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Report: Obama to Add 34,000 Troops
Azamat Imanaliev / AP Photo
President Barack Obama is close to making a decision to add 34,000 troops to Afghanistan but will hold off on making an announcement until later this month, administration and military officials tell McClatchy Newspapers. The first group of soldiers would be sent in March, and the last would not arrive until the end of 2010. Obama is said to be waiting to consult with allies when he visits Asia this month. The plan falls well below the 80,000 troops requested by Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal earlier this month. Currently there are 67,000 American troops and 42,000 troops from other countries serving in Afghanistan.
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laughorcryagain
what a jerk
everybody knows we are stuck in this thing and its gonna take more soldiers to stabilize it and get out. His general in the field, they guy he hand picked, made this recommendation months ago
and he is "close to making a decision"
its quite obvious that he has made up his mind and is waiting for the politically opportune time to admit it
jerk !
Carole65
You're right, laugh. I would think more of him if he pulled out tomorrow than proving Cheney's "dithering" comment to be correct. Either go in with all that you've got or get the hell out. He owns this war now, and creating another VietNam fiasco is not what the Americas voted for.
Plantagenet
This is a "trial balloon." The White House is leaking the 34,000 number to see if the left wing of the democrats will swallow their anti-war views and support it. They released the number today, because the left wing is happy as the health care bill passed the house.
I predict the liberals will back Obama on the troop foolishness, just like they back him on every other bit of foolishness he does.
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n--Y--cvillekidPlantagenet
Obama continues to dither on his decision as to whether or not to give US troops in Afghanistan the supplies and reinforcements they need.
Its one thing to dither for months while deciding what puppy to buy....its another to send 23,000 more US troops into harm's way in March and then dither as the men suffer high casualties over the summer.
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n--Y--cvillekidJohnnyappleseed
Trial ballon while our soldiers die, some frigging balloon.
Plantagenet
Obama isn't exactly known for his political courage. This is the guy who votes "present" on tough issues.
Afghanistan is a tough issue. Obama is going to dither and delay and postpone and float trial ballons and hold meetings and do whatever he can to avoid making a decision.
nortonclybourn
Listen, curtislamayagain, that's what they said at the end of Viet Nam, when there were half a million Americans there---Just give us 200,000 more, and we'll win! That's what generals always say. But the generals aren't the ones dying.
RVGrandpa
That general was insubordinate to his superior and should be fired!! No matter who picked him, he has no respect for the office of the President of the U.S. Nearly the same stunt MacArthur pulled 50 years ago. Deciding on how many people to send to their potential deaths should take some time, don't you think?
Plantagenet
You don't get it.
McChrystal was never insurbordinate. Obama ORDERED McChrystal to prepare the report determining how many more troops were needed in Afghanistan. If anything, McChrystal has been muzzled-----the dems in Congress refused to allow the republicans to call to McChrystal testify before Congress, even though the Congress is supposed to do oversight on the administration..
socialworklady
Plant,
It's clear that the only posters
Who "get it" are the ones
Who agree with you ...
What happened to your
"Cheers" for this poor
mental midget who
Simply cannot
See the
Light?
LostPatriot
Yes, but we are going to be bombed. Theyv'e found aluminum tubes, smoking guns, and worst of all I just learned that WMD may be hidden. We need to attack and KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL
nachi1
Yes! By all means, we must continue to KILL!!! Matters not whom or what we KILL - as long as we are KILLING. The brave, patriotic "never-serveds" love it. They forever need to find something/someone they HATE more than they hate- themselves.
slmpirate
This is one time where I believe VP Bidens advice should have been taken.
He has just signaled a potential all in 50 year military engagement in the entire middleast. He is following the Kilcullen strategy, (McCrystals primary advisor), the premise of which is to secure the populaton centers winning the hearts and minds, and fighting the insurgents away from those centers. Afgahnistan is a rural area, ruled by warlords and tribal chiefs, there are far to many potential enemies and way to much tough geography to cover. Historically, these folks have not accepted a centralized government rule. what makes anyone believe things will be different now..
Oh but we do have Iran in a sandwich dont we?
Garvagh
laughorcryagain: "Everybody knows its gonna take more [US] soldiers to stabilize [Afghanistan]." They do? The president of the country says putting in more US troops will not improve security. Do you contend the president of Afghanistan has no reason to know what is going on in his own country?
kscr14
Why? I think the president just lost alot of support. It is a good thing our health care bill passed. Our men and women fighting this war will need alot of health care when they come home.I hope the help for addiction to heroin is 100% covered.
I think we need to start marching in the streets again.Peace.
jaydeekay
They had the VA, anyway.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
perrycindy
The VA is a attrocious place to get health care. I wouldn't got back there for any reason. They are the ones who want to get you addicted to pain meds.
jaydeekay
I think most doctors are guilty of that.
Ever see the parade of drug reps. flowing in and out the door at your local physician?
Demsdisorder
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...... free drugs for all...... whats better then that? we can all just love and not fight.
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n--Y--cvillekidmagoo363
perrycindy,
The doctor is not the only person who is responsible for your pain management and treatment. You actually have to take some responsibility for your treatment too. If you had a problem with your primary care physician or any of your care team the VA has a whole support system in place to get you the treatment that you actually need. This system is actually better and faster that what is in the private sector. As a veteran you have earned this treatment and it is your right, not privilege, to get your treatment. You need to contact the Patient Advocate at your VA care center ASAP if you think you were being treated unfairly.
LostPatriot
Sorry I can't agree. I live near a VA facility that is considered one of the best health care facilities in the USA. I also live near a hotel where many people stay when visiting the VA medical facility. I've spoken to dozens of people who get care at this facility and all dissagree with you. Further I have worked in a VA hospital and found the best medical staff on the planet there along with their psychiatric facilities which were top of the line. I've interviewed medical docotrs and mental health people in the VA hostpitals and found them to be excellent. Best of all the VA health system is totally owned and operated by the USA government and is far more cost effiecient than the privage insurance cartel. If they would allow me, I would use the VA health system any day of the week ahead of the so called private "health care" in this country which I find to be seriously deficient.
unsuiatlarge
I have a friend who has severe health problems due to agent orange exposure. The health-care he receives from the VA is top-notch. He is a hard core conservative and he wouldn't trade his government health care for anything!
winston1
Someone please tell AlanD, he says the VA is great.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
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n--Y--cvillekidnachi1
Doubtlessly you've been praying to whatever Pig God you worship, "Patriot."
ittybittykitty
Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FatFreddy
" Charges of pacifism are likely to be hurled at anyone who in troubled times raises any question about the race into war. If pacifism means embracing the objective of peace, I am willing to accept the charge. If it means opposing all aggression against others, I am willing to accept the charge also. It is now urgent in the interest of liberty that many persons become "peacemongers."
So the nation goes to war, and while war is going on, the real enemy [the idea of slavery] - long ago forgotten and camouflaged by the processes of war - rides on to victory in both camps.... Further evidence that in war the attack is not leveled at the real enemy is the fact that we seem never to know what to do with "victory."
Are the "liberated" peoples to be shot, or all put in prison camps, or what? Is the national boundary to be moved? Is there to be further destruction of the property of the defeated? Or what?...
False ideas can be attacked only with counter-ideas, facts, and logic.... Nor can the ideas of [Karl Marx] be destroyed today by murder or suicide of their leading exponent, or of any thousands or millions of the devotees.... Least of all can the ideas of Karl Marx be destroyed by murdering innocent victims of the form of slavery he advocated, whether they be conscripts in armies or victims caught in the path of battle."
-Dr. F A Harper, 1951
"Even if it were desirable, America is not strong enough to police the world by military force. If that attempt is made, the blessings of liberty will be replaced by coercion and tyranny at home.
- Howard Buffet, 1952 (father of Warren Buffet)
BipartisanCurious
Wingnuts for peace, who whould've thought
Plantagenet
Liberals for war. Its like LBJ all over again.
LostPatriot
I am a wing nut for peace because Iraq Nuclear contamination represents an estimated fourteen thousand Hiroshima's and may continue killing for decades. Having been invaded by Christian USA, after 6 years, Iraq experienced a 600% increase in birth defects, inadequate drinkable water, not enough electricity, and had much of its infra-structure blown to smithereens. As much as 1,820 tons of radioactive nuclear waste uranium was exploded into the 3 trillion dollar black hole of the Middle East probably the world's worst man made ecological disaster. According to many studies, the U.S. inspired ho have ingested the uranium may continue to die off over the next several years from cancers and other diseases. Much of the Gulf war illnesses have been caused by waste uranium from bunker busters and other USA weaponry. Guess what, no aluminum tubes, WMD, or smoking guns were found in Iraq after the illegal invasion. It was all a big USA lie and many of you sheeple continue to follow this criminal government. I'm happy that I can say I am not a hate monger sheeple.
BipartisanCurious
Windbag! How will you contradict your values today in trying to wiggle and shake a way to criticize Obama?
BipartisanCurious
Lost: were you for Bush's policies in the Middle East during his tenure? If not, my comments are not directed at you in any way.
FatFreddy
Wingnuts? No, the foundation for contemporary Libertarianism; the sanctity of private property, individual liberty, the rule of law, the free market, and the moral superiority of individual choice and responsibility over coercion. Ideals that have become empty rhetoric in today's Conservative movement.
nachi1
You've got that correctly, Freddy. You betcha!
cbeenthere
The wingnuts are lying as usual, doesn't take bat brains to figure that one out. Can you just picture them protesting? HAHAHAHA.
LostPatriot
You are absolutely correct. Now let's you and I go looking for the WMD, aluminum tubes, smoking guns, and that ever evasive portable fart making machine that was used to gas the Iraqis. Between the two of us we will be "American Heroes" and the sheeple will love us.
Cleanerman
I wish we could just pull out of the Middle East. They dislike us there and they are tribal. The countries are barely glued together by dictators. Our military become their policemen and we are not changing their culture. In the long run, we are encouraging more terrorism because of the hatred for us and for each other's tribe there. Oil has got to be playing a factor.
Cleanerman
Congress should pass a war tax also. So far the war costs have just been added to the ongoing, never-ending deficits. Most Americans rarely even think of our young people that are serving in harm's way everyday in the Middle East. If we spoiled (don't tax us) Americans were directly paying for this war, we would probably have already brought our troops home. Also, there should always be a draft for wars.
Plantagenet
This Congress is creating the largest deficits in history. The deficit for this year is four times larger then any previous deficit in US history. The Congress is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to pass a tax to pay for Obama's escalation of the Afghanistan war.
slmpirate
I think your right on the last statement
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n--Y--cvillekidrapierwits
Amen. Further, I'd take universal national service (military/ CCC/ Peace Corps/ teach for America/ etc..) as an incentive towards peaceful foreign policy.
tolatetocry
Where is Joe Biden?
rapierwits
Jesus, let's not expand our other land war in Asia to prop up a bunch of damned crooks.
willymack
I wrote President Obama a letter alluding to the insanity in Iraq and Afghainstan.
As to any troop increase in Afghanistan, I wrote "Are you nuts?"
Housebird
What ?? --- Now a surge in Afghanistan -- worked in Iraq -- didn't it ???
Obama Steers Toward Endless War With Islam---
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article22665.htm
America's AIPAC "War on Islam" --"perpetual war for perpetual peace"
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129654
.
nachi1
Oh yeah! "The Iraqi Surge." Great success. They've been blowing each
other/us up regularly ever since. Daily. Brilliant deduction! It "worked." Yup.
The insight of a mentally-challenged 10 year-old. With an education to match. Words from -"The Little People." Yup.
MaliciousDisorder
It doesn't matter if you send 1 or 60,000 troops, the wing nutter left will turn on the O. Too little too late ? Maybe so.
Either way, "O" always has an expiration date for whatever he says.
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