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Obama War Council Weighs Afghan Troop Boost
FORT HOOD, Texas - President Barack Obama's deliberations over war strategy in Afghanistan have narrowed to four options but a decision is still weeks away, the White House said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the III Corps and Fort Hood Memorial Ceremony November 10, 2009. Obama and his war council weighed final options for a new Afghanistan strategy on Wednesday, as a proposed 30,000-plus troop increase gained favor among top advisers, officials said. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) "The president will have an opportunity to discuss four options with his national security team tomorrow," Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, told reporters aboard Air Force One.
He declined to say what they were.
Officials described Wednesday's White House meeting, which will bring together Obama's top military and civilian advisers, as critical to a decision after two months of deliberations.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Obama was considering options that included sending roughly 15,000, 30,000 or 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan to try to stem Taliban gains.
Currently, there are nearly 68,000 U.S. troops and 40,000 allied forces in Afghanistan.
"Anybody who tells you the president has made a decision ... doesn't have, in all honesty, the slightest idea what they are talking about. The president has yet to make a decision," Gibbs said en route to a memorial service at an Army base in Texas where 13 people were shot dead by a gunman last week.
WEAKENED PUBLIC SUPPORT
Record combat deaths have eroded U.S. public support for the war in Afghanistan, and a decision to expand troop levels could become a political liability for the president ahead of congressional elections next year.
In a letter to Obama dated Wednesday, when the United States will mark Veteran's Day, a group of senior Republican senators urged Obama to immediately authorize the deployment of the troops that the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, requested.
"Over 68,000 Americans are already serving in harm's way in Afghanistan, and the sooner we can provide the reinforcements and resources they need, the safer and more successful they will be," the senators wrote.
In his confidential troop request, McChrystal argued that 40,000 additional troops were needed to help secure Afghan population centers and to give NATO some additional resources to take on Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in outlying areas, officials said.
But officials have described a 30,000-troop increase as a leading option. Washington hopes to convince NATO allies to at least send additional trainers for the Afghan army and police. Those contributions could bring the total to nearly the 40,000 that McChrystal recommended.
Any deployment of additional forces next year would likely start by spring and stretch into late 2010.
Brigades generally include 3,500 to 4,000 troops, though they can swell to over 5,000 troops if other units are attached. Marine brigades can be larger.
(Additional reporting by Adam Entous; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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21 Comments so far
Show AllToo bad Mr. Noble Peace Prize doesn't have a "peace council."
My first thought, too!
Too bad the Nobel Peace Prize doesn't come with a money-back guarantee!
The real problem is this: the Nobel committee took a chance on honoring Obama, somebody who had no actual accomplishments in peace-making, because they apparently hoped it might encourage him to do the right thing.
Unfortunately, if he does the wrong thing instead--which seems increasingly likely--he will still have the peace prize, and therefore will be doing this partly in their name.
That's the risk the Nobel committee decided to take. Given Obama's documented corporate ties--and sabre-rattling during the election campaign that virtually trapped him (politically) into an aggressive stance in Afghanistan--I think that was a bad risk to take.
Can we have a do-over, please?
Escalation in Afghanistan ...?
Bush's 3rd term continues ...
If only one could be a fly on the wall during that meeting in order to discover if Obama's crack team of military and civilian advisers will echo the words heard during the Vietnam era and that is that "victory is just around the corner" and that they can "see the light at the end of the tunnel." Perhaps Obama will inform his so-called experts that he, like George H.W. Bush, will also make sure that the United States will [allegedly] kick the Vietnam syndrome by keeping American soldiers in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
"War is not healthy for children and other living things."-Lorraine Schneider [1925-1972], American artist and activist
"The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Obama was considering options that included sending roughly 15,000, 30,000 or 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan..."
--- to try to do some fictional thing they won't be able to do while killing many innocent civilians in the process and further alienating the entire world from our military.
I read there were four options. I see only three above. The fourth and best option should be 68,000 fewer troops.
Anonymous sources. Sensitive situation. That means don't ask questions, you plebeians who will have to pay up and die. Of course it is sensitive. They are weighing how much they can rob and kill us.
By the way, who is on this "War Council"? (The juvenile nature of this terminology really irks me.) Anyone who sees peace as a desireable goal? Or only the career military and the senators and salesmen from Boeing etc?
Joe
What are the odds that none of the options are: withdraw?
"Anybody who tells you the president has made a decision ... doesn't have, in all honesty, the slightest idea what they are talking about. The president has yet to make a decision,"
ain't that the truth!
I may be wrong, but I think the meeting went like this:
_________________________________________________
We've got them fooled with the happy hucksters at Wall Street.
We need this war and we are going to jack it up. The people are pissed and unemployed.
So how do we spin this Afghan thing so the rubes will by it?
Suggestions from the media representatives:
Well, how about another Taliban rape of a teenager?
Nah, we did that already.
Maybe some warlord making noises?
Hmm, that might work. Do it.
__________________________________________________
This is not about troops. The government doesn't give a rat's ass about troops.
This is about a brutal, callous political machinery that governs the USA. Focusing on personalities clouds the issue.
The issue is and always was PROFIT at the expense of anything and anybody not on the take. Geithner and Bernake are poster boys for this monetery mafia that perpetuates wars.
The iron discipline that this elite dictatorship wields was in full display this week. Obama and Geithner are twisting arms in Japan and Asia. North Korea gets into a shooting match with South Korea. This is bad PR for the happy hype of the Obama trip. SO the shootout majically dissapears from the media. POOF! Now consider if Venezuela had a shootout with a US destroyer. Would this be spiked? NO. Would they be screaming bloody murder? YES.
and the Orwellian bullshit continues... Geithner insists he supports a strong dollar while visiting Japan. Notice how this blatent lie covers the real purpose of his visit (a panic to make sure Japan toes the line on money and military issues for Wall Street).
And they say the economy is improving (for Israel and their wall street chronies, not us). Pfizer just laid off 600 plus employees in the Plattsburgh area. Bright Warren Buffet sold the Wyeth plants to Pfizer earlier this year. And this is what Pfizer does with the plants. Isn't Warren Buffet such a "great" fucking American?
Of course there was no conspiracy to get out of labor contracts..no...no..no. It's just honest capitalism, you see. Don't you?
Obama is just a cog in the machine. Forget him and concentrate on Wall Street murderers (Blankfein of Goldman Sachs just said his employees were the most productive people in the world...sure. if productivity is measured in fecal coliforms and human misery).
The best advice: If you're in a hole, stop digging.
.
The President should realize that all of the NeoCons' hawkish clamor for additional troops on the ground, and trillions of taxpayers' dollars; is totally bad advice.
The current clamor to defeat terrorists and save the world from scary threats......is delusional.
IMHO......no additional boots on the ground. Start a withdrawal of 50,000+troops from the Middle East, IMMEDIATELY
Pull all troops back to selected secure towns and fortified bases. Control the populated centers, and all borders. Destroy both the drug/cash trade, and the shipments of weapons and supplies.
Use our magic satelites systems to pin-point enemy movements and camps. Then surgically destroy them from the air.
Get smart.....destroy the enemy and his willness to fight.
Deliver massive death and destruction to these guerrilla fighters.
Only then can there be negociated peace and security.
.
Jam 7:42 --------- Your post is very sad. To see the Neocon policy verbalized by a citizen is terrifying.
To have so much disregard for life and diversity and so little understanding of the situation must be a very heavy burden to carry.
I wish you are able to find peace in your soul and are able to do as little harm to others as possible.
"The president will have an opportunity to discuss four options with his national security team tomorrow . . .
He declined to say what they were.
We already know what that incompetent sucker is going to do.
Conservatives in command.
This should be a no-brainer for a Nobel Peace laureate. Obama may have his eyes on the prize, but unlike MLKs dream, it's central Asia Oil.
The newest Nobel Peace laureate is given a choice, and is likely to walk the path of previous laureate Dr. Kissinger and ignore the conscience of Dr. King.
The selection of the perverse Kissinger strategy is both notable and noxious, and it is unnecessary.
Obama would do well to acquaint himself with the account of Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a Muslim disciple of Gandhi in the 1930s who led 100,000 Pathan Muslim fighters "who vowed to resist the British without weapons in their hands or violence in their hearts." I learned of this overlooked history in Michael Nagler's "The Search for a Nonviolent Future."
How's that for gall?
There are 4 plans.
If Gibbs can count them, he knows what they are.
The plans are "delicate," so the American people -- and the Afghan people, for that matter! -- do not get to hear what they are.
What a fine pass that he can admit this!
What can "delicacy" be but "We have not figured out how to balance the lies, and if people knew, whoa, would they be mad!"
peacekeepertwo:Ending the world wide Recession. It will cost a lot of money to end this recession. The money must come from ending Both the Iraq, and Afghan wars, as soon as possible. Set a Time table to bring our troops home, within one year. We need to consider selling of all our Military assets on foreign Territory. Let the Defense Dept bare the cost of federal budget Cuts. Current US policy, both Foreign and Domestic, Is contributing greatly to instability here and abroad. We cannot solve the world through the use of Violence. We tried to solve our problems, the Rupert Murdock way, which is through the use hate. This Hate was directed at Illegal Immigrants, who suffer as much the people who they replace on the Job. We can allow the wealthy, such as Michael Bloomberg, and Rupert Murdock manipulate our Lives. It is my fervent hope that everyone who reads this, will pressure Congress to rethink our relationship with the rest of the world. We need to invite police officers to join in this Discussion. My greatest fear, if we do not find the resources to deal with budget shot falls at the local level,t pay for public Services, and provide civil Services, their be much greater be much Unrest in every large city. Large cities will become War Zones. Finally: Desperate People do Desperate things, judging by the increases in murder Suicides, I think people are getting very Desperate.
The leaks coming out of the White House are trial balloons to gauge the public's reaction which has been incredibly tepid thus far.
This so called "War Council" should be forced to sit and watch the HBO movie, "Taking Chance." For those who may not have seen it, the movie follows the journey of a Marine killed in Iraq back to his home town for burial. It is seen mainly through the eyes of the Marine who is escorting the body home. It is a gut wrenching story, from the brief glimpses of the body being washed and prepared for transport, the cleaning of his personal effects, which were stained with blood, to the meeting with his family. The show is made even sadder by the knowledge that Chance (who was an actual casualty of the war) was killed in the illegal, immoral Iraq war. How many more have to be escorted on that final journey before these wars are ended?
Time-saving paraphrase of the above article:
Okay, now that we've established Obama's a war whore, all we're doing is haggling over the price (in blood).
"Anybody who tells you the president has made a decision ... doesn't have, in all honesty, the slightest idea what they are talking about...." Gibbs said...
-----------
I know what I'm talking about Robert.
I've identified the President's PR strategy.
I call it the "Obama Propaganda Samba".
First a story is leaked sure to make Democrats angry. Then a retraction is released assuring us the President hasn't made any decision. A few weeks later the story is leaked again although this time it has been changed slightly. We're told this is only one possible option of many the President is considering. The outrage lessens considerably. The third time the final draft of the story is reported. By this time the base it too confused, tired and caught up in their own personal lives to protest. We're assured this plan has already been vetted, approved and is ready to go. The public is dragged, exhausted and confused into submission.
Obama's pulling a similar stunt here by claiming to reject his General's Afghanistan plans'. In a couple weeks he'll be informing us that after long consideration he's chosen one of these options. He's just dragging the process out to make it look as though he's giving it a great deal of thought when really the decision to escalate was made long ago. This is simply a shot of steroids to a standard PR strategy. You just wait and see.
Obama only has one possible option:
Immediately withdraw all US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan
Once that is done issue an apology to Iran for baseless accusations and threats.
Any other choice makes him a war criminal.
Pretty simple and straightforward.