Sec. of State Clinton Takes Responsibility for Delay in Afghanistan Decision

[berni_mccoy]

In her MSNBC Interview with Ann Curry, Sec. Clinton reminded Curry that the President makes each decision on the merits and says that we must make the right decision with respect to Afghanistan. And making the right decision requires time to consider a "deep, stripped down investigation". When Curry probed deeper, given the urgency in Afghanistan, the following exchange occurred:

Curry: With all due respect to the Administration, what is taking so long?

Sec. Clinton: Well first of all, every one of those deaths and all of the injuries of any of our men and women in uniform, weighs heavily on all of us who are sitting around the table in the situation room. And what is going on in this analysis is the kind of deep, stripped down investigation of assumptions. Because, when we make this decision, when we recommend to the President what we believe he should do, we're going to be all in.

Curry: If the President decides not to send more troops to Afghanistan, morally, can he still keep 68 thousand troops there.

Sec. Clinton: I want to not only guarantee you, but guarantee all of your listeners that this process will result in a very well thought out approach and the number of troops will reflect how we are going to implement the strategy. Now I know there are many Americans who say "Get out of Afghanistan, bring em all home" and there are others who say "Put in hundreds of thousands more". But I think neither extreme is really focused on the situation as we are.

link to video interview here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/33275984#33275984

[liberal N proud]

1. The media is pressuring the President to make a decision

President Obama is right taking as much time as necessary to make the right decision.

Hasty decisions got us into Afghanistan in the first place.

[berni_mccoy]

21. And she comes out and says she respects the urgency of the situation... I just don't understand

how some people are so adamant in the administration doing it only as they would solve it.

[Autumn]

2. I think she is very good

at carrying through President Obama goals.

[xultar]

3. I'm just so thrilled she's proving all the people wrong who had nothing but

bad shit to say about her.

Shows how ignorant they are.

[Autumn]

4. Absolutely right,

of course this does make her look like a 'warmonger", but as I've been told numerous times, what she says is Obamas policy, not hers. But damn the two of them work well together.

[xultar]

6. Well when they like it's Obama's policy, when they don't like it she's off the chain

that's usually how it goes.

[Autumn]

9. LOL

true. Pretzel logic.

[grantcart]

24. +1

It also shows how skilled the President is in bringing top people together

[damonm]

11. Exactly.

to use a WW2 analogy, it's much like Patton & Bradley - two very opposite men who made one hell of a team. The were good when Bradley was under Patton in Sicily; they were SUPERB when Patton was under Bradley after D-day, and the latter is the situation here.
President Obama's foreign policy goals require detailed, highly nuanced diplomacy - SoS Clinton kicks SERIOUS ass on detail & nuance. So she's operating in her area of strength.

[spanone]

5. i don't recall this SHIT from the media when junior took 4 months to surge

[xultar]

8. True. But it doesn't matter like a good team player she's taking the hit for it.

[berni_mccoy]

19. Exactly.

[shadowknows69]

7. I was never a fan of Sec. Clinton, but if she's being thrown under the bus

Even I'll call bullshit. Who did President Obama tell us to hold accountable in all things. Him, that's who. I plan to.

[ecstatic]

12. huh?

There's no bus... she simply said they are taking their time to come up with a thoughtful solution/strategy. How is that being thrown under the bus?

[Autumn]

13. I don't think Obama is throwing

her under the bus. I don't even see her claiming responsibility, seems to me she is giving the Administrations stance. IMO

[xultar]

14. She's doing a good job by taking the hit. I think she's throwing herself under

for the team.

That's not a bad thing. She's not running for president again so she is expendable.

[berni_mccoy]

15. LOL, wut? So, Obama ordered her to say these things? I think your tinfoil is wrapped a little too

tightly.

[shadowknows69]

17. Did I say President Obama ordered her to say shit? You can stop putting words in my mouth

[berni_mccoy]

18. When you said she was being thrown under the bus, you were implying someone threw her under...

I think we all know who you meant.

[Mari333]

10. middle of the road. pfft.

[berni_mccoy]

16. No, how about an intelligent decision. If they were going the easy road, they would

have decided by now. If they were going to do what they wanted, they would have decided by now. But that's what Bush did. Is that what you want?

[Mari333]

20. they are using our soldiers like pawns in a huge profit making chess game

those are people, not chess pieces. and they can stop trying to save fucking face, by lying about why we are there.
they can start by not lying. than, get the hell out.
I know, let them have their stinking wars and just use mercenaries, paid for out of the pockets of lobbyists.
and leave the US soldiers and US taxpayers out of it.

[Autumn]

28. Great post.

Thank you.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

22. It's not necessarily her responsibility nor should she be held accountable

.....for the lack of a decision thus far. Ultimately, the buck stops with President Obama and I respect that he and his team, including Hillary, ARE taking their time to come up with a new strategy/solution to doing whatever it is we need to do there instead of simply plopping more troops in there or precipitously yanking everybody out of there. Such deliberation will lead to a better outcome for our troops, as well as the Afghanis and I do not understand why the Republicans, enabled by the corporate media whores, are trying to pressure President Obama into making a rash decision- but then again I guess they WERE eager for Bush to "get his war on" back in 2003 and was critical, if not contemptuous, of anybody seeking restraint or re-evaluation of whether we really needed to invade.

[berni_mccoy]

23. It's not just Republicans who are trying to pressure the President into making a rash decision

There are plenty of people here shouting "Bring the Troops Home Now!" as the only answer to Afghanistan.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

25. That's true too

Any major decision made rashly about Afghanistan IMHO would be a bad idea.

[spaten]

26. thought a decision was already made

Last week we heard: no pulling out and no drawdown.
so what exactly are they deciding?

[berni_mccoy]

27. No decision has been made on what to do. You may be thinking of reports you heard

that asked if there would be a pull-out in Afghanistan any time soon and Sec. Clinton said don't count on it.