John Kerry On Afghanistan: Sending More Troops Is "Irresponsible" Until Afghan Election Is Settled

In an interview with CNN's "State of the Union," Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the United States should not proceed with a new Afghan strategy involving more troops without a clear partner in Kabul.

"Look, it would be entirely irresponsible for the president of the United States to commit more troops to this country, when we don't even have an election finished and know who the president is and what kind of government we're working in," Kerry said from the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Read the whole story: Reuters

Comments

[econ1]

11:20 AM on 10/19/2009

If he wants to wait until their government is stable and working together...we should get out now. Of course where would the troops go...since our government isn't working together either.

[CitadelYankee]

10:57 PM on 10/18/2009

The US and NATO must defend Afghanistan's frontier, assist with internal security, cooperate with NGO's and make every effort to work with the Afghans and the United Nations to construct a Constitutional Monarchy. Jeffersonian Democracy is not feasible but a Constitutional Monarchy is. Afghanistan's history demonstrates that a Constitutional Monarchy is the only feasible Western alternative to an Islamic Caliphate. If the West leaves Afghanistan abruptly then it leaves a power vacuum and all the moderate Afghans will be repressed or massacred. Afghanistan is a necessary war because, in the big picture, this is a clash between extremist Islam and the West. The invasion of Afghanistan was a just war. Make no mistake the Western world is invested in this and has an opportunity to repair the 30 year rape of Afghanistan and demonstrate the value of the nation-state system. The wise use of military power (guarding the border) to attain a feasible political solution (constitutional monarchy) is a sound strategy and based on Von Clausewitz's thesis On War. Escalation and the occupation of population centers is costly and unwise use of our military power. Let's be smart about this and help Afghanistan with the right force mix and a political solution - that is the "exit strategy." Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/percy-blakeney/hold-the-line-in-afghanis_b_321156.html

[christopherflynn]

02:53 PM on 10/19/2009

a constitutional monarchy? The tribes in afghanistan probably couldn't even pronounce it and are a he**l*luva lot smarter than we are. Let's leave Afghanistan to the Afghans, don't you think????? Man, you must be an old school political science major...or a former diplomat who doesn't know "shin from shitola"...

[dspencer3491]

10:40 PM on 10/18/2009

The problem in the middle east is religion. More people need to realize this and stop thinking it's just our poor foreign policy decisions.

[MorgaineChya]

09:54 PM on 10/18/2009

If there is one elected Democrat I have less use for at this point than President Obama, it would be Senator John Kerry who cut and run hours after a very obviously fraudulent 2004 election was called for GWB, leaving his supporters behind to try to fight without him and, without his power behind us the call for recount was ignored.

I hadn't even awakened from the previous election night when Kerry conceeded to GWB.

[PaxEterna]

09:33 PM on 10/18/2009

Parsing reality is the new game in WASHINGTON.

Without any ba**s on either side of the aisle, we are all going down the poop shute.

So if we get a credible partner we're going to send our young men and women to fight another stupid winless war?

Who are you trying to impress JK? Pathetic.

[factotem]

07:48 PM on 10/18/2009

Why the long face, John?

[jimrs6]

08:01 PM on 10/18/2009

Touche'

[eciaccio]

07:40 PM on 10/18/2009

Sending more troops is irresponsible, PERIOD!

[LyssaBarnes]

06:24 PM on 10/18/2009

Actually, he does have a point. We should not leave our troops in a position where they could be stranded in a hostile country.

[Raster]

04:57 PM on 10/18/2009

And when it's "settled", with Maximo-corrupt Karzai still in control, it will then be time to send more troops?

[GrandmaBEE]

03:32 PM on 10/18/2009

Who's he flip ping the bird at?

[NTexasHillbilly]

03:41 PM on 10/18/2009

Probably at the goopers.

[brady61995]

04:53 PM on 10/18/2009

everybody that did not vote for him

[factotem]

07:49 PM on 10/18/2009

He lost that race all on his own. He let the Swiftboaters dominate the dialogue.
Kerry is a complete milquetoast.

[Ifticar2]

02:59 PM on 10/18/2009

If Kerry had been elected President, he would have pulled out of Iraq. Iraq would have turned into an Al Quida state. Iraq would be have become the home base for Al Quida infiltrating and attacking their surrounding neighbors.

Anyone who listen to Kerry on Afghanistan is a fool.

[jennylynn]

04:09 PM on 10/18/2009

Or listens to him about anything.

[brady61995]

04:56 PM on 10/18/2009

huh an al quida state? iraq? and they would have shot off all the wmd's as well.

[chulanow]

02:22 PM on 10/18/2009

Good thing no one cares what Kerry says.......he's an old dinosaur with dinosaur ways.

[jennylynn]

04:09 PM on 10/18/2009

Sure looks like one.

[wildedge]

01:21 PM on 10/18/2009

Surprisingly limp remark from Kerry. Why do politicians and the Pentagon not see what is obvious to everyone else, that NO gvernment in Kabul will EVER be a 'good partner' for the US, and it is time to LEAVE!

[justice11]

01:12 PM on 10/18/2009

Bring them home!! The same people we're training there are the same people killing our soldiers!! Enough is enough!! We can't afford this and nothing will change over there!! Place soldiers where their needed, send the rest home, and take care of this country!!!!

[AZterritory]

01:43 PM on 10/18/2009

Well said. Afghanistan is an empire killer and their priorities are tribal and NOT to a set of artificially set borders and so-called 'elected' leaders.

[msgirlintn]

06:37 AM on 10/19/2009

Very very well said. My daughter's best friend's father is in the National Guard. He is 65 years old and has done two stints in Iraq and just got back from a 6 mos. tour in Bosnia. It is really starting to take a toll on him. Then last night on the news they showed Ft. Campbell soldiers coming home from Afghanistan. One was a monther who left when her baby was 6 mos old. The baby didn't recognize her.

It breaks my heart to see these things and the Repubs just want to keep fighting wars. These are not just soldiers, they are husbands and wives, mothers and fathers. They need to put a face on these soldiers.

[kesmarn]

01:09 PM on 10/18/2009

Pragmatists and idealists both serve valuable purposes in the world. The trouble starts when the right is able to pit one group against another, drive a wedge of division, and splinter a movement that would have changed the world for the better.

Let's not let 'em do it again.

Because then the money-changers end up in charge one more time.

There are a million ways to be a good person, so we have a lot of diversity of opinion on our side, but it's simple to be a $ worshipping ess oh bee. Makes it easy for them to stay united.

[nicole473]

01:15 PM on 10/18/2009

+1