In the history of mankind, many republics have risen, have flourished for a less or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state. TR
The vice president has landed in Afghanistan. Not a big fucking deal. Except, as the principle internal advocate of Cut and Run, and as the prototype of that most frightening military hardware – the Loose Cannon – who knows what mischief he might get into. Last time out he got in a big fight with Karzai.
Vice President Biden shifted back into lose cannon mode Sunday, saying U.S. troops would be out of Afghanistan by 2014 and that the U.S. withdrawal next July would not feature a “token” number of troops. Unfortunately, this is not the strategy of President Obama, who has only said U.S. troops will cede the lead role to Afghani troops by 2014 and that the magnitude July
There are various ways to conduct a war, but SILLY isn’t an advisable option. President Obama today announced that, you know, some things in Afghanistan are getting a better, though “this continues to be a very difficult endeavor.” Anyway, we’re starting to leave in July 2011. And we’re still on track to get more or less completely the Hell out by 2014. It’s pretty clear
See, you know, this is why people get frustrated with Obama. Is it really clear to anyone what the goal is in Afghanistan, other than to tidy the place up enough so we can get the Hell out? Here’s what President Obama told the troops during his visit there over the weekend. This part of the world is the center of a global effort where
President Obama landed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan at 10:35 am ET – 8:35 pm local time – after a 13-hour nonstop trip from Andrews Air Force Base. While on the ground, the president will met with U.S. troops, made a speech to them, talked to their commanders, and spoke by phone with Afghan President Hamid Karzai . The unedited pool report describing the
Yes, Mullah Omar, the place is yours at that point. That’s what was ANNOUNCED today by NATO at the summit in Lisbon. Look, it’s not a bad idea at all to leave Afghanistan in 2014. I just think we should win the war first. I don’t know how it makes sense to fight a war but announce when you are surrendering. It’s generous of us
An amazing story in the New York Times a couple of days ago revealed that Iran has totally infiltrated the Afghan leadership, giving Karzai’s chief of staff BULGING sacks of money. Karzai’s completely defiant reaction to the piece – admitting his misbehavior and asking, “So what?” – indicates things ain’t likely to change. And for good reason: Pakistan – which continues to support the Taliban
Consider these famous quotations: 1. “Give me liberty, or give me death.” 2. “I have not yet begun to fight.” 3. “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” 4. “We are going to break (their) momentum.” Now I ask you, which of these statements was made by the current commander in chief of our armed forces, the
Someone wrote somewhere recently – I can’t remember where – that there are only two Western democracies left still willing to fight to defend themselves: The United States and Great Britain. With the world teaming with enemies who want to destroy the West, this is a frightening thought. And after President Obama’s speech last night, in which he declared an end to combat operations in
President Obama made an excursion today to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit wounded warriors, meeting with 24 who served in Afghanistan and five who fought in Iraq. He awarded 11 Purple Hearts. This difficult exercise is not something he does real often. I gotta say, coming one day before travels to Fort Bliss, Texas to mark the end of “combat operations” in
President Obama says July 2011 is the starting point for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, and that the starting point is not changeable. But Gen. David Petraeus says he might advise changing it. Why aren’t President Obama and his top military man in Afghanistan on the same page, after all this time and discussion? Oh, wait a minute, White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton says
President Obama appeared in the Rose Garden early this afternoon to say that even as the Senate moves to pass a scaled back version of the energy bill, he’s going to push for broader climate change legislation that includes a carbon cap and trade bill, as has already been passed by the House. Some in Washington are speculating that the strategy is for the Senate