Mr. Fish has something to say...

[babylonsister]

[Chulanowa]

1. Sadly, I agree

He's doing the Afghanistan thing all wrong. Is it because he honestly thinks it can be "won"? Is he trying to prove his balls are big to the Republicans? Is he simply following oil interests? What the fuck is the deal?

[babylonsister]

2. I disagree. Richard Holbrooke, the Afghanistan envoy Obama picked,

was on Charlie Rose tonight. He was really good, I thought. There's no 'done deal'. Keep the faith.

[EFerrari]

5. Holbrooke is a PNAC signer.

I have faith in Obama but Holbrooke, not so much.

[babylonsister]

7. You need to watch Holbrooke on Charlie Rose.

He's changed his tune.

[leftstreet]

3. ouch n/t

[MADem]

4. Mister Fish should have listened to Mister Obama's campaign speeches.

Mister Obama isn't doing anything new or surprising. Mister Obama said he would do exactly what he's doing.

I still fail to comprehend all this 'Shocked, shocked!' behavior. Obama said he would do it. Time and time again. And to great fanfare, in July, well before the election. Why are people acting surprised?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/us/politics/15text-obama.html

As President, I will pursue a tough, smart and principled national security strategy – one that recognizes that we have interests not just in Baghdad, but in Kandahar and Karachi, in Tokyo and London, in Beijing and Berlin. I will focus this strategy on five goals essential to making America safer: ending the war in Iraq responsibly; finishing the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban; securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states; achieving true energy security; and rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century. ....I strongly stand by my plan to end this war. Now, Prime Minister Maliki’s call for a timetable for the removal of U.S. forces presents a real opportunity. It comes at a time when the American general in charge of training Iraq’s Security Forces has testified that Iraq’s Army and Police will be ready to assume responsibility for Iraq’s security in 2009. Now is the time for a responsible redeployment of our combat troops that pushes Iraq’s leaders toward a political solution, rebuilds our military, and refocuses on Afghanistan and our broader security interests.


...In fact – as should have been apparent to President Bush and Senator McCain – the central front in the war on terror is not Iraq, and it never was. That’s why the second goal of my new strategy will be taking the fight to al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large. Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahari are recording messages to their followers and plotting more terror. The Taliban controls parts of Afghanistan. Al Qaeda has an expanding base in Pakistan that is probably no farther from their old Afghan sanctuary than a train ride from Washington to Philadelphia. If another attack on our homeland comes, it will likely come from the same region where 9/11 was planned. And yet today, we have five times more troops in Iraq than Afghanistan.

...Our troops and our NATO allies are performing heroically in Afghanistan, but I have argued for years that we lack the resources to finish the job because of our commitment to Iraq. That’s what the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier this month. And that’s why, as President, I will make the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban the top priority that it should be. This is a war that we have to win.

I will send at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan, and use this commitment to seek greater contributions – with fewer restrictions – from NATO allies. I will focus on training Afghan security forces and supporting an Afghan judiciary, with more resources and incentives for American officers who perform these missions. Just as we succeeded in the Cold War by supporting allies who could sustain their own security, we must realize that the 21st century’s frontlines are not only on the field of battle – they are found in the training exercise near Kabul, in the police station in Kandahar, and in the rule of law in Herat.

I mean...really. How many times does the guy have to hit people over the head? He said it, and then he said it again. And then he said it again, just in case it wasn't clear the first two times. He has a job he wants to do in Afghanistan. He hasn't lied, he hasn't pretended to be one thing while secretly being another.

The problem is, people didn't listen. He said CHANGE and they projected the changes THEY wanted on him. He said HOPE and they projected their own hopes and wishes on him. But he's been clear all along on troop deployments and priorities.

Can't fault him on that score.... even if one doesn't agree with his strategies. He certainly has been upfront about his intentions.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. "The problem is, people didn't listen."

He said CHANGE and they projected the changes THEY wanted on him. He said HOPE and they projected their own hopes and wishes on him. But he's been clear all along on troop deployments and priorities.

Can't fault him on that score.... even if one doesn't agree with his strategies. He certainly has been upfront about his intentions.

QFT.

[ConcernedCanuk]

8. Increasing the troops is WRONG - bombs and bullets are not going to solve anything

.
.
.

SURE

They are killing some bad guys

BUT

every time they kill an innocent,

THEY CREATE MORE BAD GUYS

for decades - because if you kill my 5 year old sister, and I'm 6 . .

when I grow up . .

get it now?????

Every civilian they kill brings more hatred and death for decades to come.

You will NEVER create peace with violence

NEVER