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Obama Mulls 30k Troops
A day after vigorously denying reports that he plans on sending 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, President Obama is considering sending between 30,000 and 35,000 new troops, including up to 10,000 military trainers, The Wall Street Journal reports. A senior military official tells The Journal that this plan—the fourth and newest of the options Obama is considering—is drawing the “most consideration” at the Pentagon, and Obama is expected to announce his decision shortly after returning from Asia on November 19. The New York Times reports that Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen have coalesced around a proposal for 30,000 or more troops, but that Obama “remains unsatisfied with answers he has gotten about how vigorously the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan would help execute a new strategy.”
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n--Y--squareyellowpaperhockeydog
Osama bin Laden? Who dat?
I thought we invaded Iraq to get him.
Why did we actually invade Afghanistan?
Why did we actually invade Grenada?
Why did we actually try to invade Iran?
Why don't we try directing our tax dollars
to support our domestic needs?
But back to this mythical Osama person;
wasn't he Saudi Arabian? Weren't the alleged
hijackers all Saudi Arabian?
What am I missing? Why are we fighting these
phoney "wars", or do we just call the "wars", when
in truth they are simply testing grounds for our newest
techno-kill-machinery?
That Mr. Sneer Cheney found a way to financially benefit
from these tests, and that EXXON and SHELL are now going
to control the flow of oil from Iraq, shows why most of the
rest of the World envies and despises our once-great nation.
Plantagenet
Attacking Cheney instead of blaming Obama for his failure to reach a decision on more troops for Afghanistan is silly. Obama has now been dithering for three months. He's held meeting after meeting after meeting to try to decide. Obama has forgotten that he was elected to end the wars and bring the troops home, not to dither endlessly while the wars drag on and on.
MaCaCa
Plantagenital Warts,
He didn't say anything about blaming Cheney FOR criticizing Obama....
Maybe you forgot HE STARTED THE WARS!!!
case1234
Obama? What did Cheney and Bush (yes that order) do with Afghanistan for the first 7 years?? The ability of the right to walk away form their own actions then attack others for having difficulty cleaning up after them is breathtaking.
gracie99
Doubt Obama is dithering. His administration is probably doing a lot of research, scenarios, negotiation.
I'd far rather have that sort of 'dither' than a rushed wrong answer a la Bush/Cheney, especially with so many lives, not to mention other resources, at stake.
My major concern is that Obama is ceasing to look presidential in the eyes of those who now accuse him of "dithering" -- and that is starting to become a factor in US politics.
newswoman
You tell me, square. What will it take for the administration to 'declare victory' and get out? I don't give a damn about Osama bin Laden. The Pakistanis know where he is, so it will be up to them to get him because 'he' is causing trouble for them as well. We can't afford this war monitarily, and the American people are suffering from joblessness and the downed economy, and I fear they will march on Washington in civil disobedience. That is scary.
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n--Y--squareyellowpapermaryfrost2
If I remember correctly, Obama criticized Bush for not getting OBL, and gave getting him a high priority, but I can't recall him mentioning him once since getting elected.
Obama likes to "sit on the fence", and not make a definite decision either way---remember how long it took him to JUST PICK A DOG. My goodness, don't we need someone that can make a decision, faster than that, when running our country? Deliberation is fine, but I say he should have called in his best advisors, listened to both sides, weigh all opinions, and make a decision. Surely that should not take very long. I think Obama does not have any confidence in his decision making, and would just love to vote "present" on these tough choices, but he is not longer a senator, and must, once in a while, make a decision.
gracie99
I also don't give a damn about bin Laden. He's a tree that is interfering with focus on the forest of problems around us. If we let ourselves be distracted trying to find him, he wins and America loses.
Demsdisorder
You fools you cant fight a war throwing a bag of shit to see what will stick,. get a clue and a pair of balls and pull the troops out. we all know you will never do what needs to be done to win. so just get the hell out
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n--Y--squareyellowpaperDemsdisorder
i believe every American need to serve in the military 2 years. no exceptions on who. and if you want to be a citizen you need to spend twice as much. by the time the immigrants are finished they will be speaking are language. win win
jaydeekay
Let freedom ring.
newswoman
I appreciate the sarcasm because it is so true. Like the Romans, we have extended our troops too far and our government is in danger of falling.
melpol
Any soldier that picks up a Heroin addiction in Afghanistan should be considered disabled and discharged under honorable conditions. Upon release most vets will continue their habit, many get arrested and are imprisoned. It would be best if their Heroin habit was supported by a V.A. hospital. There they would be given the drug to take home and inject. This humane program would help keep our drug addicted vets out of prison. Those that want to kick the habit will have the opportunity. A 24/7 drug counselor should be made available.
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n--Y--squareyellowpaperjaydeekay
We just had a run-in with an Army psychiatrist.
Demsdisorder
good one.
Demsdisorder
what are you talking about?
jaydeekay
Mel has a hard-on about opium.
Demsdisorder
sounds like a personal experience to me.
Housebird
The poppies are for opium -- to convert to heroin requires technical expertise.
Yes I support that "they would be given the drug to take home and inject".
Yes a 24/7 drug supply -- not too much -- not too little should be made available ??????
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Demsdisorder
true the Afghan's grow poppies but don't turn it into the big H
newswoman
Melpol, that is the most humane idea I have heard in a long time. Does it have a chance of being accepted?
manticore1223
Or they could, you know, not pick up heroin as a habit.
gracie99
Many GI's in Vietnam used heroin, yet very few of them remained addicted after returning to the US, where most kicked the habit spontaneously.
Only a small percentage of people have the biological propensity to abuse opiates -- most people don't enjoy them enough to sustain an addiction.
Heroin, FYI, is illegal even for medical use in the US: It cannot be legally prescribed or supplied in any setting, even for the control of severe, end-of-life pain.
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n--Y--squareyellowpaperDemsdisorder
now thats a very good idea.
keepakeeper43
The Taliban leadership is filthy rich.
Funded not only by prosperous benefactors in the East, but also has a untold fortune in heroin profits.
First the Good News:
They are true fundamentalist facists.
They are unbelieveably brutal. Public executions for whatever reason. (Its a long list. Ex: women wearing fingernail polish will lose their fingertips. Flirting means death. Etc.etc.)
They are cold-blooded murderers.
They ARE Al Qaeda.
Next, the bad news:
They want badly,very badly, to have a nuclear weapon.
They are trying to buy or steal one.
Now.
When they get a hydrogen bomb or even "dirty bombs", where will they detonate them? You tell me.
We have to be in Afghanistan.
It will be very expensive.
It will be infinitely more expensive to do pull out and do nothing.
The Taliban has to be confronted and destroyed.
Demsdisorder
we don't need to be there we need to secure and dismantle the bombs. then we go home
Housebird
What nonsense --We have to be in Afghanistan.----
Total neocon propaganda ---
Perhaps the USA should ask for "American Suicide Bomber" volunteers and create a level playing field ??
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MissClarity
President Obama: You have the integrity and wisdom to make the right decision. Karzi is corrupt and you know it all too well. The time you are spending in thoughtful consideration tells you that we must not send our troops, our sons and daughter, our husbands and wives to Afganistan to support the deeds of a liar. Karzai laughs at us in secret with his brothers in crime. Let it go. Let the middle east blow themselves up! There is murder in their DNA. Restrict the middle east liars from entering our country anymore. They have murderous hearts and it's in their DNA. Even the ones living here in the USA. That's been proven time and again. We have the right to draw the line and put an end to this insane war. Let the crazies blow themselves up but don't let them come here anymore. They must be stopped at OUR borders. Karzai is their darling.
Housebird
MissClarity.--" Let the middle east blow themselves up! There is murder in their DNA"
Is this type of remark meant to be insulting and ignorant ?????
The Middle East was relatively peaceful and friendly to the USA until Jewish Holocaust Survivors from Northern Europe were given Arab lands in Palestine.
These Zionists with their superior Military set out to "eliminate" the natives and steal their land and the rest is History --- learn some.
http://www.creative-i.info/?p=11781
As long as Israel refuses to recognized Palestine, she forfeits her own right to exist.
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manticore1223
Can you point Palestine out for me on a map? Go ahead, I'll wait.
Demsdisorder
im sitting here to so lets see it.
Demsdisorder
MissC- "President Obama: You have the integrity and wisdom to make the right decision"
I think that might be a stretch at best
newswoman
Keep, I think you are fear mongering. You assume that Al Quaida is one monolithic group that could handle a nuclear bomb. It takes factories, plutonium, etc. And the Taliban are local and religious fanatics. I do not fear them, either.
keepakeeper43
Google "dirty bomb".
It don't take no factory.
It is a luxury to think that if these "local fanatics"(like Bin Laden?) got the chance, they would not participate in a dirty bomb attack on cities in Europe or the USA.
Housebird
newswoman -- lol -- you are absolutely right of course in what you say.
The neocon "wackos" here if they are not paid to post don't seem to have a clue.-----
Al Quieda cave dewelers are "capable" of all that is necessary sounds nearly crazy.
See what this U.S. Intelligence General says
http://tinyurl.com/y92yqpk
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Prince-O
Obama continues to look like an Incompetent fool.. What is he still mulling?! This is not a game, and shouldn't be about politics...
keepakeeper43
(Just like the other Incompetent Fools - the G. Herbert Walker and G. Dubya years of scapegoat wars in IRAQ, right, Prince?)
jaydeekay
Mention JFK to GHWbush and watch him go PALE in the face.
maryfrost2
Prince-O, I do believe that Obama is incompetent when it comes to making the hard decisions. WHY did he vote "present" when a senator? He took 6 months to pick a dog, as he wanted to get all of the pro's and con's of each dog, BUT the health care bill that will effect all of us forever, take over 1/6 of our economy, he wanted congress to have ready for him to sign in Aug., which I believe gave them 3 weeks to write, get thru Congress and the Senate. Doesn't that just take your breath away???
Martyz42
Let me see, Alexander Haig, William Westmorland & now the general that covered up the friendly fire death of an American football player, what is it that they all have in common, oh I remember, "SEND ME MORE TROOPS TO FIGHT & KILL & BE KILLED", yes that's it just keep sending more troops because I am a general & I know how to lead people into battle & help them KILL & BE KILLED. (And lie about how they were killed)
Mr President, this is VietNam all over again... Before it was the French that were beaten & then we came in, lost 50,000 plus dead & then we were beaten, here it was the Russians that were beat & now we will be beat again.... THESE people in Afghanistan have not & can not be beaten... HELLO, does anyone ever read history......
George Bush the 1st gave the Taliban hundreds of millions as well as people help to fight & defeat the Russians... George Bush the 1st armed them to the teeth with enough missiles to last 50 years.... George Bush the 2nd gave the Taliban $40,000,000.00 in cash to pay off the war lords to grow less poppies months before he decided to invade & overthrow them... We are fighting & killing & being killed with our own weapons, with our own money that was given to them by both of the Bush's....
Now I hate to make a comparison but the US is insisting that the people of Israel sit down & talk to the Arabs that want to drive them into the sea... OK, how about if "WE SIT DOWN & TALK TO THE TALIBAN" & ask them to stop killing us with our own guns, then we promise to mind our own business & then we ask them to "STAY THE HELL OUT OF PAKISTAN & then 'WE GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!
If we are really concerned with Pakistan, lets get the Arab league to give us say 100,000. troops that are all Muslim, get Pakistan to allow them to park themselves in the tribal area's with a NATO commander & clean up the area... (A much better idea would be to make the tribal area a free & independent country, then they would leave Pakistan alone)
If Pakistan does not go along with the above, whisper in the ear of India, give them all of the info me have on the Nukes that Pakistan has & then let them attack & destroy every Nuke... Yes millions might die & yes maybe a few hundred thousand in India but in the long run "IT IS BETTER TO DO ONTO THEM BEFORE THEY DO ONTO US" & you can be sure they will do onto us as soon as they can....
MaliciousDisorder
He's mulling our soldiers to death...
jaydeekay
He must not be as smart as you are.
Otherwise, he'd be sitting and posting on here all day.
MaliciousDisorder
You know I'm sitting, right.
dblj51
I know lets stop giving Isreal billions of dollars every year until we are out of the middle east completely that will help pay for us being their lets face the facts the only reason we are in the middle east is because of Isreal. They have pissed off every one including the good humor man sense the beginning of time
LostPatriot
The least that should happen is that all the countries in the Middle East need to be given the same amount of money that is given to Israel every year. Level the playing field and feed the starving people. The have/have not situation created there by Israeli controlled USA causes most of the current problems. It makes me want to join in the holy wars and fight for the Talaban. I'm sure Talaban are being donated a lot of money simply because many people can see the injustices perpetrated by the USA/Israeli unholy alliance. The anti human rights USA has turned into a very sick country.
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n--Y--squareyellowpapermelpol
War hawks should be patient. They will get their wish. 250 thousand American troops will use Afghanistan as a staging ground to conquer Russia And China. The victorious army should arrive in Moscow And Beijing in less than 30 days. But they will have to climb over the vodka bottles and rice bowls left behind by the retreating armies.
Housebird
Are Americans aware that of the nearly 44,000 Americans who die each year for lack of accessibility to health care (denied medical insurance), nearly 3,000 are US veterans.
Here are the latest ICH figures just for Iraq ---.
Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In US War And Occupation Of Iraq "1,339,771"
Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed (Officially acknowledged) In U.S. War And Occupation Of Iraq 4,680
Cost of U.S. War and Occupation of Iraq $698,983,912,492
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Thank you.
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