Reid: Obama Has No Plans To Change Afghanistan Strategy In Wake Of Bin Laden Killing

[brentspeak]

More American troops futilely wounded and killed, more money down the rat hole.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/reid-obama-has-no-plans-to-change-afghanistan-strategy-in-wake-of-bin-laden-killing.php

Reid: Obama Has No Plans To Change Afghanistan Strategy In Wake Of Bin Laden Killing

Brian Beutler | May 2, 2011, 12:00PM

President Obama has communicated to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he plans to stick with the current timetable for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan -- this despite the fact that Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Pakistan, and that Afghan leaders http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/karzai-bin-laden-death-in-pakistan-proves-attacks-on-afghanistan-are-wrong.php">view this as proof that allied actions in their country are misguided.

"The President has a timetable to begin withdrawal of Afghanistan," Reid told reporters in a Capitol briefing Monday morning. "He's indicated he's going to stick with that. I think that's appropriate."

Though lawmakers and administration officials have consistently said that bin Laden's death doesn't indicate an end to hostilities in the Global War on Terror, some experts and advocates have argued that the Obama administration should use Sunday night's development to pivot toward a hastier resolution of hostilities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Doesn't look like that's in the works, though.

TPMDC Reader comment:

In other words, we will never leave.

[BlueIris]

1. Awful.

We have less than no excuse for being there anymore.

[vaberella]

7. Actually you have no idea if that's true.

You realize in the raid---there was intel gathered. Do you know what was in the intel? Please let us know what the intel says. That intel could lead us to the other guys. And what if some of them are in Afghanistan or Pakistan. You don't want to get those guys or just leave it at OBL?

[kenny blankenship]

2. It was nice to hope again, if only for 12 hours or so

[vaberella]

6. You do know we're set to start drawbaks in August 2011.

Is it a problem?

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Zawahri, al Qaeda's No. 2 man is still on the loose, and most likely around there

and he's more dangerous that bin Laden was.

Zawahri has been the brains behind bin Laden and his al Qaeda network, and at times its most public face, repeatedly denouncing the United States and its allies in video messages.

In the latest monitored by the SITE Intelligence Group last month, he urged Muslims to fight NATO and American forces in Libya.

"I want to direct the attention of our Muslim brothers in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and the rest of the Muslim countries, that if the Americans and the NATO forces enter Libya then their neighbors in Egypt and Tunisia and Algeria and the rest of the Muslim countries should rise up and fight both the mercenaries of Gaddafi and the rest of NATO," Zawahri said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/02/us-zawahri-ayman-newsmaker-idUSTRE7410RF20110502

According to Rachel Maddow, all the top terrorists captured were captured in Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, and the bombing in that area is used to dismantle and disorientate al-Qaeda's operations.

Leaving Afghanistan would give al-Qaeda time to regroup, and after bin Laden's death, they're going to be really, really , REALLY angry.

[emulatorloo]

4. "The President has a timetable to begin withdrawal of Afghanistan,"

Did you miss that part?

[vaberella]

8. Did you not see the posters?! This is ridiculous.

Reading is a problem for some. And the timetable is set for August 2011. I'm so tired of this. The OP is determined to sell these things on a negative spin.

[vaberella]

5. UNREC! The timetable to get out in August 2011. That's the time table.n/t

[CakeGrrl]

9. Ha ha - gotta love the addition of the totally uninformed reader comment

that happens to match the OP's attitude, rather than letting the point that the President is sticking to the drawdown timetable stand.

Yeah, let's add some random poster's opinion as if it refutes the ACTUAL plan.

:eyes:

Unrec.

[Teaser]

10. BRENTSPEAK IS RIGHT OBAMA IS JOE STALIN IN A BETTER SUIT

.

[Name removed]

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