Discussion for article #241784
I’m sure Obama is a smart guy, but why the hell is he and his administration announcing this to the world…and to the enemy?
I can’t keep count of the number of times where I’ve regretted voting for Obama (twice)…but I shake myself to reality when I think back who the Republicans offered (Romney and Boy Robin) and (McCain and Moose lips).
So who, exactly, is deluded enough to think that 5500 U.S. troops are going to make the difference between a free, West-leaning Afghanistan and an Afghanistan overrun with Taliban and ISIS crazies?
There’s no political price for Obama to pay. In the end, the RWNJ’s will say that he “lost Afghanistan” no matter what he does, as if any other outcome was ever possible. The biggest favor he can do for the Democratic Party is to leave his predecessor in the position of not having to take the hit.
With no troops in Afghanistan, the next POTUS can respond to those who want to get involved with a couple of simple questions: “Do you really think we should throw more money and U.S. lives away in this mess? You really want us to wade back into the quagmire?”
And if the next POTUS happens to be a Republican (yikes), and decides to go back in, there will be no doubt about whose fault it is when things don’t work out.
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Because not moving your troops out isn’t exactly something you can keep under wraps in this world.
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If this president thinks we need to stay longer, I accept that. He has access to information that the rest of us do not and I trust his judgement.
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Why is he announcing to the enemy that the United States is committed to defeating them? That the United States is going to support Afghanistan until it can stand on its own? That we’re capable and unafraid to commit to a long term undertaking?
Because it’s the right thing to do.
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Afghanistan, graveyard of empires.
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I remember bitching in an email to friends about Bush going into the middle east after 9-11 after the fiasco it was when George H.W. sent troops into Iraq and the Russians in Afghanistan. . Man did people, especially one long time friend, bitch about how important it was we go in and shut down Saddam with all his wmd…I never sent anything else but god damn the thought of all the lives lost and that will continue to be lost for this seemingly purposeless and endless war…what a fucking waste…god damn can’t we just leave and let them kill themselves…
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“The narrative that we’re leaving Afghanistan is self-defeating,”
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday during a speech at the
Association of the U.S. Army. “We’re not, we can’t and to do so would
not be to take advantage of the success we’ve had to date.”
I am TOTALLY unclear on this concept. WHAT success have US forces had to date? Killing a whole bunch of people and destroying a hospital in a bombing operation against MSF?? Training the f*cking Afghan troops who don’t seem to be able to learn how to fend for themselves? Supplying said Afghan troops with weaponry that somehow finds their way over to the Taliban or ISIL?? I just don’t understand what’s happening here.