Surge

The Debt Ceiling and Obama's Silence

Lincoln Mitchell | Posted 10.01.2011

Read More: House of Representatives, John McCain, President Barack Obama, Healt Care, George W. Bush, Iraq, Democratic Party, Recession, Barack Obama, Bush Tax Cuts, Debt Ceiling, Repubilcan Party, Economic Stimulus Package, Surge, Default, President Bush, Politics News

In the face of opportunist and selfish behavior, Obama was faced with several options, none of which were good. In the end, he decided that to avoid default and greater economic problems he would simply capitulate to the Republican demands.

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Friday Talking Points [170] -- Newt Loses Two, Huntsman Gains An "H"

Chris Weigant | Posted 08.24.2011

Read More: Social Security, Gas Prices, Troops, President Obama, Speech, Marijuana, Ron Paul, Legalize, Barney Frank, Nursing Homes, Obama, Democratic, Jobs Clock, Withdrawal, Bush, Republican, Gay Rights, Military, Surge, Sammie Spades, Scrap the Cap, Jobs Bill Clock, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Speculators, Gas, Adult Movie, House, War, Democrat, Medicaid, Congress, Whitehouse, Gay, Newt Gingrich, Porn, Democrats, Barack Obama, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jon Huntsman, Grandma, Mddotw, War on Marijuana, Misspelled, Clinton Intern, War Powers Act, Oil, Libya, George W Bush, Medicare, Hillary Clinton, Afghanistan, Friday Talking Points, Gay Marriage, Senate, Politics News

John Huntsman... whoops, took that from their own campaign materials, sorry... let's start over... Jon Huntsman announced he was running for president, to a giant collective yawn outside the Beltway.

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Our Plan Has Not Worked in Afghanistan

Matthew Hoh | Posted 08.22.2011

Read More: Al-Qaeda, Bob Woodward, Obama, Afghanistan, Surge, Karzai, Taliban, World News

By not making significant cuts in our troops in Afghanistan or real changes in our strategy, the president's latest plan will leave us stuck in Afghanistan's quicksand for years to come.

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The Urge to Surge: Washington's 30-Year High

Tom Engelhardt | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Surge, Addiction to War, Surge, Afghanistan Surge, War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq, War, World News

It's easy to forget that war is a drug. Once you begin down the path of invasion and occupation, turning back is as difficult as an addict going cold turkey.

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U.S. Expects To Pay $6 Billion Per Year For Afghan Training

AP | DESMOND BUTLER | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: White House, Surge, Afghanistan, Nato, Afghan National Police, Afghan War, Training, George W. Bush, 2011, Withdrawal, Barack Obama, Afghan Army, World News

WASHINGTON — The United States expects to spend about $6 billion a year training and supporting Afghan troops and police after it begins pulling...

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Afghan War Casualties: U.S. Military Deaths Hit 1,260

AP | The Associated Press | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Afghan War, Marines, US Casualties, Army, Deaths, Military, Afghanistan, Air Force, Navy, Casualties, Pentagon, Barack Obama, Surge, George W. Bush, World News

As of Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010, at least 1,260 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in l...

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Mr. President, Take a Firm Lead in Afghanistan

Patricia DeGennaro | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Insurgency Afghanistn, Hillary Clinton State Department, Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Afghan Election, Surge, World News

There is a blurred picture of the Afghan reality. But President Obama's people must have the strength to help him formulate sound policies, and be aware that they have the responsibility to think of possibilities beyond war.

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Boehner Hits, Then Praises Obama Over Iraq Strategy

Roll Call | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq War, Military, Surge, John Boehner, Iraq Pullout, Petraeus, Obama, Democrats, Iraq Drawdown, Drawdown, Republicans, Politics News

House Minority Leader John Boehner appeared to be sending mixed messages Monday on whether to support or bash President Barack Obama over his Iraq War...

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Afghanistan Is More Dangerous Despite Troop Surge, Say Aid Groups

New York Times | ROD NORDLAND | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Care, Surge, Isaf, Afghanistan, Nato, Kabul, Aid Groups, Insurgents, Taliban, Wardak Province, Hamid Karzai, Grand Trunk Road, Counterinsurgency, World News

Even as more American troops flow into the country, Afghanistan is more dangerous than it has ever been during this war, with security deteriorating i...

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Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, Anti-Corruption Afghan Prosecutor, Fired By Karzai

AP / Huffington Post | By RAHIM FAIEZ and DEB RIECHMANN | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Corruption, Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, US Military, Afghanistan, Kabul, Bribery, Obama, Sensitive Investigative Unit, Hamid Karzai, Afghan War, Fraud, John Kerry, Major Crimes Task Force, Mohammad Ishaq Aloko, Surge, Nato, Mohammad Zia Salehi, World News

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A top Afghan prosecutor who has complained that the attorney general and others are blocking corruption cases against high-ranki...

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Petraeus, Young Officers To Press For Slower Afghan Drawdown

The New York Times | ERIC SCHMITT, HELENE COOPER and DAVID E. SANGER | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Congress, Officers, Afghanistan, Kabul, Hamid Karzai, Afghan War, Kandahar, White House, Surge, Nato, General Petraeus, Counterinsurgency, Drawdown, World News

American military officials are building a case to minimize the planned withdrawal of some troops from Afghanistan starting next summer, in an effort ...

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Netherlands Withdraws From Afghanistan After Four Years: 1,950 Troops Head Home

BBC News | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Withdrawal Date, Nato, Surge, US Military, Afghan Withdrawal, Afghanistan, Netherlands, Kabul, Uruzgan Province, 3d Policy, Dutch, Counterinsurgency, World News

The Netherlands is ending its military involvement in Afghanistan, after four years in which its 1,950 troops have won praise for their effectiveness....

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It's Time to End This War

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: President, Democracy, Dying, War in Afghanistan, Crime, War, General David Petraeus, 9/11, Muslim Countries, Weapons, Collateral Damage, Resignation, War on Terror, Surge, America, Afghan War, Government, Vietnam Memorial, Military Force, Service, Taliban, Military, New York Times, Afghanistan, Terrorism, Terror, Justice, Vietnam Memorial Wall, Politics News

The number of U.S. service members killed in June was the highest for one month since this now nine-year war began. It's time to end this war. Or should we just start building another Memorial wall?

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Good News From Iraq

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: John McCain, Petraeus, President Obama, Troops, Status of Forces Agreement, Msm, War, Mccain, Obama, Joe Biden, Media, Biden, Barack Obama, Withdrawal, Bush, General, Surge, Precipitous Withdrawal, Sofa, Chris Weigant, Troop Level, Afghanistan, Republicans, Iraq, Milestone, Senate, Politics News

At the same time that Senate Republicans are voicing disagreement over withdrawal timetables when it comes to Afghanistan, we are about to meet a big milestone in our withdrawal timetable for Iraq -- and it doesn't even rate a mention.

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Terrorist Attacks Spike In Pakistan, Afghanistan

AP | LOLITA C. BALDOR | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Pentagon, Statistics, Afghanistan, Terrorism, Pakistan, Taliban, Afghan War, Drone Attacks, Surge, Cia, Civilian Casualties, Nato, Afpak, Muslim, World News

WASHINGTON — An increase in terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan triggered a spike in the number of civilians killed or wounded there l...

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NATO Tries To Silence Journalist Jerome Starkey Over Afghan Slayings (VIDEO)

Rethink Afghanistan | Derrick Crowe | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Karzai, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, US Military, Isaf, Children, Afghanistan, The Times, Kabul, Taliban, Jerome Starkey, Surge, Civilian Casualties, Nato, Pregnant Women, World News

Last week, I spoke with Afghanistan-based journalist Jerome Starkey about his reporting on special forces raids that killed civilians and NATOs surpri...

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Operation Moshtarak: NATO Launches Major Afghan Offensive

Reuters | Golnar Motevalli | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Karzai, Afghanistan War, Marines, White House, Surge, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nato, Operation Moshtarak, Helmand Province, Operation Mushtarak, Obama, Taliban, Marjah, World News

MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S.-led NATO troops launched a crucial offensive on Saturday against the Taliban's last big stronghold in Afghanistan...

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The Surge, by the Numbers

Nick Mills | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Khans, Afghanistan, Surge, World News

The more one does the numbers, the more The Surge looks like tokenism. And if the 30,000 are tokens, why send them at all? Some of them will die there and many others will be badly hurt.

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Afghanistan, "So It Goes"

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 05.25.2011

As with Vietnam, the problem in Afghanistan is political, not military. The United States can stay there forever if we want to -- but is it worth it?

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Obama Leaning Toward 34,000 More Troops For Afghanistan

McClatchy | Jonathan S. Landay | Posted 05.25.2011

President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it unti...

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My 2009 "McLaughlin Awards" [Part 1]

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Michael Jackson, Tea Party, Lobbyists, Progressives, Al Franken, Secession, Reform, Mccain, Alan Grayson, Awards, Farrah Fawcett, Steele, Arianna Huffington, Death Panel, Sarah Palin, Turncoat of the Year, Enough Already, Emanuel, Surge, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Argentina, Single Payer, Sotomayor, Rick Perry, Turncoat, Teabagger, Statue of Liberty, Health Care, Michael Steele, Public Option, Democrat, Sanford, Democrats, Biden, 2009, Barack Obama, Progressive, Rahm Emanuel, Health, Sonia Sotomayor, Best Comeback, Appalachian Trail, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Farrah, Worst Politician, Healthcare, Under the Bus, Nude Hiking Day, Mark Sanford, President, President Obama, Bill Owens, Cheney, Kate Jackson, Filibuster, Secede, Democratic, Obama, Iraq, Vitter, Most Original Thinker, Fair, Grayson, Republican, Lieberman, New Yorker, Atul Gawande, Mclaughlin, Clinton, Bummest Rap, Inauguration, Farrah Fawcett Majors, Most Stagnant Thinker, Most Defining Political Moment, Arlen Specter, Bill Clinton, Teleprompter, Michelle Obama, John McCain, Wall St, Specter, Biggest Loser, Franken, Person of the Year, Most Boring, McLaughlin Group, Texas, Worst Lie, Capitalist of the Year, Lobbyist, Poster, Swimsuit, Best Photo Op, Arianna, Wall Street, Biggest Winner, Chris Weigant, Gawande, Palin, Best Politician, Charlie's Angels, Under a Bus, Medicare, Afghanistan, Fairest Rap, Pu-Litzer, Politics News

Welcome once again to our year-end wrap-up and awards ceremony. Honesty dictates that I immediately genuflect to The McLaughlin Group, from whom I have stolen all these award categories.

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Giving Obama the Benefit of the Doubt

Madeleine M. Kunin | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Troop Withdrawal, Afghanistan, Surge, Timeline, Politics News

Will our renewed effort in Afghanistan and Pakistan keep us safe, can we leave a more stable situation in our wake, and can we really pull out in 18 months if we've made little progress?

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Build, Don't Destroy in Afghanistan: An Open Letter to President Obama

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: White House, Strike, President Obama, Civil, International, Indigenous, Washington, Pakistan, War, United Nations, Campaign, Muslim Countries, Collateral Damage, Surge, Prayer, America, Muslim, Conflict, Un, Terror, Technology, Security, Development, History, Afghan Government, Democracy, Fear, Terrorist, Ngos, Unmanned Drones, Religious Leaders, Engagement, Death, Foreign Policy, Moral Values, Occupier, Extremists, Moral Issues, Deaths, Women, Escalation, Faith Community, Economic Support, Taliban, Military, Afghanistan, General Assembly, Terrorism, Humanitarian Assistance, D.C., Casualties, Faith-Based, World News

Already, thousands of our readers have signed a letter and contacted the White House urging a new way forward in Afghanistan. I encourage you to read it and to endorse this message if you have not done so already.

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Afghanistan: A Whole New Approach

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Capitol Hill, White House, President, Relief, President Obama, International, Indigenous, Council, Washington, War, Oxfam, Muslim Countries, Collateral Damage, Surge, America, Dick Cheney, Muslim, World Vision, Counter Insurgency, Terror, Development, Faith, History, Tragedy, Afghan Government, Democracy, Counter Terrorism, Special Forces, Religious, Terrorist, Richard Stearns, Congress, Unmanned Drones, Religious Leaders, Foreign Policy, Urgency, Moral Issues, Occupier, Arab, Taliban, Military, Afghanistan, Terrorism, Humanitarian Assistance, D.C., Casualties, Faith-Based, World News

When you massively intervene in a country as much as the U.S. has in Afghanistan, you can't responsibly just walk away. We must lead with what works -- development.

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