Report: McChrystal satisfied with additional 34,000 troops
posted at 9:30 pm on November 24, 2009 by Allahpundit
That’s according to unnamed “military sources,” although under the circumstances, anonymous intermediaries may be more credible than an on-the-record interview. For obvious reasons, McChrystal couldn’t object to this publicly even if he wanted to, especially given the uproar after his speech in London.
Even better: Assuming NBC’s tipsters are right, there’s no timetable for withdrawal in The One’s plan. That’s a great relief given the emphasis on “off-ramps” lately.
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This White House is very leaky. I’m sure it’s Hillary’s Dept. of State leaking all of this. :-)
SouthernGent on November 24, 2009 at 9:31 PM
Caution!
Off ramps are still under construction.
RobD on November 24, 2009 at 9:32 PM
Well sure he’s satisfied. They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Oink on November 24, 2009 at 9:33 PM
Unless he announced his resignation and retirement, what else would anyone expect him to say. This declaration by McChrystal is relatively meaningless.
rplat on November 24, 2009 at 9:34 PM
This is still just a rumor in a news paper…y’all might wanna wait a bit on this, until you see the details.
Skandia Recluse on November 24, 2009 at 9:34 PM
can our country get an off ramp from this miserable POS president?
elduende on November 24, 2009 at 9:37 PM
McChrystal knew full well the number of troops he needed and knew for certain the Administration would not give him what he asked for. So he asked for double the amount and they gave him half, which is what he was wanting.
Holger on November 24, 2009 at 9:37 PM
Entirely possible. I almost mentioned that in the post.
Allahpundit on November 24, 2009 at 9:38 PM
“How can we blame this on Bush?”
Del Dolemonte on November 24, 2009 at 9:39 PM
Be safe out there, men. I hope 34K gets it done.
Spirit of 1776 on November 24, 2009 at 9:39 PM
Only double the amount?
Del Dolemonte on November 24, 2009 at 9:41 PM
I’ll beleive it,when the troops are in landing mode,
wheels down,and are taxing in on an Afghanistan runway!
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Too bad they can’t just nuke it from orbit; it’s the only way to be sure.
ray on November 24, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Code Pink can’t be pleased. And Arianna demanded if one more troop – Joe the Veep should resign. That’s Arianna talking, Joe.
Marcus on November 24, 2009 at 9:43 PM
I’m going to be real cynical here, but I think it is all a trial balloon.
The WH intentionally leaks this to see Soros, Media Matters, and radical leftwing base reaction between now and Dec. 1. Already seeing some push back on it. If it gets too hot, he will either timetable a pullout, or use the Afghan political morass/Vietnam comparison and do a Kerry and default to Biden scenario and pullout by a certain date. My assumption: the guy could care less. Got to honor that Nobel Peace Prize.
Starlink on November 24, 2009 at 9:46 PM
The lack of a timetable is very good news, and sure to piss off his base. Kudos, if true.
BadgerHawk on November 24, 2009 at 9:46 PM
I think this depends on what your definition of “is” is. “Is” McChrystal satisified with less troops than he requested? Obviously not. But considering the alternative, which is a full retreat or an inadequate number of troops, he’s satisfied.
Amy Proctor on November 24, 2009 at 9:47 PM
This White House is very leaky. I’m sure it’s Hillary’s Dept. of State leaking all of this. :-)
SouthernGent on November 24, 2009 at 9:31 PM
SouthernGent:Between Obama and Hillary,who campaigned to
bring the troops home,no wonder this kabucki
dance took so long to finally get the troops!:)
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 9:48 PM
Let’s hope McC is sincere.
Bishop on November 24, 2009 at 9:48 PM
What the hell else is he going to say? He works for a limp wristed panty waist….
Now, the thought of Hillary’s leaky department makes me want to lose my lunch.
HornetSting on November 24, 2009 at 9:49 PM
He probably asked for more than he needed, knowing this prez, giving him an out to look good to the lefties.
PattyJ on November 24, 2009 at 9:54 PM
I take it the word “surge” is off limits.
galvestonian on November 24, 2009 at 9:58 PM
Needing 40K…….he gets 34K with no strings attached.
In an odd way, with this thumble-brained nincompoop Poser-in-Chief, this is not exactly bad.
If Obeyme is going to give the General 34,000 and with no ends to gain control of Afghanistan……that’s kind of a little victory.
Hell, I thought this weasel would completely limp-out and order the beginning of a general withdrawal in negotiations with the Towlies so anything less seems something of a bright spot.
JoeinTX on November 24, 2009 at 10:00 PM
Sorry but the litmus test here is a winnable strategy. We have yet to hear what the filthy lying and still dithering coward has to say about that and, apparently, things are so dire that we need to wait until next Tuesday for a prime time speech to find the answer to the “off ramp” question.
I still think it is time to strike the tent and bring the troops home because this administration is committed to politics and not national security. How many troops have to die because this bastard is just working around the edges without a clear plan other than re-election of the radical socialist traitor?????
highhopes on November 24, 2009 at 10:02 PM
Are those stimulus jobs in a real, or imaginary congressional district?
ICBM on November 24, 2009 at 10:02 PM
They should go with Spurt.
Patrick S on November 24, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Surge suggests a significant wave of extra resources that is merely temporary to change the dynamics. A mini-version of shock-and-awe. That’s not what is going on here.
highhopes on November 24, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Plus a surge reminds everyone of Bush’s successful strategy, against every Dhimmicrats’ wishes, in Iraq.
Mojave Mark on November 24, 2009 at 10:06 PM
Any chance McCrystal out-smarted Obama here and he didn’t really need 40k but new Obama would low ball him?
lavell12 on November 24, 2009 at 10:06 PM
More importantly are those off ramps “shovel ready” projects.
highhopes on November 24, 2009 at 10:07 PM
Yeah, Texas. The only thing surging is poverty.
This is a trickle, but our guys will get it done.
HornetSting on November 24, 2009 at 10:07 PM
McChrystal knew full well the number of troops he needed and knew for certain the Administration would not give him what he asked for. So he asked for double the amount and they gave him half, which is what he was wanting. – Holger
That’s what I was thinkin’ too, kinda like when you’re selling your house and you want 100,000 for it so you ask 125 hoping you’ll get 112-113.
Tony737 on November 24, 2009 at 10:08 PM
McChrystal satisfied with additional 34,000 troops
What else can he say? He has to put on a brave and supportive front once the decision is made. Anything less is dangerous in terms of troop morale and perceptions/support by allies.
csThor on November 24, 2009 at 10:08 PM
And why wouldn’t he be?
If that actually is what the number of additional troop escalation really is this time then McChrystal will have 102,000 (47,000 (inherited from Bush) + 21,000 (Obama troop escalation of a few months ago – largly forgotten) + 34,000 (claimed new troop escalation to come) American troops. If he got all 40,000 more American troops then the total would be 108,000 instead of 102,000 which isn’t much of a difference. I think that McCrystal was much more concerned about keeping his ROE [Pre-occupied with protection of our own forces, we have operated in a manner that distances us — physically and psychologically — from the people we seek to protect.
- General McChrystal (from his COMISAF assessment of the war in Afghanistan)] and Hearts and Minds and Unicorns and Flowers [We don’t win by destroying the Taliban. We don’t win by body count. We don’t win by the number of successful military raids or attacks, we win when the (Afghan) people decide we win.
- General McChrystal (in London some time ago)] strategy anyway than he was about the difference between 108,000 and 102,000 American
Self-Sacrificial Lambstroops .I am sure the troops will just love that! By the time they finish their last Afghan tour [multiple stop loss, of course] they will be almost eligible for Medicare (Obama pill version, of course) and although their grandkids will be espanol de discurso they still might just remember a little English for grandpa.
MB4 on November 24, 2009 at 10:08 PM
I hope McChrystal over-asked.
kingsjester on November 24, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Troop levels are never exact. It’s how the troops are going to be used that makes a difference and we have to wait until next Tuesday to find out, other than leaks which the administration will be doing in spades this week as trial balloons since they don’t have a real strategy.
Make no mistake, the administration is sending 34K troops because their internal polling pegged this figure as politically acceptable weeks ago. Off ramps polled badly so it is no longer on the agenda but we will be seeing other tests this week as the filthy lying coward comes up with the “strategy” that is already out there.
Here’s hoping that McChrystal writes a tell-all book once he retires from active duty so we know the real story as to how the ditherer got to this point.
highhopes on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
O/T,sorta!
Meanwhile,tho,the Army Corps Of Engineers are accused
of drowning New Orleans!!!
===========================
Federal judge rules Army Corps of Engineers’ negligence contributed to Hurricane Katrina flooding in New Orleans
By Associated Press
November 19, 2009, 1:36AM
=========================
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2009/11/federal_judge_rules_army_corps.html
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Anything less!!! Dude, if this report is true, Obama would have pushed 54000 troops since he became the C-I-C. You would imagine Bush had been pouring hundreds of thousands of troops in Afghanistan which had completely stabilized the country. He left the Af-Pak theatre as a mess.
But then many on this site believe he deliberately wants to lose because he closet Muslim or whatever is Limbaugh’s latest nonsense.
And the idea that just because the general on ground does not get exactly the number of troops he wanted, this is something wrong makes the office of the president a rubber stamp.
Of course, the dudes here would not remember that McCain was saying Iraq was a mess from 2004–and when did Bush went for the surge? Again? And when did he fire Rumsfield? Again. Somewhere close to elections right? Politics! Of course not!
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
did mcchrystal or an aide say this?
orfannkyl on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
Boy Among Men!
http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=10422
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Which polling, dude? If polling was the criterion, “filthy coward bastard” would have exited Afghanistan because his base won’t vote for it and neither will uber-patriots like you.
As I said, in your hatred, inability to see anything except what your masters on radio feed you, you are no better than the guys at Daily Kos.
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:17 PM
But then many on this site believe he deliberately wants to lose because he closet Muslim or whatever is Limbaugh’s latest nonsense.
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
rightistliberal: Obama admits hes a Muslim!Enjoy!
http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=9701
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 10:18 PM
Yeah, pushed forward by McCain after 3 years of dithering by Bush and Rumsfield who were winning the war with a light touch.
Selective memory, anyone?
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Circa 2049:
Just about
ten twenty thirtyforty years ago I set out on Obama’s Afghanistan road,Seekin’ my fame and glory, lookin’ to turn the
POSmullah’s hemorrhoid into a pot of gold.Well, things got bad, and things got worse, I guess you will know the tune.
Oh ! lord, stuck in Obama’s Afghanistan yet again.
Flew in yet again on a big plane, I hope I’ll be in one piece flyin out when I go.
I was yet again just passin’ through, must now be yet another
5 10 1520 tours or more.Running out of time and patience ["Not to complain but whatever the hell happened to my youth?!"], looks like they took still more of my friends.
Oh ! lord, Im stuck in Obama’s Afghanistan yet again.
The Hope and Change man in the White House said yet again I was on my way.
Somewhere I lost his connection, he ran out of words to say.
I came into Kabul, yet another one year stand, looks like the plans fell through yet again
Oh ! lord, stuck in Obama’s Afghanistan yet again.
Mmmm…
If I only had a woman ["Hey Jack, do you remember what a woman is?"], for evry Obama tour Ive done.
And evry time Ive had to fight while cheered on by CINO’s Obama and his many successors sat back home power drunk.
You know, Id like to catch the next plane back to where Im from.
Oh ! lord, Im stuck in Obama’s Afghanistan yet again.
Oh ! lord, Im stuck in Obama’s Afghanistan yet again.
- CCR Soldier Boy
MB4 on November 24, 2009 at 10:24 PM
rightistliberal: Obama admits hes a Muslim!Enjoy!
http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=9701
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 10:18 PM
There is also evidence out there that Bush did 9/11 and we never landed on the moon.
You might enjoy such “evidence”; I don’t. Btw, there is also some evidence that Obama is anti-Christ?
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:26 PM
He is a General. He was smart enough to use “strategery” and ask for 80K because he knew he would only get half of what he asked for with this administration.:) I don’t think that he believed it would take this long.
AnthonyK on November 24, 2009 at 10:31 PM
What exactly is a rightistliberal? Is that like a gaystraight guy? Or a prettyugly lady?
Patrick S on November 24, 2009 at 10:34 PM
There is also evidence out there that Bush did 9/11 and we never landed on the moon.
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:26 PM
rightistliberal: Ugh,your just like Obama,typical Lefty’s
that can’t focus!
You brought up the crack about Obama being
a closet Muslim,in the video,he admits it!!
The discussion is about Hopey,not former
President Bush!!
Btw,the rumour has it,that the next Anti-
Christ will be a muslim!!
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 10:36 PM
You are so clueless about my positions that you are irrelevant. Shoo! Get back under that bridge before your nanny goats get away.
highhopes on November 24, 2009 at 10:37 PM
Leftisttool is a better name for something like you.
highhopes on November 24, 2009 at 10:40 PM
So it can be implemented quickly.
GarandFan on November 24, 2009 at 10:44 PM
I wouldn’t go that far, but when your CinC says he doesn’t believe in victory you can’t have too much confidence that he’s going to stick it out.
PackerBronco on November 24, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Lodi (Afghanistan)
MB4 on November 24, 2009 at 10:57 PM
“Do you agree with my numbers Private, er, um I mean General McChrystal?”
“Yes Sir! You’re coming through loud and clear, sir!”
MaiDee on November 24, 2009 at 11:03 PM
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
That collection of words was very confusing. Are you using some sort of translation machine?
Are you expecting us to launch into a debate about the surge in IRAQ for your benefit?
Well, it was all our current President’s idea. He won the Iraq War from the US Senate so we elected Him President. He Saved Hillary from gunfire and was poor for a few years since He gave away an inherited fortune to the poor and then set records for scholarship and community service at our finest schools. He claimed that He was white on applications so as to avoid moving ahead of anyone on account of His race. The He ended all waste corruption in a major city, Chicago, so He went to the Senate. He also stood up in a church He attended for decades and unified the congregation in a love of the US but the pastor did not like it. He is bringing our nation together, living like an ascetic and balancing our budget so we can move forward as a nation to solve future problems. He is planning to do what we call a reality show to appeal to cable viewers on a network called Fox News. He wiil be on there for a running dialog with critics and friends alike at different parts of the day. Tell your fellow inmates or planet dwellers all that. Love, The Earthmen on Hot Air
IlikedAUH2O on November 24, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Well, I suppose he’ll have to be satisfied. His commander has spoken.
All he can do now is do his best with what’s allotted to him, resign, or request a transfer to other duties.
But the really really bad thing is that these reinforcements will take forever to get there—somehow I’m thinking that few if any will ever actually be sent.
Consider the speed with which the U.S. sent forces around the world in the 1940s and it can’t be done more quickly now? Suuuure.
McChrystal’s better off making a deal with the Navy and the Air Force and evacuating everyone out of there in secret…even Iraq would be a better place to be now.
Dr. ZhivBlago on November 24, 2009 at 11:08 PM
The 0 is going to turn McChrystal into Mr. Scott.
- The Cat
MirCat on November 24, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Forgot to say
Those are the reasons He won The Peace Prize. Which He returned.
IlikedAUH2O on November 24, 2009 at 11:09 PM
Maybe McChrystal got an offer he couldn’t refuse. Waking up one morning finding a map of Greenland in your bed might have that impact.
crosspatch on November 24, 2009 at 11:11 PM
IlikedAUH2O on November 24, 2009 at 11:06 PM
Oh, okay? And this is supposed to be more relevant?
I mean, seriously! What he is doing in Afghanistan is a surge. What more do you want?
Actually, you are disappointed that he agrees to send troops to Afghanistan. The other way around we surely would have lost and then you could say: Obama lost the war.
You could not care less whether we win or not!
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 11:24 PM
Where is Patton, when we really need him?
Johan Klaus on November 24, 2009 at 11:57 PM
It was all so simple then…
Ms. Streisand — one of yours.
Um so you ARE a liberal? Wasn’t the old comment that President Bush should win in Afghanistan? I don’t remember setting objectives and strategy as any part of it.
Then this guy endorses a policy, then doesn’t endorse it, then gets a new General, then takes months to figure out what he is doing and then expects nobody to remember what He was talking about before He got the job. Things were all so clear then — just run against the weakest target.
Now He is elected and He does manage to go back and bash the guy who had the job before He got it quite frequently. I think that He just did it again on this issue. That shows a lot of class, maturity and strength.
I pray that The One is the hero we need and wins this war. It is about time that He accomplished something!
IlikedAUH2O on November 25, 2009 at 12:02 AM
Have you heard the rumor that someone in the military wants
the troops to do patrols in Afghanistan without body armour? I have got no more direct contacts to know if this is just scuttlebutt.
Johan Klaus on November 25, 2009 at 12:07 AM
Well no kiddin . What did people expect him to say or do ? Go all “7 Days in May” on hes azz ?
borntoraisehogs on November 25, 2009 at 12:11 AM
Hamm , Luxembourg
borntoraisehogs on November 25, 2009 at 12:22 AM
Concur… he’s leaked WAY too many different plans, at too many different times… and still has not really made this decision.
Its all about trying to figure out what the will give the Least PUBLIC outcry… not what is really needed to win the war.
Folks… Anti insurgency is all about having enough troops to have a significant precense everywhere you need them…
Notice… the Surge in Iraq worked… why? because we put in enough troops to hit that tipping point in that country where they felt there was ENOUGH stability.
We are putting LESS troops into Afganistan, with LESS mobility (horrible road system), trying to cover a country MUCH larger (in area though not population).
Even with this increase, it is NOT enough troops to win this thing (IMO as an amatuer military historian). This level of troops still puts us at less troop density than pre surge Iraq.
Romeo13 on November 25, 2009 at 12:26 AM
Who ya gonna believe? None of them.
Speakup on November 25, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Sure: So what is the level you recommend here? Keep in mind we still have lot of troops in Iraq. We don’t have an infinite number of troops, you know.
rightistliberal on November 25, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Vietnam Redux with one big difference. Unlike Johnson, Obama let the deaths of soldiers, and the carping of the media sap public support. Shep Smith with straight face sez today, “How will we pay for this?”
Obama has no will to win. Bring them home alive.
Randy
williars on November 25, 2009 at 1:19 AM
That rings a fairly loud bell. Maybe something I read weeks ago. Maybe from Diana West quoting some top general.
MB4 on November 25, 2009 at 1:30 AM
They are apparently making women Marines wear the Hijab
MB4 on November 25, 2009 at 1:38 AM
This seems to link to a video of McCrystal, but my system won’t load/play it. This is from one of the comments evidently from someone who did listen to it: In a casualty-sensitive America [where public support is measured by the loss of American lives], does Gen. McChrystal really believe that it’s realistic to ask American service members to shed their body armor?
MB4 on November 25, 2009 at 1:58 AM
By Evan Thomas | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 26, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Oct 5, 2009
hawkdriver on November 25, 2009 at 2:31 AM
But then many on this site believe he deliberately wants to lose
canopfor on November 24, 2009 at 10:18 PM
============================================================
I wouldn’t go that far, but when your CinC says he doesn’t believe in victory you can’t have too much confidence that he’s going to stick it out.
PackerBronco on November 24, 2009 at 10:44 PM
PackerBronco: Just before I head to bed,I cannot let this
stand,I never said that!!
Its not your fault,I should of pasted the
whole thing!!
Its,idiot rightistliberal,the LibTard Troll!!
heres the whole thing!!:)
============================================================
============================================================
But then many on this site believe he deliberately wants to lose because he closet Muslim or whatever is Limbaugh’s latest nonsense.
===========================================================
============================================================
Anything less!!! Dude, if this report is true, Obama would have pushed 54000 troops since he became the C-I-C. You would imagine Bush had been pouring hundreds of thousands of troops in Afghanistan which had completely stabilized the country. He left the Af-Pak theatre as a mess.
But then many on this site believe he deliberately wants to lose because he closet Muslim or whatever is Limbaugh’s latest nonsense.
And the idea that just because the general on ground does not get exactly the number of troops he wanted, this is something wrong makes the office of the president a rubber stamp.
Of course, the dudes here would not remember that McCain was saying Iraq was a mess from 2004–and when did Bush went for the surge? Again? And when did he fire Rumsfield? Again. Somewhere close to elections right? Politics! Of course not!
rightistliberal on November 24, 2009 at 10:14 PM
canopfor on November 25, 2009 at 2:34 AM
I know canopfor, makes you wonder what part of his political sentiments is “rightist”.
hawkdriver on November 25, 2009 at 2:45 AM
My military source says McChrystal is going to takeover the Rock and hold San Francisco hostage until Obama agrees to a televised cage match. He defeats Obama in the opening seconds with a sleeper hold. Obama blames his loss on Bush. Then McChrystal takes out the Iron Sheik with a MOAB.
chicagojedi on November 25, 2009 at 2:45 AM
Why give him only 7/8 of what he wanted.
If you’re going to do that, you may just as well have given him the extra 4K.
Spathi on November 25, 2009 at 3:05 AM
How about: Not doubting motives? Obama has done exactly what folks on this website wanted him to do. If Palin had done that, they would have been dancing; because Obama has done it, it is because of poll numbers; or he is still trying to shortchange mission, he is going to run away. And what is the evidence for that? None what so ever! The man is pushing 50000 more troops into Afghanistan for Lord’s sake.
I think that is wrong. That is what the Left did to Bush for 8 years. If that was wrong then, it is wrong now. Note, I think Bush was incompetent but that does not mean he let Katrina happen because he did not care for Black people.
Look at your ROE stuff: Is that something which is decided entirely by Obama? Or more like leaders on the ground? Yet, who will people blame here? Obama!
And they will ad: It’s because he wants to lose …or wants to set KSM free. I am sorry. I don’t need to subscribe to that kind of nonsense to be a Rightist.
I think there are more than enough legitimate grounds to criticize Obama who I never thought was qualified and is really a Palin-like character.
My vote was for the old guy who all “true conservatives” hate and would rather replace by some radio talk show who probably can’t identify Iraq on world map.
rightistliberal on November 25, 2009 at 4:20 AM
All I needed to read was the headline.McChrystal is an American military man and as such will complete his mission without regard to how much support or subterfuge his limp-d**k commander in chief sends his way.
Bambi’s biggest mistake is the same as Clenis-he doesn’t understand the heart of a real man.
DDT on November 25, 2009 at 4:40 AM
re: rightistliberal
Technically speaking, he hasn’t actually done anything yet; all we have here is unconfirmed rumors for 34k, which may or may not be confirmed or denied sometime next week. This is where we’ve been for at least the past few weeks.
Onto the whole issue about people not being happy about a 34k decision, even though it was what was asked for. There is an army saying that it is better to make the wrong decision decisively, than make the right decision indecisively. In a war there are a lot of bad options, and a lot of ways for any option to go wrong, but if you let yourself get paralyzed with trying to find the best one, the other guy’s just going to walk right up to you and shoot you before you can figure it out.
The current administration has a real problem with dithering, and not just on this. At some point he’s going to have to start making some decisions, or appointing people to make them in his place, or large swaths of the government are going to grind to a halt. That doesn’t seem to me to be the way to take out the garbage, let alone win a war.
Voyager on November 25, 2009 at 5:24 AM
“How can we blame this on Bush?”
He already did – saying he was going to fix (the failure?) he was handed.
I was sort of hoping we’d have a doz3en top Generals resign under lack of faith in the POTUS who seems more concerned with caring for the terroists. (Can we still call them that?)
Don L on November 25, 2009 at 6:50 AM
I’ll do that when you stop doubting my proficiency in my chosen career.
No, someone released comments on a proposed plan to supply lest than half of the troops that Gen McChrystal asked more going on 4 months after the president knew about the conditions of the request and there has be no formal statement. Plus, if the 34,000 includes the 7,000 that were already slated for the NATO Bridging plan which was already committed under the Bush Administration, then the number is even smaller. About 27,000.
Palin is not the president. I never discussed nor did anyone discuss what her possible discussion on the request might have been.
No he’s not. Plus, for someone who claims to have voted for “The Old Man”, you are one of obama’s biggest defenders on this site. Color me skeptical. Especially when you insinuate and generalize our disrespect for Senator McCain and you use a derogatory term yourself. Color me skeptical twice.
lol, You haven’t stopped doing it to Bush. You are part of the left that you’re talking about. From my point of view and the majority of the servicemen and women that I work with, President Bush was in no way incompetent in the manner he prosecuted the war. Was it perfect? Nope. It never is in war. But I’m sure you could school me on some war your vast experience of martial subjects describes as being conducted perfectly. Do you know how many men died in just the train-up to the evasion of Europe? BTW, when you impugn Mr. Bush, it only makes me want to point out more shortcomings for you guy. Funny game, huh?
You lefties blamed Bush for every step of Iraq and Afghanistan until obama took over. Are you now saying that people beneath the president are culpable for theater decisions now? Let me answer, yes, you are. And this is why military folks “hate” lefties. We are your pawns under a Conservative Administration. We’re your poor under-supplied, under-appreciated and betrayed little stooges send to be slaughtered by the evil, evil Republicans. Now, we’re the freaking problem and your boy in the WH can absolve his soul of any responsibility for anything done or in his case, anything not done. What a marvelous game of Calvinball you guys play with our lives. Again, any person I know, work or serve with would rather have, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld or even Ari Fleischer over this dithering man. He is an epic fail as CinC and you’ll never convince me otherwise. I know because I carry the bodies around from time to time that are a result of his handling of the war and his ROE. So yes, my answer to you is it’s his ROE, in case you didn’t pick up on that. No biggie, he’s just more concerned with his scripted image of him saluting a few flag draped coffins with men that I worked with. Men I know would be absolutely repulsed at his behavior.
I don’t know what you are, but I do know that if he truly wants to win this war, he going about it in a queer manner. BTW, his buddies on HuffPo seem to be pretty upset. I’m sure they don’t want us to win. More of your friends?
Then let’s hear some.
See comment above my “rightist” friend. (sure)
Who are you talking about, Rush? He’s visited the troops’ which is more than I can say for Murtha. Who BTW wanted us to fight the war from Okinawa. And also BTW, what map would obama look at to find 57 states?
Color me skeptical thrice.
hawkdriver on November 25, 2009 at 7:09 AM
BO is just flying a trial balloon…see which way the wind is blowing before reaching a final decision.
jbh45 on November 25, 2009 at 7:21 AM
If you starve a dog for days and days then throw him a bone, he’ll be satisfied.
angryed on November 25, 2009 at 7:22 AM
How pathetic. It’s taken how many months for Obama to arrive at a politically “acceptable” number? Anyone with a brain could see the Messiah wasn’t going to give McCrystal the 40,000 troops he asked for. The moment MCCrystal’s request became public, the magic number for Obama started at 39,999 and worked backwards until he derived a number he thought would keep McCrystal from resigning and keep his base from hold a “Code Pink-a-thon”.
olesparkie on November 25, 2009 at 7:35 AM
canopfor on November 25, 2009 at 2:34 AM
I know canopfor, makes you wonder what part of his political sentiments is “rightist”.
hawkdriver on November 25, 2009 at 2:45 AM
hawkdriver:Yup,Hawk,if there was no US Military,the world
would truly be,
H*LL on EARTH!!:)
canopfor on November 25, 2009 at 7:58 AM
Geesh. It took the Socialist Obama so long just to make this politically-safe decision.
I’m not sure anymore if America will be safe under Socialist Obama, especially in the case of any major international conflict.
We’re all screweeeeeeeeeeed.
Palinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn! Where are you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TheAlamos on November 25, 2009 at 8:04 AM
Well, if he is smart (which I am sure he is) that was the origional number of troops he thought he needed. He just started off asking for 40,000 ’cause he knew TOTUS (we all know who the reeeaaaal power is) would cut some off whatever number he requested.
bitsy on November 25, 2009 at 9:09 AM
So Gen. McCrystal says three months ago that if he didn’t get 40,000 troops within a year (by August 2010) the war would be lost. Obama says, I will give the general 34,000 (maybe) troops, but I can only send 4,500 every three months due to logistics. So in the next nine months, assuming the troops start packing now, there will only be 13,500 additional troops during the period that the general said 40,000 was absolutely required, or only one third of the needed soldiers. Now given that Obama’s primary complaint against Bush was that Bush underfunded and failed to provide all necessary resources to this ‘war of necessity’ in Afghanistan, this would be humourous and ironic that Obama has out-undersourced this ‘necessary war’. However the lives of our men and women in uniform are at issue. Will the 13,000 additional troops make a significant difference or will they just be sufficient for making additional targets and not to provide the necessary security for their fellow soldiers and for the government?
Time will tell. I await to see whether the President’s statement clarifies these matters. But if the foregoing troop deployments and timetables are accurate, then McCrystal should resign. He would either be placing our troops in harm’s way by accepting such a piecemeal escalation, or he would be exposed as lying in his original August 2009 troop request-that 40,000 weren’t really needed to not lose the war. Either way his credibility would go the way of Gen. Westmoreland in Vietnam. That would be criminal.
eaglewingz08 on November 25, 2009 at 9:13 AM
He should be, if that’s Obama’s decision. He got pretty much what he asked for.
AnninCA on November 25, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Sh!t, he’s probably ecstatic he got that many.
Greed on November 25, 2009 at 11:28 AM
First rule of negotiating tacticts is to always ask for more than you want or need in hopes of settling at the number that is appropriate. Well played General…
Wyznowski on November 25, 2009 at 12:26 PM
So Gen McCrystal asks for 40K troops or the war will be lost within a year, but actually needed only 13,000 troops to succeed? Yeah, that’s the ticket.
eaglewingz08 on November 25, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Well no duh he’s ‘satisfied’. He’s lucky to get that much from Ma0bama and he knows it.
Dark-Star on November 25, 2009 at 1:23 PM
You’re letting your political bias shade your predictions.
Looking at the Petraeus surge you’ll see a similar problem. I’m sure the commanders will solve the problems with this surge by the same methods as in Iraq. There are troops being cycled to the theater in January and February. They can extend the rotations back to bump up the numbers until the surge troops start showing up.
Fighting is cycled down over the winter so they’ll probably plan to have a decent buildup in time for the spring offensives.
rcl on November 25, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Really? Please tell the AAF in the Helmand this.
PS Thanks for volunteering us. If I get extended again I’ll be looking to kick someone’s ass.
hawkdriver on November 25, 2009 at 5:05 PM
They need those additional troops now! Not 2 years from now!
Fish or cut bait! Stop the dithering Obama!
MCGIRV on November 25, 2009 at 6:22 PM
+++ Semper Fi.
Johan Klaus on November 25, 2009 at 6:46 PM
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