Inouye changes course after visit to Afghanistan
posted at 10:12 am on October 14, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Just a few weeks ago, Senator Daniel Inouye spoke mainly about the empires that had failed to transform Afghanistan over the last two centuries, in response to questions about whether the US should commit more resources to the Af-Pak theater. After a visit to the country and a briefing from General Stanley McChrystal, the Democrat from Hawaii has changed his tune. Now he wants a full commitment to McChrystal’s strategy, increasing pressure on President Obama to make up his mind:
Without committing himself to specific troop increases, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye returned Tuesday from Afghanistan, seeming to fully embrace Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s counterinsurgency strategy that would demand more American resources and manpower.
“I believe Gen. McChrystal’s assessment of the current situation and his conclusions, including his assessment that coalition forces must have more daily contact with the people of Afghanistan, is correct,” said the Hawaii Democrat, “and is what is needed if we are to achieve security and stability in Afghanistan.”
“This strategic approach will mean altering our military strategy to focus on counterinsurgency,” Inouye continued in a statement released late in the day. He said “appropriate resources” will be needed “to accomplish this goal” but “as for the specific numbers of U.S. troops that may be required… I will await specific recommendations from the military and the administration.”
A Medal of Honor veteran of World War II, Inouye has been a reliable partner for past administrations—Republican and Democratic—on foreign policy issues, so at one level his statement is not surprising. At the same, time the chairman, who personally manages the annual defense appropriations bill, has been openly skeptical of what can be accomplished with military might in Afghanistan. To this degree, his new statement marks a change and a more determined tone to press ahead.
Inouye joins colleague Dianne Feinstein on Afghanistan. Feinstein made the point more forcefully on Sunday’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, but Feinstein had been consistent on her commitment to the Af-Pak theater. Inouye shows that some Democrats may join the GOP in pushing Obama to match his campaign promises to his actions.
No one thinks this will be easy, or short. Michael Yon likens the effort to the space program, but perhaps over a century rather than a decade:
The peril might not yet be obvious, but the consequences are far too grave to ignore. Enemies of humanity are trying to pull India and Pakistan into war. Ignorance is their primary weapon, and Afghanistan is merely one battlefront. Most of these kids will remain illiterate, and the children of their children likely will not be able to read. Even if they were literate, there are few books available in languages such as Dari or Pashto. This kid in Zabul Province is already lost. Afghanistan will be doing well to get his sons and daughters into a school, but more realistically it will be his grandchildren that might first be reached. We must be realistic. America did not succeed in putting people on the moon by hiring mathematicians who could not expertly use the slide rule or correctly perform the math. America succeeded in part by hiring the best mathematicians, along with the best scientists and engineers of all sorts, who possessed powerful intellects, realistic imaginations, and a volatile intolerance for anything less than pure truth. They didn’t drink anyone’s Kool-Aid.
And so President Kennedy said, “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.” And they kept pushing through a painful series of dramatic failures, until, within that same decade, in 1969, the first words spoken from a man on the moon came beamed home to earth …
All of that may seem too distant and too expensive, but the alternatives are worse. We have already seen what happens to Afghanistan when left to its own devices as a failed state for just a few years. We cannot afford another round of radical Taliban control, complete with its partnership with other radical Islamist groups, including but not exclusive to al-Qaeda. Nor can we rely on our ability to re-invade later to remove radicals and terrorists. We only had that ability because of cooperation we got from Pakistan and neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, cooperation that would dissipate if we bugged out and left them with the Taliban on their borders after making them targets for their ire.
If we want to stop Afghanistan from being a one-stop shop for radical terrorists, we have to stick to the mission and pull Afghanistan out of the Stone Age, which means a large commitment of resources and time to get the job done right. If we don’t, then we need to get out. And we need that decision now.
Update: The Investors Business Daily/TIPP Poll shows that Americans now support a larger commitment of troops, a reversal from last month:
As President Obama mulls the military’s request for a big troop build-up in Afghanistan, Americans have swung in favor of such a move, according to a new IBD/TIPP Poll.
The survey of 927 adults found that a plurality of 48% favors sending more troops and resources to Afghanistan. That’s a sharp reversal from September, when Americans opposed the idea, 55%-35%. …
That’s because the turnaround comes from a surge in support from Republicans — up 27 points just in October to 72%. A month ago, GOP respondents had leaned against sending more troops, 47%-45%.
Independents narrowly support beefing up America’s commitment to Afghanistan, 45%-42%.
But Democrats say no more blood and treasure by 57%-32%. Many congressional leaders have signaled their reluctance to send reinforcements.
That’s a smaller gap than what I’d predict for Democrats.
Blowback
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I meant same year (2000, I believe), not same ceremony. I should have clarified.
BadgerHawk on October 14, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Bad comparison. The 442ns was the most highly decorated unit in US military history.
Del Dolemonte on October 14, 2009 at 1:21 PM
Well, actually he declared Al gore the legitimate President of the US in 2000. As I recall he even showed up when the Electoral College was meeting to try and get some of them to change their votes.
I trust Dan on military matters, but that’s about all.
Del Dolemonte on October 14, 2009 at 1:26 PM
A few of the war hero senators voting/support grades
Energy Issues:
Campaign for America’s Future
Name: Campaign for America’s Future
Year: 2005-2006
Issue: Energy Issues
The Campaign for Americas Future is the strategy center for the progressive movement. Our goal is to forge the enduring progressive majority needed to realize the America of shared prosperity and equal opportunity that our country was meant to be.
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100
Name: Environment America
Year: 2008
Issue: Environmental Issues
Environment America is a federation of state-based, citizen-funded environmental advocacy organizations. Our professional staff in 27 states and Washington, D.C., combines independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for the environment. Environment America draws on 30 years of success in tackling environmental problems.
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100
“The Arts Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit membership organization created by Americans for the Arts, the nations leading 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization for advancing arts in America. Launched on October 4, 2004, it seeks to engage citizens in education and advocacy in support of the arts and arts education. The Arts Action Funds goal is to enlist and mobilize 100,000 citizen activists who will help ensure that arts-friendly public policies are adopted at the Federal, state, and local levels, and public and private resources are maximize.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100
Name: Citizens for Global Solutions
Year: 2006
Issue: Foreign Aid and Policy Issues
We are a membership organization working to build political will in the United States to achieve our vision. We do this by educating Americans about our global interdependence, communicating global concerns to public officials, and developing proposals to create, reform, and strengthen international institutions such as the United Nations.
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic A+
Name: Service Employees International Union
Year: 2008
Issue: Labor
“Service Employees International Union’s union political action program is independent of the Democrats or Republicans or any other party. Our goal is to keep the heat on all politicians to do what’s right for working people. We’re working together to: Strengthen Social Security and Medicare to guarantee the benefits we’ve been promised; Make quality health care affordable and available to everyone; Improve public services through better management and training for public employees not by bringing in outside profiteers with backdoor connections to politicians; and Protect workers’ freedom to choose to have a voice at work by joining a union.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100
Name: U.S. Border Control
Year: 2005-2006
Issue: Immigration
“U.S. Border Control is a non-profit, tax-exempt, citizens lobby, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Border Control is dedicated to
ending illegal immigration by securing our nation’s borders and reforming our border and immigration policies. Our organization
receives no financial support from any branch of government. All our support comes from concerned citizens who appreciate the
work we are doing and wish to see it continue.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 0
Name: National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Year: 2007-2008
Issue: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
“The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The primary focus of the NAACP continues to be the protection and enhancement of the civil rights of African Americans and other minorities.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 93
Name: American Family Association
Year: 2007-2008
Issue: Family and Children Issues
“The American Family Association exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 0
Name: Population Action International
Year: 2007-2008
Issue: Social Issues
“At the heart of Population Action International’s mission is its commitment to advance universal access to family planning and related health services, and to educational and economic opportunities, especially for girls and women. Together, these strategies promise to improve the lives of individual women and their families, while also slowing the world’s population growth and helping preserve the environment.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100
Name: Population Connection
Year: 2005
Issue: Social Issues
Population Connection
Formerly known as Zero Population Growth;
“Overpopulation threatens the quality of life for people everywhere. Population Connection is the national grassroots population organization that educates young people and advocates progressive action to stabilize world population at a level that can be sustained by Earth’s resources.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic 100
Name: Gun Owners of America
Year: 2007
Issue: Gun Issues
“Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic F
Name: U.S. English
Year: 2007-2008
Issue: Immigration
“U.S.ENGLISH, Inc. is the nation’s oldest, largest citizens’ action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Senator S.I. Hayakawa, an immigrant himself, U.S. English now has 1.8 million members nationwide.”
HI U.S. Senate Sr Daniel Inouye Democratic F
Jeff from WI on October 14, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Senator Inouye is strong on defense. Hawaii has received Billions and Billions of Military stuff, thanks to him. He was Senator here when Vain Hussein was in high school. Will Danny have any persuasive powers over the affirmative action hero? Time is running out…
upcountrywater on October 14, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Good comparison. Your comment immediately following this one echoes my position exactly:
Please reread my comment. What I said was what you said.
unclesmrgol on October 14, 2009 at 1:45 PM
It is as if Michael Yon is at war … … … … with himself.
Would anyone buy a car from a salesman who said that you might have to make payments, and large ones, on it for 100 years?
MB4 on October 14, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Your assessment is correct, sir. I appreciate your account of his heroism.
Mine assessment was meant to address blind deference.
Cybergeezer on October 14, 2009 at 2:19 PM
PS
Mr. BadgerHawk; I’ve lived and worked in Hawaii and know of the people and attitudes Inouye has to deal with.
Cybergeezer on October 14, 2009 at 2:25 PM
In this Inouye changes course after visit to Afghanistan thread, other than presumably in some of the comments, I do not see one mention of what religion the Afghans are. I suppose it is just such a minor matter as to be of too little importance to even mention, but just out of idle curiosity what religion are they? Mormons? Evangelical Lutherans? Buddhists? Not that it matters, of course.
MB4 on October 14, 2009 at 2:26 PM
As someone stated on a similar thread this last week, the people we are fighting against think in terms of generations. I think they are a very patient people, who will use the time needed to conquer the infidel. I don’t think that Americans – or most other developed nations – understand this approach. If victory is not immediate, it isn’t worth the time. This, IMHO, is the reason that we will eventually lose to these cave dwellers.
mimi1220 on October 14, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Anyone remember how long has it been since Obama has been to Afganistan?
Susanboo on October 14, 2009 at 3:55 PM
You act as if we have a choice.
Unless you think allowing the Taliban back in, while at the same time destabilizing both Pakistan and India, is a viable option.
MarkTheGreat on October 14, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Just perhaps, since it has been talked about zillions of times, the author thought everyone knew.
Perhaps you forgot?
MarkTheGreat on October 14, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Wow. A public servant emerges when you’d least expect it…. Maybe more libs will get tired of Alinsky games and remember what they are there for… I can only hope.
Axeman on October 14, 2009 at 4:46 PM
President Obama has seen fit to replace the sitting ISAF commander with a General McChrystal. Suffice it to say that Gen McChrystal’s understanding of the Warrior ethos is somewhat askew from the mainstream. Also let us cut to the chase and identify him more as a political mouthpiece than a field commander. Add to this the dubious addition of General James L. Jones, who unlike McChrystal has actual combat experience but still shares the same ultimate goals and one world vision as both McChrystal and Obama. What you have here is an unholy trinity injecting their shared philosophy of ‘spare the civilians at all cost’ – even though those civilians are not US citizens and are in fact complicit in their own misfortune. The new ROE presented by McChrystal and under which operation Khanjar was mounted is nothing less than disgraceful, immoral and fatal for our Marines, Sailors and Soldiers on the ground. The Marines and Soldiers that are ‘holding’ territories of dubious worth like Now Zad and Golestan without reinforcement, denial of fire-support and refusal to allow them to hunt and kill the very enemy we are there to confront are nothing more than sitting ducks. Denying them even the ability to fight, which is their only purpose for existing, to defend themselves in a foreign land that sees them first as agents of the devil is detestable to the secular world and immoral to the rest of us.
- John J. Bernard (1stSgt USMC ret) – 7/23/2009
MB4 on October 14, 2009 at 5:24 PM
I have been saying this and will keep saying this… we simply can’t afford to lose this war.
And think about it. It’s only a matter of resolve. We have the personnel, technology, weapons, moral authority, tacticians, etc. etc. — essentially everything it takes to win this war. All we need is resolve.
Know who has ONLY resolve and little else to win this war? The terrorists.
The long undermining of American values by pro-socialists in our own country, has stripped us of the only factor keeping us from winning this war.
Every war requires we win the hearts and minds of the native population (of any country we ever expect to leave at some future date) AND that we win the physical war against the enemy. I can’t see any good reason we can’t accomplish this.
If this President, who told us we should pull out of Iraq, and now can see his obvious mistake, pulls out of Afganistan, it will be very obvious to everyone that he did it because he WANTS the U.S.A. to lose. And that will be the end of any chance he has in 2012. (I am being a bit disingenous here… I think Obama has no chance in 2012 no matter WHO runs against him because of his idiotic domestic policies alone)
Danzo on October 14, 2009 at 5:26 PM
Excuse me Senator but you are full of shit. You have changed your views because there is a Dem President in the White House.
You recognize that the politics now say support–so you support. Stop with the tripe that you talked to a General. You could have talked to any number of Generals anytime you chose. You are simply looking for cover on your switch.
patrick neid on October 14, 2009 at 6:36 PM
I was here long before you were, and I’m a staunch conservative. Of course your opinion doesn’t make you a bomber, but the way you express it sure makes you sound like one.
It’s too bad you can’t honor a man’s outstanding service to his country because you disagree with him on one issue and you have to paint over half of America as Nazis & pedophiles for the same reason. Plenty of Democrats have shed blood in the defense of this country and your freedom, & love it just as much as you do.
But hey I guess it’s something to do, huh?
kg598301 on October 14, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Not much projection there, is there?. I’m immovable in my opinion of baby killers, so of course that makes me a bomber.
If you’re not a liberal, why do you use liberal logic?
er..I mean illogic.
By the way, the people that claim NOT to be Democrats or liberals, but find excuses for Democrats or liberals, are called RINOs, NOT conservatives.
Jeff from WI on October 14, 2009 at 8:22 PM
You can call me anything you want Jeff, I don’t give a flip. Name calling is for children. Do you back up what you believe?
When was the last time you raised an unwanted child? Gave any amount of time or money whatsoever to help a teenage mother who made a mistake but chose not to abort her baby?
Or do you just sit around on your computer casting stones & judging women like that (for doing the same thing you probably did when you were a teenager but getting caught), then condemn them for being a welfare mother? And spewing vitriol at anyone who disagrees with your oh-so-moral opinions?
What kind of “conservative” are you?
Yeh, that’s pretty much what I thought. lol
kg598301 on October 14, 2009 at 8:59 PM
By the way you really have no idea what “projection” means, lol
kg598301 on October 14, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Actually I volunteer at a group through our church called Lutherans for Life. We help counsel young, or really any woman, on her alternatives to abortion. We help get her funding if needed, prenatal care, and discuss options like adoption.
To be honest, I’m not a counselor for the group, I help with the fund raising, and the physical plant of the offices, equipment, and as a trustee a the local group.
Jeff from WI on October 14, 2009 at 9:56 PM
I am glad to hear that Jeff, at least you are walking the walk to some extent. Have a good night.
kg598301 on October 14, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Sorry it’s only “to some extent” for you. To be honest, my kids are almost all grown now and my wife and I love children and we hope we’re blessed with grandkids some day.
As far as adoption, I’d love to adopt at this time, or when I was younger, a child, to give them a home. I know my wife and I would of made good parents, but I was “blessed” with a physical condition I developed almost 20 years ago that would, in our state, disallow us from adopting. I’m afraid they’re only looking for 100% physically able parents.
Jeff from WI on October 14, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Come to think of it, my wife is almost completely deaf now so she’d be a no go now too.
Jeff from WI on October 14, 2009 at 10:35 PM
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