, we'll help to build a government. We'll transfer responsibility and we'll be gone. That's exactly what we did at the recent Lisbon conference, NATO conference, where we said we're starting this process like we did in Iraq.

We're starting it in July 2011, and we're going to be totally out of there, come hell or high water, by 2014.

[theophilus]

1. I think we'll have some of both by then Joe. How about that? n/t

[Motown_Johnny]

2. depending on what your definition of the word "out" is

[old guy]

3. I doubt we will be out of Iraq by 2014 let alone Afghanistan,

but it makes for a nice sound bite.

[PhillySane]

13. You mean Iran

I mean Iraq. I mean....you say po-tay-toes and I say po-tot-toes.

[crazyjoe]

4. which presumes obama/biden will be re-elected.

[rug]

5. But what if the "goals" are not met?

[musiclawyer]

8. Team Obama is thinking a long game

It sucks. They have made big mistakes and know it. I'm convinced that is why rahm is gone But the more they play the more i think I get the game. They know they will win in '12 so they promise out Iraq by then. They say there will be a line in the sand re taxcut for the rich in '12. They have no choice but to keep that promise without ridicule They know they could leave narco state bythat time too but it's not worth pissing off the military machine So they time it for the midterms '14. They will keep that promise too. But I hate the long game. Health care is now a long game. They could have kept everything short and glorious. Not long and inglorious But I'm old enough to know that it's better than the alternative

[rug]

10. There's a word for waging war for political cover.

[democracy1st]

6. more bs from the Goldman Sachs admin,there's NO Reason in the world to believe these guys!

[freshwest]

12. What if...

Goldman Sachs achieves their nefarious goals by 2014?

Could that be the reasons for announcement?

Hey, believe me, no love for those guys here...

[jaxx]

7. Joe is right, it can be done.

[rug]

9. That's not what he said. He said The US is out whether "it" is done or not.

[jaxx]

18. Done meaning they can get out when they say.

Some stuff will never get done, just like in Iraq.

[gateley]

27. And Viet Nam. nt

[Catherina]

11. And my grandmother will rise from the dead. n/t

[krabigirl]

14. Haha, yeah right. And even 2014 is too late.enough is enough!

[PhillySane]

15. Redefining the word "Out"

Maybe he's referring to gays in the military there. They'll still need to keep an occupation force of 35,000 beyond 2015.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mcmanus-afghanistan-20101219,0,5623511.column

[MichiganVote]

16. We should be out now. 9 years of war is hardly a military recommendation.

Gee, maybe they need standardized testing!

:shrug:

[Enrique]

17. who from the White House will walk this back, and when?

my guess, Robert Gibbs, tomorrow 11 am.

[somone]

19. Unless we can't convince John Boehner

[MadHound]

20. Mmm-hmm,

Just like Gitmo was supposed to be closed(within a year at that), have the public option, and do away with tax cuts for the rich.

Not believing it 'til I see it.

[Hawkeye-X]

21. Wrong answer, Biden. You should be ending the wars NOW.

And raising the rates on the rich, effective immediately.

And putting the war budget into the infrastructure, economy, jobs, and health care.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Memo to NeoLib Joe: You lost. Get out (now). Get over it.

[TheCowsCameHome]

23. We'll have both by then.

Forget it, Joe.

[lib2DaBone]

24. "Trust Me"... says Joe. Then when we are still there he'll say.."Our expectations were too high".

.. don't worry about it Joe.. you won't be in office in 2014.

[The Northerner]

25. Weren't all troops supposed to be gone by 2011?

[undeterred]

26. Well, Joe and Barack might be out by then anyway.

[Martin Eden]

28. Hell or high water don't seem all that unlikely these days.

They need to keep in mind that we'll have to pull out without defeating the Taliban.

Nothing much will change on that front between now and 2014, so why not pull out now and save lives and $billions?

[GeorgeGist]

29. Interesting slip of the tongue by Joe.

In charge of Iran... no wonder he's terrified of Assange.

[Xicano]

30. "READ MY LIPS"

n/t