July 6, 2008 -- Obama on Afghanistan

[berni_mccoy]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/07/06/obama_mccain_split_over_afghan_strategy/?page=1

If elected, Obama says, he would immediately withdraw thousands of ground troops from Iraq and send them to Afghanistan to help undermanned US forces defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

"It's time to refocus our attention on the war we have to win in Afghanistan," Obama said in a speech last week. "It is time to go after the Al Qaeda leadership where it actually exists."

...

Obama believes that the United States has relied too heavily on forces from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a Europe-based military alliance which has little experience in guerrilla warfare.

"Afghanistan should have been our fight," said retired Air Force General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, national cochairman of Obama's campaign. McPeak blamed the Iraq war, where the United States has about 140,000 troops, for diverting the Pentagon's focus on Afghanistan, where only 32,000 American troops are stationed.

There should be no surprise at Obama's move to increase troops in Afghanistan. I'm not saying it's right, but it's exactly what he said he would do.

As a side note: NATO has had a force in Afghanistan of over 75,000 troops since 2001 under the command of the UN Security Council, of which the US has about 31,000 troops committed to ISAF, less than half.

Operation Enduring Freedom is also an international force, the US comprising about 60% of the troops, 40% provided by UK, Germany and other European countries, as well as several former Soviet countries, including Russia.

We are not the only country that has a military stake in Afghanistan. I would challenge those who compare Afghanistan to Vietnam to consider that the world did support Vietnam like it does the war in Afghanistan.

[LakeSamish706]

1. Someone care to tell me how Gibbs figures that Afghanistan is an International......

problem? As I recall it was the US that invaded Afghanistan not the International community.

[berni_mccoy]

2. It was an international force. Not U.S. alone.

US, UK, Canada all were part of invasion. ISAF went in December of 2001.

[LakeSamish706]

3. I fully understand that the International Community is in Afghanistan...

but as far as I can see, it is still the US that is responsible for the final outcome.

[berni_mccoy]

6. Research it for yourself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001–present)

The war was endorsed by the International community and International Forces INVADED Afghanistan.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Erect bogeyman, wave flag, give money to the Pentagon, send in the cannon-fodder. Works every time.

That song is getting old and harder to sell. It stank when LBJ, Nixon, and Bush sang it, it stinks now.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. "There should be no surprise.."

I really don't think people are surprised. They're a variety of things; surprised?, not so much.

[berni_mccoy]

7. Based on the posts I'm seeing today, I call the reaction, surprised outrage... for example

there is one post that claims they "didn't vote for this".

[NYC_SKP]

8. K&R n/t

[bigtree]

9. The al-Qaeda leadership is presumably in Pakistan

. . . so tell me again why he's escalating the occupation in Afghanistan? Because he said he would? That's not a reason. That's a deflection.

[berni_mccoy]

10. To stabilize Afghanistan. There are battles with Al'Qaeda forces every day in Afghanistan

And Obama has already said he would do what is necessary in Pakistan to take out the leadership.