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It's Obama's War Now

celticlord

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The ouster of Afghanistan commander David McKiernan could make?or break?the Obama presidency. - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine

The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with Dear Leader, replaced the commander in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, with General Stanley McChrystal.

This appointment will not be without controversy. McChrystal's command also provided the personnel for Task Force 6-26, an elite unit of 1,000 special-ops forces that engaged in harsh interrogation of detainees in Camp Nama as far back as 2003. The interrogations were so harsh that five Army officers were convicted on charges of abuse. (McChrystal himself was not implicated in the excesses, but the unit's slogan, which set the tone for its practices, was "If you don't make them bleed, they can't prosecute for it.")
Dear Leader must be presumed to know of these harsh interrogations, because Secretary Gates explicitly stated he conferred with Dear Leader over the firing of McKiernan and the elevation of McChrystal:

Gates also made it clear he wasn't acting on a personal whim. He said that he took the step after consulting with Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command; Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and President Barack Obama. According to one senior official, Gates went over to Afghanistan last week for the sole purpose of giving McKiernan the news face-to-face.
There's not a lot of mystery to why Secretary Gates made the switch. Things aren't going well in Afghanistan. Gates and Dear Leader want a new strategy.

Gates emphasized at a press conference today that McKiernan didn't do anything specifically wrong but that "fresh thinking" was needed urgently. The United States couldn't just wait until the current commander's term ran out.
So, to get that fresh thinking, Dear Leader's Secretary of Defense turns to someone involved in the same "harsh interrogation" techniques elsewhere being vilified as "torture".

Of course, since McChrystal has been blessed by Dear Leader, the actions of his elite team interrogating at Camp Nama could never be considered "torture." Dear Leader's blessing is sufficient to remove that taint from one and all.
 
It was Obama's conflict. It has never been a war. It is actually an invasion of a sovereign nation if we want it all accurate. Obama said he was against the conflict from the beginning so I hold him responsible for any deaths and money spent on this fiasco in the sand.
 
Give BO time.

He and his kook leftist friends will figure a way to lose in Afghanistan, LBJ style. The only thing BO is missing is a McNamara.
 
The ouster of Afghanistan commander David McKiernan could make?or break?the Obama presidency. - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine

The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with Dear Leader, replaced the commander in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, with General Stanley McChrystal.

Dear Leader must be presumed to know of these harsh interrogations, because Secretary Gates explicitly stated he conferred with Dear Leader over the firing of McKiernan and the elevation of McChrystal:

There's not a lot of mystery to why Secretary Gates made the switch. Things aren't going well in Afghanistan. Gates and Dear Leader want a new strategy.

So, to get that fresh thinking, Dear Leader's Secretary of Defense turns to someone involved in the same "harsh interrogation" techniques elsewhere being vilified as "torture".

Of course, since McChrystal has been blessed by Dear Leader, the actions of his elite team interrogating at Camp Nama could never be considered "torture." Dear Leader's blessing is sufficient to remove that taint from one and all.

If McChrystal's men partake in torture in the future, then it is on Obama. However, this situation reminds me much of the Civil War in that leaders such as McClellan were good on paper but slow to fight and engage. Lincoln replaced him with generals who were more aggressive such as Sherman and the tide of the war changed in favor of the Union. Afghanistan requires a much more aggressive approach if there is to be victory over the Taliban, and with Pakistan finally putting pressure on them on the border lands, we may see some positive changes.
 
Give BO time.

He and his kook leftist friends will figure a way to lose in Afghanistan, LBJ style. The only thing BO is missing is a McNamara.

Considering that Obama's team is actually focused on defeating the Taliban and AlQaeda, where Bush's team was only faking their commitment to Afghanistan, I have a feeling we'll see some real progress under the new administration. I'm surprised you hold such ill will toward the president....tell me, do you live in America?
 
Considering that Obama's team is actually focused on defeating the Taliban and AlQaeda...
Based on, specifically, what?

I have a feeling we'll see some real progress under the new administration.
Yes, well you also had a feeling that Jimmy Carter made a strong argument for the banning of 'assault weapons' -- and we all know how well you supported THAT position...
:rofl
 
Let's just sit back and see how Obanana handles Pakistan and Afghanistan as I predict he is in over his head alreadyandwill probably end up humiliating Americawith a bull**** speech and then pull out of both countries.
 
Let's just sit back and see how Obanana handles Pakistan and Afghanistan as I predict he is in over his head alreadyandwill probably end up humiliating Americawith a bull**** speech and then pull out of both countries.

Why do you think he is over his head? In Pakistan he pressured the government to attack the Taliban and they have, and he has replaced a lax general with a more aggressive one. It seems to me that he is handling the situation well. He may totally drop the ball, but I see no problem at this juncture.
 
It was Obama's conflict. It has never been a war. It is actually an invasion of a sovereign nation if we want it all accurate. Obama said he was against the conflict from the beginning so I hold him responsible for any deaths and money spent on this fiasco in the sand.
What invasion would not be the invasion of a sovereign nation?
 
What invasion would not be the invasion of a sovereign nation?
And... how does the invasion of a sovereign nation -- an act of war -- not create a state of war?

AND... if we are not at war, how can GWB be guilty of war crimes?
 
Give BO time.

He and his kook leftist friends will figure a way to lose in Afghanistan, LBJ style. The only thing BO is missing is a McNamara.

Pre-emptive whining, gotta love it. Wait until Obama screws up, then bitch, cuz doing it the other way is just silly.
 
Pre-emptive whining, gotta love it. Wait until Obama screws up, then bitch, cuz doing it the other way is just silly.
BO has been screwing up for years. We're trying to catch up on the whining. :mrgreen:
 
Just a question. What the hell does Obama know about waging war?
 
BO has been screwing up for years. We're trying to catch up on the whining. :mrgreen:

How about putting some facts where your mouth is - list five ways that Obama has been "screwing up for years".
 
Just a question. What the hell does Obama know about waging war?

President Bush the elder was the last veteran who served as president. What have presidents Clinton, Bush the younger and Obama know about waging war? It's not a qualification for the job. In fact, surprise, they have people to advise them on how to do it, like every thing else they are not experts on.
 
Dear Leader must be presumed to know of these harsh interrogations, because Secretary Gates explicitly stated he conferred with Dear Leader over the firing of McKiernan and the elevation of McChrystal:

Who is "Dear Leader"?
 
President Bush the elder was the last veteran who served as president.
You mean the last combat veteran, or the last veteran that served overseas.
 
The last (pick a qualifier) veteran, but not the last veteran.
Just so we're clear.

If I was referring to a reserve veteran, I would refer to them as such, with that qualifier. When I use the term veteran, I mean active duty, including those reservists who get called up.

To call President Bush the younger a veteran is a perversion of the term.
 
If I was referring to a reserve veteran, I would refer to them as such, with that qualifier. When I use the term veteran, I mean active duty, including those reservists who get called up.
Yeah. Right.
Unfortunately for you, the term itself has no such inherent qualifications:

United States
The most common usage is for former armed services personnel. A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces, especially one who has served in combat. It is especially applied to those who served for an entire career, usually of 20 years or more, but may be applied for someone who has only served one tour of duty. A common misconception is that one had to have either been in combat and/or has retired from active duty to be called a military veteran.
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veteran]Veteran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

To call President Bush the younger a veteran is a perversion of the term.
Thats what I thught you were getting at -- not any real point, just a meaningless personal attack on GWB.
 
No doubt if the war in Afghanistan fails, Obama will say he inherited it.
 
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