Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan is not working (1 Viewer)

[Novice2]

Help is on the way

In what could be a major blow to President Obama's Afghanistan strategy, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry tells the Boston Globe he doesn't think the president's policy is working and that it needs to be revised. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, once a major supporter of Obama's troop surge, is now calling for a "more limited focus and fewer American troops" in the country.

"What I don't want is to be party to a policy that continues simply because it is there and in place,'' Kerry said. "That would be like Vietnam. And that is what I am determined to try to prevent."

 

[Boom Switch]

Good

 

[timschochet]

I've been skeptical of the policy all along. But how can anyone trust John Kerry? From the moment he first emerged on the public scene back in the early 70s, he's been a completely disingenous political animal.

 

[jonessed]

John Kerry doesn't like the war at all so I'm going to take his input with a grain of salt. That being said, I don't see how we can continue with such a large presence in Afghanistan. Unlike Iraq there appears to be no way of setting up a central government. I understand the need to help Pakistan and have a base of operations to nip terrorist operations, but we have to find a way to do that with a much smaller contigent.

 

[dozer]

That’s an awfully short article, and what little information the reporter gave had to be clarified.

So yeah, clearly the OP has proven that the strategy isn’t working because Kerry wants to tweak it.

 

[DiStefano]

He has a hat.

 

[-fish-]

Nobody's strategy in Afghanistan has ever worked.

 

[Chadstroma]

Afghanistan is an easier war to win but harder war to hand over in comparison to Iraq. It has been ravaged by decades of war and has many issues that cause instability ranging from opium trade to the cultural acceptance of switching sides at a moments notice to lack of education to lack of infrastructure to rampant corruption and on and on.

Our hope there is to create as much stability as possible to get the national government on its feet. We can only do that with a large number of boots on the ground. For the most part, I have applauded Obama's handling of Afghanistan but I do think he made an error in doing a half/half approach in the number of troops for the surge. It seems he wanted to give the military what they were asking for but also cowed to the left of his party that are unhappy with anything and everything military. He came up with a number of troops that no one asked for (more than the min presented by some in his administration and less than what the military asked for), to me, that seems like a decision driven by politics and that is almost always a bad way to make military decisions.

I am not sure how anyone in their right mind can think that we can leave Afghanistan while hoping the broken pieces miraculously fit back together by themselves and expect everything will be great for us. How many times did we hear from the same people grumbling about Afghanistan now that Iraq was the wrong war? So, now that Iraq has been unwinded.... Afghanistan is now the wrong war? I just don't get these people. I really don't.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Nobody's strategy in Afghanistan has ever worked.

Correct. Either get out... or fail. You may consider turning it, and any other part of the middle east, into a parking lot.

 

[DiStefano]

The problem is Afghanistan is finding the enemy. Typically, they are fighting guerrilla warfare, and then sinking back into the mountains or getting across the border into Pakistan. In that kind of a war, we are at a disadvantage, and always will be.

The solution is to let them win. Then, when they are out in the open, and running the government, bomb the hell out of them.

Rinse, repeat.

 

[Orange Crush]

The problem is Afghanistan is finding the enemy. Typically, they are fighting guerrilla warfare, and then sinking back into the mountains or getting across the border into Pakistan. In that kind of a war, we are at a disadvantage, and always will be.The solution is to let them win. Then, when they are out in the open, and running the government, bomb the hell out of them.Rinse, repeat.

I have no problem with a policy that destroys a foreign government that purports to threaten the U.S., and then NOT occupy but rather see if the country creates a new gov't that declines to threaten the U.S.

 

[Boom Switch]

Nobody's strategy in Afghanistan has ever worked.

Nobody has tried the "Just nuke the entire region" strategy, just saying...

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Aren't we drawing down troops this summer anyway?

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Help is on the way

In what could be a major blow to President Obama's Afghanistan strategy, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry tells the Boston Globe he doesn't think the president's policy is working and that it needs to be revised. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, once a major supporter of Obama's troop surge, is now calling for a "more limited focus and fewer American troops" in the country.

"What I don't want is to be party to a policy that continues simply because it is there and in place,'' Kerry said. "That would be like Vietnam. And that is what I am determined to try to prevent."

Does anyone understand why we had a surge in Afghanistan?

We are now negotiating with the Taliban for their return. Practically gratis we have returned 5 cabinet level government, intelligence and military leaders who will be ready to step back into place in running the country.

How many soldiers have died in Afghanistan under Obama? How many under Bush?

Why did we do the surge, why have we been fighting in Afghanistan since then, if the plan all along was to just hand the country over to these maniacs?

 

[DocHolliday]

Get out now. The one thing that I liked about Obama was his desire to end the war in Afghanistan. There is no saving or fixing Afghanistan.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Get out now. The one thing that I liked about Obama was his desire to end the war in Afghanistan. There is no saving or fixing Afghanistan.

Yeah, we are getting out now, and we're about to negotiate with the Taliban to form a government with Karzai's successor on the way out. What have the last 3-4 years been about? Heck what have the last 5-6, or even 8-10 years been about?

I guess I'm really asking about the surge, because that seems really, really pointless now.

 

[Hang 10]

Help is on the way

In what could be a major blow to President Obama's Afghanistan strategy, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry tells the Boston Globe he doesn't think the president's policy is working and that it needs to be revised. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, once a major supporter of Obama's troop surge, is now calling for a "more limited focus and fewer American troops" in the country.

"What I don't want is to be party to a policy that continues simply because it is there and in place,'' Kerry said. "That would be like Vietnam. And that is what I am determined to try to prevent."

Does anyone understand why we had a surge in Afghanistan?

No. That's why don't know why anyone would want to credit Obama for "ending" this war. He ramped up our presence there and anfor what? Now he wants to get out and what was the point?

 

[tom22406]

I've been skeptical of the policy all along. But how can anyone trust John Kerry? From the moment he first emerged on the public scene back in the early 70s, he's been a completely disingenous political animal.

Funny to see how your opinion of Kerry has changed in 3 years

 

[jonessed]

Get out now. The one thing that I liked about Obama was his desire to end the war in Afghanistan. There is no saving or fixing Afghanistan.

He was the one who initiated the giant troop surge. His desire to end it came after that tactic failed.

 

[sheerterror]

Somebody gotta protect all that damn poppy

 

[timschochet]

I've been skeptical of the policy all along. But how can anyone trust John Kerry? From the moment he first emerged on the public scene back in the early 70s, he's been a completely disingenous political animal.

Funny to see how your opinion of Kerry has changed in 3 years

It hasn't. I agree with some of his statements lately, and I thought the whole Swift Boat thing was a disgrace. But I'm not a fan.