Obama administration moving back Afghan War withdrawal date

[Jeffersons Ghost]

Obama officials moving away from 2011 Afghan date
By Nancy A. Youssef | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided to begin publicly walking away from what it once touted as key deadlines in the war in Afghanistan in an effort to de-emphasize President Barack Obama's pledge that he'd begin withdrawing U.S. forces in July 2011, administration and military officials have told McClatchy.


The new policy will be on display next week during a conference of NATO countries in Lisbon, Portugal, where the administration hopes to introduce a timeline that calls for the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan by 2014, the year when Afghan President Hamid Karzai once said Afghan troops could provide their own security, three senior officials told McClatchy, along with others speaking anonymously as a matter of policy.

The Pentagon also has decided not to announce specific dates for handing security responsibility for several Afghan provinces to local officials and instead intends to work out a more vague definition of transition when it meets with its NATO allies.

What a year ago had been touted as an extensive December review of the strategy now also will be less expansive and will offer no major changes in strategy, the officials told McClatchy. So far, the U.S. Central Command, the military division that oversees Afghanistan operations, hasn't submitted any kind of withdrawal order for forces for the July deadline, two of those officials told McClatchy.


Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/11/09/103468/obama-administration-moving-away.html#ixzz14tes9ydc

[gratuitous]

1. Say not so, sir!

The dirty fucking hippies were right? Again?

[bigtree]

27. The White House vehemently denies that there is any change in policy.

from the SAME article (for the smoldering heads):

The White House vehemently denies that there is any change in policy. "The president has been crystal clear that we will begin drawing down troops in July of 2011. There is absolutely no change to that policy," said Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman.

[gratuitous]

35. Well! It would seem there's a difference of opinion

I wonder whose opinion will ultimately carry the day? And, while past performance is no guarantee of future results, I've seen the political sphere buckle to the military sphere way too many times during my life to be sanguine about the chances for withdrawal when so many military careers are yet to be made and so many defense contractors are making gobs of money.

[bigtree]

36. I agree. My point is

. . . that the 2011 drawdown in Pres. Obama's Afghan plan was never an end/exit date. I fully expect the military and the politicians will keep our troops hanging out there in some form or fashion well beyond the President's first term.

What I haven't lost optimism on is that this President doesn't look to have the same zeal for the deployment that Bush or his holdover minions at the Pentagon share. There's a huge matter of his legacy which I don't believe he wants to include his acquiescence in codifying the perpetuation of the still, open-ended occupation.

I see the replacement of NSA Jones with Tom Donilon as laying the groundwork to make good on his promises to begin handing over control in 2011 and beyond. There's still room for optimism that Mr. Obama has enough of an aversion to his 'war president' role to, eventually, break off from his Pentagon hosts and set his own decidedly less hawkish course.

[negativenihil]

2. damnit.

Really? 2014? What good will come of this?

I'm sorry, but i personally feel that our presence in both Iraq and Afghanistan is simply delaying the inevitable. No matter when we leave, there will be chaos.

We need to bring our troops home NOW.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. The Generals and the MIC win.

The ordinary people of the world lose.

And 2012 just went down the drain, if that still matters to anyone.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

14. I agree. this OP will go down the drain if people keep stealing recs.

[ladjf]

4. Another ObamaDufus blunder. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. They just need, More Troops, More Money, and More Time...just like they did in '68.

Maybe, this time, they'll destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail and Uncle Ho will be willing to surrender.

[Hawkowl]

29. +1000 .nt.

[jaxx]

6. The President has put down these rumors before and will again.

Really, anonymous fat mouths don't run the country...but the military would like to. Just remember McChrystal, he ran his mouth too. The Pentagon takes orders from the Commander in Chief.

From your article:
<snip> The White House vehemently denies that there is any change in policy. "The president has been crystal clear that we will begin drawing down troops in July of 2011. There is absolutely no change to that policy," said Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman.

[wuushew]

9. Rumors that are probably true?

We only need a week to get confirmation. Smart money is on more quagmire.

[jaxx]

11. This place reads like a conspiracy site lately.

Rumors do not make truth. Rumors are to sway the public and create anger and panic. I don't believe anything until I see it in direct quotes by people who aren't too chicken to give their names to the press.

[xiamiam]

10. please dont hold your breath...the agenda is never ending war and no pres or populace

will get in the way..nt

[jaxx]

12. I think you're wrong, but believe what you wish.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. I sure hope you're right....

But in many cases unpopular decisions are first leaked in this articles' manner and then formalized later.

[Parker CA]

7. 2014!?! WTF??

[jgraz]

25. He's just making sure all those returning vets can take full advantage of ObamaCare.

:eyes:

[TwilightGardener]

8. He's promised to begin withdrawal in 2011, and I will hold him to that.

He needs to get control of the military.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. Well, I must say I'm relieved knowing that you're going to

hold him accountable.

[TwilightGardener]

18. Well, he's the CiC. This is absolutely under his control--or it SHOULD be.

If he is unable to make this happen, I will have no choice but to assume that others are running the show in terms of military decision-making, and that is very disturbing. Politicians actually do hate breaking promises--it's the one sure way not to get re-elected. But I'm not sure how reliable this info is, so I'm not going to get too hopped up on this just yet. Will have to see.

[Individualist]

13. Disgusting but not at all surprising.

[Coyote_Bandit]

15. Apparently

the more things change the more they stay the same.

Color me unimpressed. Again.

[Jackpine Radical]

19. Still at 8 recs.

Unrec=Kill the Messenger.

[emilyg]

23. #13 rec.

[Major Hogwash]

20. There will be a Republican in the White House in 2013.

If this happens, Obama is cutting his own throat by lying.

[de novo]

21. Goddamnit. Not surprised in the least, but goddamnit all.

We have to end these wars.

First the Obama Administration laid out the potential reasoning for staying in Iraq past the end of next year, now this.

Pathetic slaves to the war machine.

[lamp_shade]

22. Lookit all the hair on fire here. Jesus. Will this never end?

[Bluebear]

28. "Hair on fire", ah, a new group talking point.

Third time I've read it here in 20 minutes.

[bigtree]

30. I like it

Some folks are willing to believe anything that's peddled to them by the media and run around like their hair is on fire, as long as it's criticism of our Democratic president and our party.

[lamp_shade]

31. There was a time I would laugh at this shit, but I'm becoming disgusted. We need a forum called

"Post Your Hair on Fire Crap Here". This place is becoming overrun with stupid conspiracy theories, UFO sightings, and wild-ass speculation. Jesus.

[bigtree]

33. there's a sizable number of folks who are so opposed to this president

. . . that they are compelled to jump in with anyone who lands a blow on the administration or our party.

Those folks need their own forum.

[lamp_shade]

34. Notice that most of them post "replies" only and rarely start a thread.

P.S. They have their own forum... it's just not here on DU.

[jgraz]

24. I'm going to die of not surprise.

:banghead:

[Doctor_J]

26. By putting it back to 2014, he's kicking it to the next (Repuke) prez

so it will probably never happen at all.

[meow mix]

32. well he's a "war president"

or, whatever kind of president the republicans tell him to be.