Strategic Vision
Or the lack of it. NYT: Obama’s Afghan strategy envisions an exit. How about envisioning a win?
WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to lay out a time frame for winding down the American involvement in the war in Afghanistan when he announces his decision this week to send more forces, senior administration officials said Sunday.
Although the speech was still in draft form, the officials said the president wanted to use the address at the United States Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday night not only to announce the immediate order to deploy roughly 30,000 more troops, but also to convey how he intends to turn the fight over to the Kabul government.
“It’s accurate to say that he will be more explicit about both goals and time frame than has been the case before and than has been part of the public discussion,” said a senior official, who requested anonymity to discuss the speech before it is delivered. “He wants to give a clear sense of both the time frame for action and how the war will eventually wind down.”
The officials would not disclose the time frame. But they said it would not be tied to particular conditions on the ground nor would it be as firm as the current schedule for withdrawing troops in Iraq, where Mr. Obama has committed to withdrawing most combat units by August and all forces by the end of 2011.
Officials of one allied nation who have been extensively briefed on the president’s plan said, however, that Mr. Obama would describe how the American presence would be ratcheted back after the buildup, while making clear that a significant American presence in Afghanistan would remain for a long while. That is designed in part to signal to Pakistan that the United States will not abandon the region and to allay Pakistani fears that India will fill the vacuum created as America pulls back.
Some leading members of Congress talked publicly Sunday about their hope that the president would explain an endgame for American involvement in the eight-year war that includes how Afghans will assume more of their security needs.
But more hawkish Republicans cautioned that setting a deadline for withdrawal could signal a lack of resolve to allies, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Sounds like he wants it both ways. To be able to assure everyone we’re getting out while assuring everyone we’re not going anywhere. If that’s the case, this promises to be a tour de force of Obamian rhetorical gymnastics, possibly topping even that wretched, condescending speech that won him plaudits as the second coming of Martin Luther King Jr. for making lame excuses for his bigot of a pastor.
Meanwhile, I was just listening to NPR kvetching about how he sells this to an American public that is increasingly blah blah blah.
Here’s how you do it. You tell them you are in it to win. That it isn’t over till it’s over. That we have a volunteer military that knows what it is doing, is highly experienced, and highly motivated, which is why we’re willing to give them what they need for the job. And by the way, remind them that in time of war, the best, most useful and noblest thing any American can do is join them. The next best thing is unreservedly supporting what they are doing.
What Obama and the Democrats don’t seem to have figured out is, Americans hate war, but they hate losing more. And they really hate losers.
Topics: Afghanistan, Obama
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:38 am Comments (4) on Monday, November 30, 2009
4 Responses to “Strategic Vision”
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November 30th, 2009 at 10:13 am
No matter what lameness the he spouts, I’m pretty sure the lapdog press will be out there to tell us how Magical Barack was able to pick this (”Boooosh, Boosh, look what we inherited”) turd up by its clean end.
November 30th, 2009 at 10:14 am
[...] out by a certain date are secondary considerations at best, at least according to this report. Jules Crittenden sees this as Obama attempting to eat his cake and have it, too: Sounds like he wants it both ways. [...]
November 30th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Good grief. Obama should just put up a f******g big sign over Washington that says: “We’re going to fight just this long, and if you can outlast us, you win.”
December 1st, 2009 at 4:45 am
[...] can do is join them. The next best thing is unreservedly supporting what they are doing. Jules Crittenden Strategic Vision Get in there and win one for the flipper. Otherwise just decide and get the hell out. No sense in [...]