Obama Seeking Options To Send Fewer Troops To Afghanistan

washingtonpost.com:

President Obama has asked the Pentagon's top generals to provide him with more options for troop levels in Afghanistan, two U.S. officials said late Friday, with one adding that some of the alternatives would allow Obama to send fewer new troops than the roughly 40,000 requested by his top commander.

Read the whole story: washingtonpost.com

Comments

[wildedge]

Caught in the middle of a civil war between a major drug cartel to the north and Islamic fundamentalists to the south, here is the only option that makes sense, Mr. President : GET US OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!

[Mark Twaine]

Never send a Scotsman to fight a war that can't be won with bagpipes!

[Mark Twaine]

Its just a matter of time before the right wing GOP finds staying in Afghanistan is not in the best financial interest and presses the President to get out. And he does!

[stardust835]

Why does he need to ask for more options? Its time for us to get our soldiers, contractors and dollars out. Now the "democracy" in Afghanistan some want us to send more soldiers to Afghanistan (costing 1/2 million per soldier/per year according to Pentagon estimates) can't even drum up more than one candidate.

(At least here we get two candidates that end up doing the same thing when push comes to shove with powerful lobbyists and corporations.) I've always thought I would trust any politician a lot more if they would commit to one term and donate their campaign funds to charity.

[normalintexas]

Matthew Hoh has got it right. We are in the middle of a civil war. If you didn't catch the Fareed interview just now see if you can find it on you tube. I hope the administration is listening to what he has to say. He speaks wisdom honed from experience.

[AnotherAngle]

I am going to begin referring to this President as Present Obama.

He voted "present" 130 times as a Senator because he could not or did not want to make a decision.

What's changed?

[AnotherAngle]

"President Obama has asked the Pentagon's top generals to provide him with more options for troop levels in Afghanistan, two U.S. officials said late Friday, with one adding that some of the alternatives would allow Obama to send fewer new troops than the roughly 40,000 requested by his top commander."

To those of you that accused GWB of forcing the CIA to give him the answer he wants to invade Iraq, this President is doing the SAME THING. What do you have to say now?

In other words, Present Obama is saying, I didn't like the first answer you gave me, so give me one I want to hear.

[jasper48]

"To those of you that accused GWB of forcing the CIA to give him the answer he wants to invade Iraq, this President is doing the SAME THING. What do you have to say now?"

What I say, is that you are presenting a MAJOR false equivalency.

--One was a deliberate massaging of intelligence data, cherry
picked, for the purposes of embarking upon an illegal war.

--And the other is a purposeful request for information, for the purpose
of making an intelligent and deliberative decision, on a war situation,
which has already gone on far too long, cost far too much, and will
inevitably end with our leaving with not a whole lot gained, save for the
loss of many brave lives. Osama Bin Laden is still at large, and the Taliban
is stronger than ever. More of the same, is not going to get it done.
A verey different tact needs to be taken. If that takes time to formulate,
so be it. That's why he gets the big bucks. Better that than a "gut decision",
like the "decider" did.

One last note AA. On that past comment of mine, I stand guilty of
sloppy articulation of my point. For you to "assume" you knew what
I meant, using the word worth, and to conclude that I felt this country had none,
was a foolish thing to have assumed. You don't know me. Don't be so brazen.
I don't believe you think yourself that ignorant.

[jasper48]

Matthew Hoh is on Fareed Zakaria GPS right now on CNN.
Watch it and then we'll talk again.

[normalintexas]

Watching...Matthew Hoh is a treasure trove of information on Afganistan and our troops.

[DannyRose]

Mr. President, just say no!

(to the Generals)

[llfutrell]

So it took you a month to come up with this "half way" idea?? Either give the General that YOU chose what he wants in order to try to accomplish YOUR strategey or bring them home. Why would you "half a.$.$." a job?

[ResistanceisFutile]

This will be Obama's Waterloo!

[claytongrayum]

No goal is worthy of more grave plots. Bring the troops home and leave it to the CIA.

[robert234]

Censorship of the PRESS and censorship BY the PRESS is a hideaway for the craven!

[Lauralics]

I have always posted that Afghanistan is not "winnable", especially with Pakistan supplying fighters to come and knock everything down again. With that said, I'd like to point out that Pakistan is FINALLY doing something about their radicals, something they didn't do for Bush (as obviously it would become a civil war for them), but the Taliban killed one too many innocents and has forced the hand of the Govt. to act. So now is not the time to back off as we finally have Pakistan no longer offering safe haven, this is what we have been waiting for, and abandoning the region now that we have a gained a cooperative Pakistan is foolish. Pakistan won't stick their heads out again to help if we abandon them now, they've shown their hand to the enemy, which is also our enemy and we still need the current govt. to remain in place if we don't want the Taliban to take over Pakistan as well.

[nomobull]

what is up with the multiple headlines for the same story.?

[nomobull]

and none fit the story maybe because it's more opinion than fact. enough.

[XzibitX]

$500,000 per troop, per year. 15,000 X $500,000 = $7,5 billion per year. $20 billion per year for 40K troops. $400 per gallon is being charged for gas for vehicles during these conflicts. Who knows what other outrageous expenses are being charged for the elements of these manufactured conflicts. Also add what it costs to pay mercenaries who usually make tons more than enlisted troops and you're likely looking at $10 billion or more per month for this nonsense. The MIC politicians drink the bl00d from the treasury like a vampire and will justify any escalation so they can continue to gorge themselves. Obama is in a no win. You cannot win an occupation. Any "surge" will also consist of payola to bribe the locals. How much more expense will that add? Now, try to reduce the deficit to offset the price of health care reform by escalating war expenses by hundreds of billions per year in A'ghan and Iraq. D@mned if he does, d@mned if he doesn't.