Colin Powell To Obama On Afghanistan Troop Decision: "Take Your Time"

ABC News:

In an interview with Roland Martin on the Tom Joyner Morning Show this morning, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell revealed that he recently advised President Obama to take his time in devising his strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[billy371]

The government is so concerned about this war in Afghanistan. But you know what I’m concerned about? I’m concerned about our soldiers, especially the ones who don’t come home at all and their loved ones.
http://ketiva.com/Politics_and_Government/obamas_ministers_argue_over_troop_reinforcements.html
I found this interesting though…

[little old lady]

Thank you Colin Powell.
President Obama, please take your time and made the wisest decision possible. I realize that this may be the most difficult thing you have to do in your early presidency. Please do not be pushed, railroaded, coerced into enlarging the war.

[SiberianRat]

Thank goodness for Powell. He's one of the only bits of evidence that the GOP hasn't sold its soul to an ideology.

[expired]

Thanks Charlie Wilson, Bill Clinton and GHW and W for this mess.

[expired]

Get the he// out. Stop feeding the Military Industrial Complex cons and thugs. Just pull them out. We have absoutely no solid reason for still being over there. Let them take care of themselves. Start taking care of your own countrymen.

[CherokeeGirl]

here! here! there is absolutely no reason to be there except to fund the Taliban not to shoot us.

[Emerald1943]

I thought it a very good sign that the President has rejected the plans presented to him. Rather than a sign of weakness as the rethugs would like to have us believe, it is a sign a strength and an indication that President Obama is definitely in control! I hope he does take his time...we can no longer afford huge military mistakes, either in troops or money! Dog knows, we had enough of them throughout the last administration!

[Whinger]

The President has already chosen what to do, more troops with an opt out clause!

[CherokeeGirl]

or a trigger?

[Wrenigade]

Patraeus leaks like a 57 Chevy. . .

[Dosadi]

I find it incredible that so many Americans have no idea about our history in the Middle East. Get a clue people, we are not and have not been the good guys there. We are the country that wants the oil so our oil companies can make money by spilling foreign blood. We have meddled in their politics and governance for decades. Those who think 9/11 was a first strike are wron, 9/11 was retaliation. We were warned for years and ignored the warnings because we are so big and strong. We need diplomatic policies that enable friends not make enemies.

[hypnotoad72]

Do you have any links so that we can educate ourselves? Or even keywords to do a web search with?

[CherokeeGirl]

yeah, it's business as usual in Afghanistan with our paid PRIVATE industry contractors.

it's just that now we are finding out about it, where they used to keep it out of the media.

thank you Jeremy Scahill of The Nation!

[Cooday]

I'm glad Gen. Powell advised President Obama to "Take Your Time" on this decision. More Troops mean more Wounded and Deaths next year. Oct 2009 was a preview of this. Are the Majority of Americans ready for this?

We already know how the Republicans who support the Bush/Neo Conservatives approach feel as they beat the drums of war again and calling for more troops.

Somewhere there is a solution and an exit with the help of our Allies and the Experts who spent their lives studying this part of the world.

Until a solution is found our Troops and allies need better protect against the deadly IEDS happening now.

The hardest part of this is dealing with the Bush and Neo Conservative War legacy left to us now. The Republicans want to pass the buck and mess they created to the Democrats so the Republicans can have clean slate to run in the 2010 and 2012 elections. The Republicans should be held accountable until our troops are safely home from both wars.

[Emerald1943]

Fanned! The repubs would love for us to forget who started this mess and will do anything to distract us from that fact! Elephants are the ones who are supposed to have long memories, but I believe the donkeys can give 'em a run for their money! We will NOT forget!

[CherokeeGirl]

are my comments too controversial today H P ?

[CherokeeGirl]

Thank you SPQR1775 for speaking up. I completely agree and am so glad that Obama has pushed back on that. What do we say to those who will say that we leave innocent people behind at the mercy or lack thereof, of the Taliban and a corrupt government? I'd say, it would look the same if we stayed or went.

So we should go. We should bring every single soldier home. Cancel every war contract and just go. It's up to the people of afghanistan to build their own nation. We have pumped money to the region.

Down with the MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

No more McChrystal cronies from West Point ensuring a steady flow of cash to their "little country". Seriously, we don't even know who we are fighting, I smell kickbacks and bribes in abundance.

[CherokeeGirl]

and this morning, what do we find out? kick backs and bribes in abundance just to keep the taliban from shooting at us from point A to point B. Something is stinky here. I wish I weren't right.

So, this is McChrystal's big strategy? Paying them to track our enemies who are their friends? Please.

[Chopin]

Mccrystal is no patriot hero. Pat Tilman, the football superstar was genuine patriot hero. Tilman volunteered after 9/11 to cancel his lucrative football celebrity career to join army rangers to go to fight in Afghanistan. He ended up being sent to Iraq. What Pat Tilman saw and experienced in Iraq led him to believe vehemently it was the wrong (illegal) war for the wrong reason (to grab oil). Pat Tilman was killed in tragic circumstances of mistaken "friendly fire". Yet, for many months and years, the Army, under direct command of Gen. Mccrystal fudged, cooked, and covered up the real facts, lied to his family, misrepresented Tilman's death to the public to pump up a "stereotype Audie Murphy hero image" to enhance army recruitment drive. He abused his brass power position to exploit genuine fleshNblood hero with intelligent strong convictions into cartoonish gungho GIJoe figure to fool more 18yearolds to sign up.

This General ain't no patriot hero fighting for people's cause. Now, he's onto same game of pumping up his favorite perpetual war for glory, by talking and leaking to American+foreign press, through dubious (near-treasonous) means of bypassing channels, undermining constitutional civilian authority of the President. It's timely+proper Ambassador (retired General) Eikenberry injected battleseasoned wise counsel to President Obama to cool warescalationfever, and to soberly+realistically evaluate viability of the corrupt Karsai government, in light of rampant election fraud and abuse. People should oppose war escalation through knowledge, wisdom, and common humanity.

[CherokeeGirl]

I hear ya and I'm glad you have strong feelings cuz that means many others will too. :)

[SPQR1775]

As an officer in Iraq serving in the US Army, I agree with General Powell and the Commander in Chief President O. It is time to end Afghanistan, it is time to bring the troops home. No troop increase and if there is any, set a timetable for specific objectives to be made and regardless of it they are met or not, the US will start to reduce and close ou the mission and turn over to the UN and state department for Diplomatic operations. What is the "NATIONAL INTEREST!" in Afghanistan? We have NONE!

[Major Maven]

At a Billion a thousand for U.S. youth, it would be cheaper to pay the drug lords and the war lords to control the Taliban and Alqueda.

[Dosadi]

Boo Ya!

[robeson]

Demanding an end game from the perpetual war promoters will produce some great works of fiction.

[tyger]

that is why I did not want Powell to be part of Boosh's administration. They used this man as cover based on his stellar reputation. Thank goodness he left and stood tall and spoke his mind.