Obama Refuses To Be Rushed On Troop Decision, Surprising Military

President Barack Obama's chief spokesman said Monday that he will make a decision "within days, not weeks," on how many additional troops to send to Afghanistan, and when. Politico reports that President Obama is "refusing to be rushed" into a decision, surprising some at the Pentagon.

The new president's methodical decision-making offers an early insight into how the new commander in chief will approach the war in Afghanistan and has surprised some Pentagon officials, who had predicted repeatedly in the past two weeks that Obama would decide within days on additional forces, only to find the White House taking more time.

Rather than sign off quickly on all or part of a long-standing Pentagon request for three Army combat brigades and Marine units, totaling over 10,000 troops, Obama and his aides are questioning the timetable, the mission and even the composition of the new forces, officials familiar with the deliberations said.

The latest sign of crossed signals occurred Friday, when White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Obama "hasn't made a decision on augmenting our force structure in Afghanistan," three days after Pentagon officials said he would likely do so that week. Defense Secretary Robert Gates called Obama's deliberate approach on his first troop decision "entirely appropriate."

Obama's deliberate pace represents yet another break with the usual style of his predecessor. Former President George W. Bush usually signed off quickly on requests for additional troops from his commanders, and, especially early in his presidency, he rarely engaged in lengthy discussions about what the troops would be used for. Those decisions were generally worked out ahead of time between field commanders and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who favored holding down troop levels in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs made his observation in a chat with reporters Monday aboard Air Force One as Obama and his family flew back to the Washington area after a long weekend in his hometown of Chicago.

Gates had told a Pentagon news conference last week that Obama "will have several options in front of him." Gates suggested, as have other officials, that the ground commander in Afghanistan would eventually get all the forces he has asked for, but no more.

Comments

[OnceProudAmerican]

Bravo Mr President!
Rushing any decision is usually a mistake, This is EXACTLY how we ended up in Iraq. As history has shown, we need to think and check first before we go in Guns A Blazing. If we have learned anything it should be that any Fool can get us in a war with no way out!
JFK learned this leson the hard way- Remember the "Bay of Pigs" fiasco?
We not need any more FUBARs!

[Harrygton]

We need to disentangle ourselves from all these reactionary conflicts of choice by dealing with what really causes them. Our need to control foreign sources of energy with propped up governments that exploit their people, like Saddam Hussein, the Sheik of Iran, The Saudi royal family, etc., etc. And of course we need to resolve the Israel/Palestinian mess! We don't have another penny to spend or another drop pf blood to spill on behalf of the Industrial/Military complex that was the reason I voted for Obama... that is the kind of fundamental change the US needs... not a redeployment from Iraq to Afghanistan to recreate the same quagmire that brought down the Soviet Union!!! Enough is enough... grow some balls, Barack do what you know is the right thing!

[BiggerBiggerPicture]

I am highly disappointed that Obama has deactivated the Citizen's Briefing Book so that no one can have input at the whitehouse's website. With so much domestic and international problems, it is the time to have an open government so everyone has their ideas exposed to the public. It appears as long as the pressure is off Obama becomes rather conventional. His audacity or hope are not from his inner self but from the external pressure (from the left). So, everyone has to keep the pressure up, otherwise, the guy is just going to relax in that big white house and ignore the need of the people.

[spartanmom]

This isn't good enough?

http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/

[BiggerBiggerPicture]

This is not a blog, so only whitehouse can see everyone's posting. I think it is step backward.

[bob72]

Why are we in Afghanistan? Or Iraq, for that matter?

Does anyone remember?

What is it that we're trying to accomplish?

[NYC123]

No brainder, get out of both Iraq and Afghanistan! One does not need experts to advise. Just bring in the neighbors in the region, let them decide. It cannot be any worse than any plan that we can come up with.

[MagisterLudi]

Why in Afghanistan--Al Qaeda and their protectors-Taliban.
You certainly have memory problems.

[mitsie]

WTF, this is a Poltico column, no wonder that title is misleading. What is wrong with the President taking a few more days to make the decision what to do? Certainly I would rather he take his time than to be impulsive as Bush was getting us into the Iraq war in the first place.

I for one am getting sick and tired of Politica and their right wing agenda. Hmmm one of their founders is a friend of Bush, so like FOX, Politico is the right wing edition.

[gleeold]

It is not wise to tell the world how many troops will be in Afghanistan.

Why do we let Taliban know our plan and strategy. ?

The only way to defeat them is shock them confused them .

[spartanmom]

"Maybe if we run away some more it will confuse them"

[miriada]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/feb/14/nato-afghanistan

[gleeold]

President Obama is smart to know the supply lines to Iraq and Afganistan is too long to sustain. Get out and find other method to deal with terrorists.

History has proved no country can win a war with long supply lines. Not even Ghengiskan or NAPOLIAN..­.ALEXANDER­...

[spartanmom]

I was resisting logging in this morning but I had to for Napoleon.

Napoleon? In Afghanistan?!

But then I re-read so I have to be satisfied with a spelling error. D'mn

[noneIn2008]

They are continuing rendition. Holder just argued to keep "state secrets". The tune is changing a little now that they are in power.

[research]

let's hope not.

[JZ735]

I knew this would happen, yet his mindless shills and media leg tinglers just don't get when they have been played...b­igtime...O­bama better get cracking here...the Taliban are effectively running Afghanistan and are beginning to take over parts of Pakistan..­.as Obama dithers, the same thing that happened prior to 9/11is starting anew with these Islamic whackadoos.

[nomobull]

so you must be planning on shipping out since you are so eager to fight. thank God he is taking his time to consider the risk and cost. you criticize him for not blindly sending other people's sons and daughters to a possible death.

[Gdebs]

How did you enjoy your beer with Bush?

[spartanmom]

They are agreeing with arguments in a single legal case. They are not saying that rendition is a good idea. They are just saying that this particular case shouldn't go forward because to do so would endanger state secrets.

Bushco did something stupid and illegal using our intelligence capabilities. Now Obama doesn't want to endanger those capabilities. Just because Bushco used the rationale to cover their crimes does not mean that the argument is void.

[indiamerican]

We are already in Afghanistan. Leaving is not an easy option. Increasing troop levels is not easy either. Who should we send to death our sons, the afghani girls.... no wonder Obama is thinking hard and debating the issues.

[Beowoof]

I agree. Just pushing the "yes" button without a game plan is not his way. Extremely tough decisions on long term game plans isn't as easy when your way is not always "the only thing that the enemy understands is force". Nevertheless, even the best way might not be too pretty. Whose game plan ever did go well in in Afghanistan?

[spartanmom]

Nice to see a rational comment on this.

The Spartans are back over there and while my son is no longer active, a friend's son is there and another lost her boy over there.

All the folks who scream Get out! Get out! Get out! should put their money where their mouths are.

Afghanistan needs education and infrastructure.
They stripped the links last time I mentioned this so I will just suggest that anyone who really wants things to improve over there and to bring our soldiers home should G00gle the following and contribute.

Women for Women International
Beyond the Eleventh
Central Asia Institute

[ltyr2002]

Pakistan is surrendering to the Taliban.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090216/ts_nm/us_pakistan_3

[ltyr2002]

Meanwhile, Pakistan has surrendered the Swat region of their country to the Taliban and sharia law. The Taliban have burned about 200 girls schools to the ground, and regularly behead transgressors who dare to watch TV, dance, or shave their beards.

We have adversaries over there who pose a very serious and direct threat to any and all who dare to not subscribe to their radical, apocolyptic world view.

[JZ735]

The Taliban need to be annihilate­d...I hate to talk like that, but their way of life is as alien as Hitler's was to world peace and humanity..­.their way of life needs to be ended...pe­riod...it will not stand.

[Theresa Pickel]

How long and how many lives have to be lost to "beat" the Taliban? Maybe if we leave them alone they'll find out their not as strong as they think they are. Maybe the people in Afghanistan don't want a democracy as much as we think they do. Why can't we not have ANY war's?

[surj]

With no immediate reinforce troops going into Afghanistan "thanks to Obama"and existing troops there fight with one hand tied to their back, US must lend full support to their soldiers in Afghanistan for what ever action they feel necessary. otherwise war is as good as lost. www.thereligionofpeace.com www.danielpipes.org

[mick7191]

The war was lost when the previous administration went into Iraq. This is not President O's baby.

[spartanmom]

"The latest sign of crossed signals occurred Friday, when White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters Obama "hasn't made a decision on augmenting our force structure in Afghanistan," three days after Pentagon officials said he would likely do so that week."

Wait, isn't a week longer than 3 days? What crossed signals are they talking about?

[wonder6789]

Throwing more guys from Kentucky into Afghanistan will not resolve Afghanistan's problems.