Gates: 'We are in this thing to WIN', there, that'll boost the troop's morale!

[Philosoraptor]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/08/AR2009120800738.html?hpid=topnews

KABUL -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in this war-torn country Tuesday morning prepared to offer U.S. troops a message from Washington after President Obama's decision to boost troop levels significantly: "We are in this thing to win."

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"We are not going to repeat the experience of 1989," Gates said. As U.S. troops begin to depart in favor of trained Afghan forces, developmental and economic aid will continue to flow, he stressed. "We intend to be their partner for a long time to come," Gates said.

Karzai met with Gates after his arrival and then gave reporters his own view of that timeline, estimating that it would be at least five years of "maximum effort" before Afghanistan could "hopefully" take security responsibility for the entire country. Karzai said it would take 15 to 20 years for the country to be able to sustain its armed forces without economic aid and training from the U.S. and other nations.

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The president told ABC News in July that he felt uncomfortable using the term "victory" when fighting a "a non-state actor, a shadowy operation like al-Qaeda," because the goal is to prevent attacks on the United States and because there will never be a signing ceremony with a defeated enemy. But Gates, in using the language of win and lose, must calibrate his message for soldiers waging war under difficult conditions.

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......here we go again with those old bushisms, 'win', as if it were a fucking football game.

I am getting SO sick of this shit....I have a young friend headed to Afghanistan in two months, and I become more pissed off at America's 'leaders' every day.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

1. "here we go again with those old bushisms, 'win', as if it were a fucking football game."

You're right, this country seems confused about sports and war.

We have politicians describing war as if it's a game. It's not a freaking game when so many people are dead and will continue to die.

It really pisses me off when you hear pro athletes say that this weeks game is going to be a real war and we're going to do battle with the enemy. Uh no.... you're paid a lot of money to play a game.

I wish that this country would get its' priorities in the proper order.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[Orsino]

3. I guess that officially puts off the non-withdrawal.

Into "would be nice" territory, anyway.