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Title: 43 U.S. Troops Have Died in Afghanistan Since Gen. McChrystal Called for Reinforcements
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URL Source: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/54807
Published: Sep 30, 2009
Author: Susan Jones
Post Date: 2009-09-30 20:46:14 by christine
Keywords: None
Views: 446
Comments: 38
Another American died in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the final day of September--and exactly one month after the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan sent a confidential war assessment to the Obama administration, warning that more forces are needed--soon. The as-yet-unnamed American serviceman who died on Wednesday was caught in a suicide attack in Khost Province, in eastern Afghanistan, press reports said. On August 30, Gen. Stanley McChrystal sent Defense Secretary Robert Gates a war assessment in which he said more U.S. troops--and a new U.S. strategy--are needed if the U.S. is to defeat the insurgents in Afghanistan. Since that Aug. 30 date, a total of 43 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have died in a war that is now the subject of much discussion--and apparently some confusion--in Washington. Forty-two of those casualties have been identified by name in U.S. Defense Department press releases (see below), while the 43rd casualty, which occurred today, has been confirmed in press reports, but not by name. In his confidential report, which was leaked to the Washington Post on Sept. 21, Gen. McChrystal warned that defeating the insurgents will not be possible if the United States fails to "gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum" over the next 12 months. McChrystal reportedly has prepared a separate request for tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops to be sent to the 68,000 already in Afghanistan. Since Sept. 21, when the Washington Post leaked information from McChrystal’s confidential report, the White House has been on the defensive over its Afghanistan strategy. As CNSNews.com reported on Tuesday, Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to reinforce U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which he described as war we “have to win.” As president – in March 2009 – Obama announced a “comprehensive new strategy” for Afghanistan: “I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan and to prevent their return to either country in the future,” he said. (See story) But last week, Obama said he was not willing to send troops “beyond what we already have” until he was sure the United States is employing the right strategy in the region. Then on Sunday, Gen. McChrystal told “60 Minutes” that he has talked to Obama only once in the past 70 days. At a briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted that President Obama “receives a memo every week from General McChrystal.” And on Wednesday, President Obama was “meeting” with McChrystal and other military officials in a video conference to discuss future plans for Afghanistan. The White House said President Obama’s national security team will also attend the video conference. “But first, Obama welcomes golfing great Arnold Palmer to the Oval Office,” the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Palmer is in town to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. On Thursday, Obama plans to fly to Copenhagen to pitch Chicago as the venue for the 2016 Olympics. (See related story) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, says it would be a mistake for President Obama to reject McChrystal’s call for an additional 40,000-or-so troops for Afghanistan. "Time is not on our side, so we need a decision pretty quickly,” McCain told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday. McCain said failure to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan would “put the United States in much greater danger,” because insurgents would turn Afghanistan into a base for attack on the U.S. and its allies. On the other side of the coin, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) is urging President Obama to take weeks or even months to review the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, the Boston Globe reported on Wednesday. “I am arguing that the president has the time and we have the time,’’ Kerry told the newspaper. Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, indicated that he is not sure more troops are needed in Afghanistan. Names and hometowns of U.S. troops killed since Aug. 30 The names of 42 of the 43 American servicemen killed in Afghanistan since August 30 are listed below, as provided by the U.S. Defense Department. The most recent troop to die in combat--on Wednesday, according to press reports--had not been identified at press time. Another eight Americans were killed in Iraq over the past month. Their names are included in bold print. Lance Cpl. Jordan L. Chrobot, 24, of Frederick, Md., died Sept. 26 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.) Spc. Kevin J. Graham, 27, of Benton, Ky., died Sept. 26 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Sgt. Titus R. Reynolds, 23, of Columbus, Ohio; Sgt. Edward B. Smith, 30, of Homestead, Fla.; and Spc. Joseph V. White, 21, of Bellevue, Wash., died Sept. 24 in Omar Zai, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Lance Cpl. John J. Malone, 24, of Yonkers, N.Y., died Sept. 24 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Fore, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. Pfc. William L. Meredith, 26, of Virginia Beach, Va., died Sept. 21 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 569th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo. Tech Sgt. James R Hornbarger, 33, of Castle Rock, Wash., died Sept. 12 as a result of a non-hostile incident in the Mediterranean. He was assigned to the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, Calif. Sgt. David A. Davis, 28, of Dalhart, Texas, died Sept. 19 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked Bagram Airfield using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 32nd Transportation Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Spc. Corey J. Kowall, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Spc. Damon G. Winkleman, 23, of Lakeville, Ohio, died Sept. 20 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Iraq: Spc. Michael S. Cote Jr., 20, of Denham Springs, La., died Sept. 19 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when the Blackhawk helicopter he was in crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois, 22, of Lucas, Texas, died Sep 20 as a result of a non-hostile incident on Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait. He was assigned to the 366th Security Forces Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe, 31, of Niskayuna, N.Y., died Sept. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle, 29, of Glen Burnie, Md.; Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, of Peachtree City, Ga.; and Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, of El Paso, Texas, died Sept. 16 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle Sept. 15 with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Sgt. Robert D. Gordon II, 22, of River Falls, Ala., died Sept. 16 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, from a non-combat related illness, after becoming ill Sept. 11 in southern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. 1st Lt. David T. Wright II, 26, of Moore, Okla.; and Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell, 24, of Carlisle, Pa., died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device Sept. 14 in southern Afghanistan. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Spc. Demetrius L. Void, 20, of Orangeburg, S.C., died Sept. 15 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when a military vehicle struck him while conducting physical training. He was assigned to the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas. Staff Sgt. Bryan D. Berky, 25, of Melrose, Fla., died Sept. 12 near Bala Baluk, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from enemy fire while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Staff Sgt. Nekl B. Allen, 29, of Rochester N.Y., and Spc. Daniel L. Cox, 23, of Parsons, Kan., died Sept. 12 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised-explosive device and small arms fire. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek, 20, of DeKalb, Ill., died Sept. 11 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 4 when enemy attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device followed by a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Iraq: Sgt. 1st Class Duane A. Thornsbury, 30, of Bridgeport, W. Va., died Sept.12 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colo. Sgt. Tyler A. Juden, 23, of Winfield, Kan., died Sept. 12 in Turan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fires. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. 1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten, 24, of Arkansas, died Sept. 10 in Konar province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Fowlkes, 20, of Gaffney, S.C., died Sept. 10 from wounds sustained Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. Iraq: Staff Sgt. Shannon M. Smith, 31, of Marion, Ohio; Pfc. Thomas F. Lyons, 20, of Fernley, Nev.; and Pfc. Zachary T. Myers, 21, of Delaware, Ohio, died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an explosive device Sept. 8 in Baji, Iraq. They were assigned to the 545th Military Police Company, Arctic Military Police Battalion, U.S. Army, Alaska, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Sgt. Youvert Loney, 28, of Pohnpei, Micronesia, died Sept. 5 in Abad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle using small arms and recoilless rifle fires. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Gunnery Sgt. Edwin W. Johnson Jr., 31, of Columbus, Ga.; 1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, of Virginia Beach, Va.; and Staff Sgt. Aaron M. Kenefick, 30, of Roswell, Ga., died Sept. 8 while supporting combat operations in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Gunnery Sgt. Johnson and Staff Sgt. Kenefick were assigned to 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. 1st Lt. Johnson was assigned to 7th Communications Battalion, 3rd Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. Petty Officer 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif., died Sept. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to an embedded training team with Combined Security Tranisiton Command in Afghanistan. Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, Texas, died Sept. 5 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Iraq: 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton, 24, of Monroe Ga., died Sept. 8 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive devise. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey, 25, of Snyder, Texas, died Sept. 6 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Sgt. Randy M. Haney, 27, of Orlando, Fla., died Sept. 6 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He was assigned to the 4th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. 2nd Lt. Darryn D. Andrews, 34, of Dallas, Texas, died Sept. 4 in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device and a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska. Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Baltazar Jr., 19, of San Antonio, Texas, died Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione, 21, of Howell, Mich., died Sept. 3 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Battalion. Iraq: Staff Sgt. Todd W. Selge, 25, of Burnsville, Minn.; and Spc. Jordan M. Shay, 22, of Salisbury, Mass., died Sept. 3 in Baqubah, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. The soldiers were assigned to the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Spc. Tyler R. Walshe, 21, of Shasta Calif., died Aug. 31 in southern Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Spc. Jonathan D. Welch, 19, of Yorba Linda, Calif., and Pfc. Jordan M. Brochu, 20, of Cumberland, Maine, died Aug. 31 in Shuyene Sufia, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash. Lance Cpl. David R. Hall, 31, of Elyria, Ohio, died Aug. 31 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. (Update: When this story was originally posted, 42 U.S. service personnel ahd been killed in Afghanistan since Gen. McChrystal sent his memo to President Obama. Shortly after the story was originally posted, the Defense Department added another Marine to its list of U.S. casualties in Afghanistan.
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#1. To: christine (#0)
We are so upset as to whether LP died or not that we have no time for such as this.
Yes, buckwheat doesn't know whether to shit or go blind in the 'stan. Or anywhere else for that matter. RIP in political hell, kenyan.
Lod... I suspect buckwheat and his owners are trying shuck and jive us. He is doing the olde tapdance so that no matter what happens, he can also say he was for or against it.
Agree. Totally. He has to be able go back on Letterman, or whomever, at night, and shuck and jive his long-legged mack daddy bullshit to the mullets.
I thot Ford was an embarrassment, so I voted Carter. This hood resident makes Ford and Carter look great. At least they did their time in the military, had some of idea of what it was to send men to be killed, this SOB is just a communist street organizer.
At least they did their time in the military, had some of idea of what it was to send men to be killed, this SOB is just a communist street organizer. At lease we got some super interest rates on CD's with Mr.PeanutHead. The kenyan is so far out of his league that it's pathetic. Beyond pathetic.
I am imagining what it's like to cough out your life in the dirt in that god forsaken mountain land over there. Then I multiply it by 43. And then by the hundreds that have died there. Then I add the thousands that have died for god knows what in Iraq. Then I see this fool of a suit in the White House doin photos ops with some golf deity fixing to flit off to Europe with the press lapping at his heels to promote his Chicago to the Olympic committee. My pot is boiling over. I predict that this man won't even get near the end of his term before the level of visceral distaste generated by a Nixon will pale by comparison. This administration is as generously endowed with the hypocricy and shallowness of the Clintons without an ounce of their guile and political savvy. Read the list of names. Read all of them. I don't believe that that man in the White House has anything but contempt for them.
I go to bed every night praying that each and every member of our military service(s) returns home safe. Yet at the same time these soldiers are giving their all, the Commander in Chief ("the piper") is wining, dining and playing ball. Needless to say, my prayers don't get to the bottom of the list ... i.e., to include the empty suited POTUS with the empty head sitting on top of such narrow shoulders.
I read the list and all I could muster was..."for what"... There is NO justification, not an iota.
Why in hell is there no person in Washington that will take the podium and expose this corrupt government, and do it with vigor to awaken the masses???
Because ALL in Washington, D.C. are as much on the take as the next one. They are ALL criminals, imo. AND ... they leave the "vigor to awaken the masses" to those in the mass that have the time, energy and devotion ... to then be able to call them homegrown terrorists in an effort to dissuade anyone from listening.
The corrupt will not call out the corrupt. You cannot cleanse the bowl with swill.
I see the Commander in Iraq is now also urging caution about the draw down of troops in Iraq. Anyone with a brain well knows as soon as we leave, the ME will return to business as usual.
That person was on Hannity tonight being called an anti-Semite by the Sean the stooge.
Who??? I have no TV.
This hood resident makes Ford and Carter look great. 0bama makes Jimmy Carter seem like Charles Martel. At least they did their time in the military, had some of idea of what it was to send men to be killed, this SOB is just a communist street organizer. Yes... The Commie street organizer's mission is clearly to specifically "punish" America with the senseless slaughter of U.S. servicemen - penance for "Evil America" if you will. When will the U.S. military OR Congress realize Obammy is purposely demoralizing and hanging out the dry the entire U.S. military?
There are "greater" heights in store for this fraud, Obama.
Then I see this fool of a suit in the White House doin photos ops with some golf deity fixing to flit off to Europe with the press lapping at his heels to promote his Chicago to the Olympic committee. My pot is boiling over. I predict that this man won't even get near the end of his term before the level of visceral distaste generated by a Nixon will pale by comparison. Your articulation speaks for most of us. At this pace of arrogance and hatred of and for America, "this man" is tempting fate like heavily chummed shark-infested waters.
Does he even realize how close he is to attaining those "heights"? Does he realize he's merely a throw-away tool for the NWO?
Any self thinking person understand that statement...fully...
Well he has a way to go. Reagan for example got 299 servicemen, 220 of them Marines killed in Beirut in 1983. They were there as political pawns of posturing politicians with no real mission. Reagan and the Bushes in fact seemed very good at getting good men killed for no good reason. So if you want to talk incidents, numbers and situations, Obama if he were doing as you claim would look like an amateur by comparison to these three stooges of Republican presidential meat heads who came before him.
I belong to a very small group of people that discuss such matters in great depth and detail. Verbal musing you might say. I enjoy drawing out every nuance, every hidden meaning, every shade and color. Does he realize he's merely a throw-away tool for the NWO? Our answer to that question was arrived at long ago...Yes and his arrogance is the controlling factor....IN HIS MIND...Not theirs.
Yes, Mike. No one denies what you say is so. Right now 'Bama is firmly treading in their footsteps. Every day, history is being made, and we will see how far he will go along that path.
like tan? ;P
Our answer to that question [Zero = NWO throwaway tool] was arrived at long ago...Yes and his arrogance is the controlling factor....IN HIS MIND...Not theirs. Alrighty then... We know it's going to happen, yet for fear of our now fascist dictatorship we must tap-dance about its probability. Zero may just be arrogant enough to believe he is an immortal Caesar who is actually adored by the masses instead of regarded as a treasonous rat who is stomping on ALL the wrong toes....giddily. The beneficiary of the Dallas II is of course the NWO PTB who shall exploit it for all it's worth. IT is the day that justifies choking off the 1A and the 2A, forcing all the cards on the table and the sh*tski finally hitting the fan.
Yes, but not a Coppertone tan :-P
Mikey, Mikey...That's just twisted bullsh*t and you know it. Using that incident to make 0bama look...efficiently "life-saving," and Reagan blood-thirsty is beyond warped. The U.S. ill-advisedly sat a contingent in the belly of the beast who were purposely under-secured thus extremely vulnerable for purely political reasons. When those servicemen perished, Reagan was absolutely crushed emotionally. He at least learned not to trust his advisory staff after that. Apparently Bubba learned nothing from it in 1992 in Mogadishu. 0bama not only doesn't give a crap about the welfare of U.S. military personnel, he regards them with disdain and contempt. FACT. There is a HUGE difference between mistakes and purposely getting our guys maimed and murdered - as the treacherous b@stard 0bama is consciously doing. Btw, while our peeps in A-Hole-Stan are awaiting a revised mission from President Barry Amin, he's in Europe with Mrs. Amin lobbying for an Olympic gig for Chicago. Nice priorities.
Afghan Decision Weeks Away as Obama Convenes Advisers (Update1) By Hans Nichols and James Rowley Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama’s decision on troop strength and the way forward in Afghanistan is likely weeks away after the president convened his top national-security and military advisers for another round of strategy sessions. Yesterday’s meeting was the second of five planned as Obama assesses the war strategy and considers whether to add as many as 40,000 more U.S. forces into the battle in Afghanistan. White House officials said no decision about whether to send more U.S. combat forces to Afghanistan is imminent. “Let’s get a firm strategy, let’s discuss that, let’s poke and prod it and ensure that we’ve done it the right way,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday. “Then implement tactics to achieve that strategy.” Political pressure is building on Obama as Republicans, including Arizona Senator John McCain, the party’s 2008 presidential nominee and a leading voice on defense matters, urge the president to act quickly and send in more forces. Democrats including Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts are expressing skepticism about rushing more troops to the war. Public support for the war is slipping. Fifty-one percent of adults said the war in Afghanistan isn’t worth fighting and 46 percent said it is in a Sept. 10-12 ABC News/Washington Post poll. That is the reverse of the result of a March poll in which 56 percent said the war is worth fighting and 41 percent said it isn’t. Just 26 percent favored increasing U.S. forces. Afghan Election One of the issues in the U.S. assessment is determining whether the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has enough support in the country to be a viable partner. Today, lawmakers at a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee meeting expressed anger over Karzai’s disputed re-election in August. “These elections served as a powerful demonstration of how corrupt and awful the Afghan government really is,” said Representative Gary Ackerman, a New York Democrat and chairman of the subcommittee. “Where has all the money gone?” he said, referring to $38 billion he said the U.S. has spent in the country. The panel’s ranking Republican, Dana Rohrabacher of California, said the U.S. must “insist that a runoff election be held in Afghanistan.” Advisers Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CIA Director Leon Panetta, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, were among those taking part in the discussion yesterday at the White House. Another such session is scheduled for Oct. 7. The briefing began with an intelligence review by the office of the director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, a White House official said last night. McChrystal, appearing by video conference, reiterated many of the points from his official assessment, touching on the tenuous security as well as success in killing or capturing terrorists. The subject of additional troops wasn’t discussed in the three-hour session, said the official, who requested anonymity. Obama’s national security adviser, General Jim Jones, briefed senators on the administration’s progress last night. McCain said Jones offered “nothing that you didn’t read” in the news media. That sentiment was echoed several other senators from both parties, who said Jones also indicated Obama isn’t ready to make a decision. ‘Weeks, Not Months’ Jones told lawmakers the decision “would be a matter of weeks, not months,” Connecticut independent Joseph Lieberman told reporters after the briefing. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana said Obama needs to move faster. “What we want to know right now is what the commander-in- chief says,” Lugar said. The ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, Lugar said he hoped “we are going to move on a little bit more decisively.” Senator Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, said that while many in his party are pressing for a quick decision on strategy and troops, “it’s perfectly legitimate to spend a couple of weeks looking at the request.” Jones didn’t discuss specific troop levels, senators said. Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said Congress must be more involved the debate over strategy. Prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, there wasn’t enough discussion about American interests and strategy. “On the grave question of war, you’ve got to have a full debate and listen to points of view from both sides,” he said. McChrystal’s Assessment Obama ordered McChrystal, who he installed as commander in Afghanistan earlier this year, to write an assessment of the conflict. The Washington Post, citing unnamed officials, reported Sept. 27 that McChrystal will seek 10,000 to 40,000 more troops to carry out a counterinsurgency mission. He warned that the U.S. risks failure in the country. Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta arrived in Washington yesterday for talks with General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Petraeus “indicated his support for General McChrystal’s assessment” and told Spanta that “extensive meetings and debates within the administration” are under way about strategy and troop levels needed for Afghanistan, according to Afghan Ambassador to the U.S. Said Jawad, who participated in the meetings. During last year’s presidential campaign, Obama criticized the war in Iraq, arguing that success in Afghanistan was more central to America’s security. Obama earlier this ordered an additional 21,000 forces into the country. That will bring the total U.S. deployment to 68,000 before the end of the year. He has also requested more resources from NATO allies. The consequences of leaving Afghanistan or somehow winding down the involvement there now would be “frightening,” George Robertson, a former secretary-general of NATO from 1999 to 2003, said yesterday. “It’s not just the standing of the alliance,” he said. “It’s the safety of the people of the alliance countries that stands at risk there.”
I was in the Military during Reagan and GHW Bush's time, the leaving of troops in Beirut with no clear mission endangered then killed them. Reagan was the 'decision maker,' Reagan gets the blame. Many people I knew in the military - some of whom like him credited him with a grave error precipitating the tragedy. You are trying to have your cake and to eat it too. Military action causes dead and wounded. Right now, President Obama is being careful as he deeply cares how many dead and wounded military personnel - and civilians - there are. Too many civilians dying needlessly, then the shift to a more 'win the hearts and minds' approach is moot. And too many U.S. casualties hurt support to follow through with thee mission at hand. Personally, I would prefer to see him to go ahead and back his commander's request for more troops. But it is his call, and he will be the one gigged if he hurts things by delaying a decision. I care about ending the political instability the Taliban cause the region this conflict is occurring in, and I still support Obama's continuation of that war. I don't buy the rhetoric the POTUS does not care about those in uniform. My sources at Ft. Bragg agree with me mostly on that point, but the one I talked to this morning is irritated as hell about the Olympic plug at this time. So I would have to agree on my own feelings and the input of others that Barack better hurry up here and shit, or get off the pot. Either commit the troops requested, or pull out.
Getting out is the only sane option, Mike. NO ONE has EVER successfully invaded that country. There will be no success there except for the MIC, which is the point of our staying. That and protecting the poppy crop and a pipeline. If possible, 44 gives even less a shit about the troops than did 43, or any of the sock-puppets before them.
Aaaah..."Poking and prodding"?? Who knew that was 0bammy's "strategy" in A-Hole-Stan? I'm sure that'll buoy the spirits of McCrystal and the troops. Reagan was the 'decision maker,' Reagan gets the blame. Many people I knew in the military - some of whom like him credited him with a grave error precipitating the tragedy. You are trying to have your cake and to eat it too. Thanks for serving, Mike...And btw, the cake was deee-licious.... Reagan's regard and respect for those who served under him was the complete antithesis of that the Commie-in-Chief whose regard is one of clear disdain and contempt for those same men. If you can't see or tell the difference between the two situations and CiCs, then I'm afraid your sense of reality has left the building...along with Elvis. Reagan indeed DID accept the responsibility AND blame for the "mission" in Beirut - which was as it has often been the case since the end of WWII: 1) Acted as a deterrent to violence between hostile factions 2) Maintained a presence in troubled areas around the world. As an aside (sorta) - what do think would have happened had 0bama been negotiating SALT II across the table from Gorbachev? Military action causes dead and wounded. Right now, President Obama is being careful as he deeply cares how many dead and wounded military personnel - and civilians - there are. "Careful," my azz. Anyone paying ANY attention at all to the lies and times of this Chicago Thug Organizer knows he ONLY cares about systematically destroying America, capitalism, AND crippling the U.S. military. You're a bright guy, Mike - how, when, and why did you become so blind about stuff like this, yet so aware and analytical of the agenda of Monsanto? Too many civilians dying needlessly, then the shift to a more 'win the hearts and minds' approach is moot. And too many U.S. casualties hurt support to follow through with thee mission at hand. Personally, I would prefer to see him to go ahead and back his commander's request for more troops. But it is his call, and he will be the one gigged if he hurts things by delaying a decision. Too many people are dying needlessly - especially Americans. True - "winning hearts and minds" is moot, but it was always moot. Muslim hearts can NEVER be won. The reason Bammy's is neither pulling out or upping the ante on troop strength is all he's ever been about: POLITICS. IDEOLOGY. ANARCHY. Either decision he makes at this juncture Mike will have taken far too long, reinforcing the notion internationally that he is a weak and indecisive "leader" by any definition of the word. Even the French President is laughing at him. But apparently Barry is more than will to let the cards fall where they may, but mark my words - he'll blame everyone else BUT himself. I care about ending the political instability the Taliban cause the region this conflict is occurring in, and I still support Obama's continuation of that war. Do you? That surprises me. To what end is our military there these days? Both the place and its people are unconquerable. And where is 0bama bin Laden these days anyway? I don't buy the rhetoric the POTUS does not care about those in uniform. My sources at Ft. Bragg agree with me mostly on that point, but the one I talked to this morning is irritated as hell about the Olympic plug at this time. I've already address my opinion on the matter; Maybe you merely need more time...and another cup of white jasmine tea :-) But you've actually run into guys at Ft. Bragg who actually believe Bammy cares about them as servicemen - AS WELL AS feeling irked that Chi-Town might not get the Olympic gig? Are these by chance "bruthas," Mike? That Exacta of opinions makes no sense, UNLESS.... I would have to agree on my own feelings and the input of others that Barack better hurry up here and shit, or get off the pot. Either commit the troops requested, or pull out. Ending on a note where we both agree - who'da thunk?
I was a helicopter crew chief in the 82nd Airborne Division in the late seventies. I ETSed an E-5 having gone in as E-1. I ran into many who think like you to some extent, which I suppose is why they at one point in my first unit was going to give me the bum's rush of several Article 15s (nonjudicial punishment under the auspices of the UCMJ) and then punt my ass out as unadaptable to military life. Didn't work though see, as I am smart, and very competitive. Modest too. I took the violation of Article 89 and 90 A15 past Summary Court martial and won in a Special Court Martial with a very smart civilian lawyer I had gotten to know. I was back in in the 1980s with Special Forces, having discovered the 1/19th USASF(A) in Utah. I know a bit of something about low intensity conflict, and war. And I got along with SF because many loved the different perspective my mindset provided. We also got along because to a man no one in SF would buy that garbage you spout denigrating and dehumanizing Muslims. I do sort of understand your perspective somewhat, as myself I oft times have to fight an extreme disgust and anger at the irrationality and self serving nature of Christianity. Which is a religion I am more familiar with then most others. None the less, I value all human culture and respect religious and cultural values of others. You can't do the missions SOCOM does without being able to do that. Just thought I would give you a glimpse of my sort of head space. I love doing forest defense and have done some political activity that nearly killed me. Which had the weird effect of making me miss being an 18E2P in an A team, which I actually wouldn't mind doing again over there in Afghanistan. Though these days RC 70s with doublet antennas and leg keys to send and receive 120 five character code messages in 16 line format has sort of gone by the wayside somewhat. I would have a steep learning curve and 55 year olds in great physical shape as I am are often surprised how much more wind younger dudes have, so such is life. I'll address the rest of your points later, but thanks for the response, and watch out for that sugar in that cake now.
Mike, we may disagree, but I think you're a good guy, and sincere. You mean well. And I don't sense much spite or blowing smoke. It's probably why the guys you served with didn't much mind your respective ideological differences. I also respect your experience in both your military and civilian capacity...I like your spirit - though it's misguided in certain important respects. What is it about Christianity do you find "irrational" and "self serving"? Some sects are, but since there are several out there, please be specific. I guess at this point there's no need to remind you that most of the signees of the Declaration of Independent were...Christians. It's underpinning must not be so bad to enable America to become what it has in 200+ years....But I digress... I'm glad you're still enjoying life and pushing the envelope, fella...just as long as you're not saving too many darter snails or pushing ELF literature. ;-)
what makes either of you think that Obama is calling the shots or making any decision unilaterally? surely, you know that he's controlled and is doing the bidding of his masters. further, to believe we're in Afghanistan because of the Taliban, OBL, or muslims, without meaning to insult, is naive. this war, like every other war, is being fought to enrich the power elite who have funded both sides for 100s of years. remember the words of Smedley Butler.
Weasel Who are you trying to kid? At best you were a candy striper. Nobody in Group would put up with your BS. They'd frag your useless ass first chance they got, which means they never had a chance, which means you're a liar.
Ted Kennedy Is Now Eligible To Vote In Chicago.
You're right - he's not making THE decisions...although he is permitted some latitude in which to maneuver policy... However his disdain and contempt for all things American, White, and Capitalistic remain clear, and his destruction of America (as we "fundamentally" know it) is his undying fantasy. further, to believe we're in Afghanistan because of the Taliban, OBL, or muslims, without meaning to insult, is naive. this war, like every other war, is being fought to enrich the power elite who have funded both sides for 100s of years. I totally agree, C. However, there WAS actually a legitimate threat to repel - courtesy of both Germany and Japan; The Elites just happen to turn that little skirmish into a neat profit during and for decades afterward.
yes, i think you're correct.
"This Act (the Federal Reserve Act, Dec. 23rd 1913) establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President (Woodrow Wilson) signs the Bill, the invisible government of the Monetary Power will be legalised... The worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking and currency Bill."--Charles Lindbergh, Sr.
#2. To: Cynicom, christine, all (#1)
From the first week, LP was doa for me.
#3. To: Lod (#2)
Yes, buckwheat doesn't know whether to shit or go blind in the 'stan.
#4. To: Cynicom (#3)
He is doing the olde tapdance so that no matter what happens, he can also say he was for or against it.
#5. To: Lod (#4)
He has to be able go back on Letterman, or whomever, at night, and shuck and jive his long-legged mack daddy bullshit to the mullets.
#6. To: Cynicom (#5)
This kenyan hood resident makes Ford and Carter look great.
#7. To: Cynicom (#3)
(Edited)
#8. To: christine (#0)
43 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan ...
#9. To: randge (#7)
Read the list of names. Read all of them. I don't believe that that man in the White House has anything but contempt for them.
#10. To: Phant2000 (#8)
#11. To: Cynicom (#10)
Why in hell is there no person in Washington that will take the podium and expose this corrupt government, and do it with vigor to awaken the masses???
#12. To: Cynicom (#10)
#13. To: randge (#12)
The corrupt will not call out the corrupt. You cannot cleanse the bowl with swill.
#14. To: Cynicom (#10)
Why in hell is there no person in Washington that will take the podium and expose this corrupt government, and do it with vigor to awaken the masses???
#15. To: Jethro Tull (#14)
#16. To: Cynicom (#5)
I thot Ford was an embarrassment, so I voted Carter.
#17. To: Liberator (#16)
When will the U.S. military OR Congress realize Obammy is purposely demoralizing and hanging out the dry the entire U.S. military?
#18. To: randge (#7)
I am imagining what it's like to cough out your life in the dirt in that god forsaken mountain land over there. Then I multiply it by 43. And then by the hundreds that have died there. Then I add the thousands that have died for god knows what in Iraq.
#19. To: Cynicom (#17)
There are "greater" heights in store for this fraud, Obama.
#20. To: Liberator, randge (#18)
My pot is boiling over. I predict that this man won't even get near the end of his term
#21. To: Liberator (#16)
"When will the U.S. military OR Congress realize Obammy is purposely demoralizing and hanging out the dry the entire U.S. military?"
#22. To: Liberator, randge (#19)
(Edited)
Does he even realize how close he is to attaining those "heights"? Does he realize he's merely a throw-away tool for the NWO?
#23. To: Ferret Mike (#21)
#24. To: Cynicom (#22)
every shade and color.
#25. To: Cynicom, randge (#22)
I belong to a very small group of people that discuss such matters in great depth and detail. Verbal musing you might say. I enjoy drawing out every nuance, every hidden meaning, every shade and color.
#26. To: christine, Cynicom (#24)
like tan? ;P
#27. To: Ferret Mike (#21)
Well he has a way to go. Reagan for example got 299 servicemen, 220 of them Marines killed in Beirut in 1983.
#28. To: All (#27)
#29. To: Liberator (#27)
#30. To: Ferret Mike. all (#29)
Either commit the troops requested, or pull out.
#31. To: Jethro Tull (#28)
“Let’s get a firm strategy, let’s discuss that, let’s poke and prod it and ensure that we’ve done it the right way,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said yesterday. “Then implement tactics to achieve that strategy.”
#32. To: Ferret Mike (#29)
I was in the Military during Reagan and GHW Bush's time, the leaving of troops in Beirut with no clear mission endangered then killed them.
#33. To: Liberator (#32)
#34. To: Ferret Mike (#33)
#35. To: Liberator, Ferret Mike (#34)
#36. To: Ferret Mike (#33)
(Edited)
I was back in in the 1980s with Special Forces,
#37. To: christine, Ferret Mike (#35)
what makes either of you think that Obama is calling the shots or making any decision unilaterally? surely, you know that he's controlled and is doing the bidding of his masters.
#38. To: Liberator (#37)
However his disdain and contempt for all things American, White, and Capitalistic remain clear, and his destruction of America (as we "fundamentally" know it) is his undying fantasy.
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