Liasson: Counter-terrorism, surgical strike strategy in Afghanistan "reminds me a little bit of ... Rumsfeld's" strategy
September 27, 2009 1:24 pm ET
From the September 27 broadcast of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday:
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To withdraw is not cut and run, as some Repubs say.
A less troop-heavy strategy is not pulling a Rumsfeld, as Liasson says.
It is not out of touch with reality or cowardly. It is intelligent decision making, waiting for further info before recklessly commiting troops, and folks like Liasson need to get over viewing it in relation to Iraq strategy and the Bush administration.
I just wish that LBJ and GW Bush had taken more time to deliberate before their disastrous drcisions.
Would you care to describe the disaster you envision.
Afganistan has held off all imperialists for somewhere arround two thousand years. They will not bow down to us no matter how many troops we can send there. At a fractional cost to their people compared to our military buget they will hold us off till the country is depopulated if we declare ourselves their enemy
We'd do better to help them rebuild their irregation systems and bring in crops that will feed them and produce marketable surpluses.
And what you propose is an even bigger disaster.
Boots on the ground to pacify and secure the country would mean that we'd need to re-institute the draft.
Not my sons!
Recall that we invaded Iraq to 1, pay back Saddam for his alleged role in 9-11, and 2, find the weapons of mass destruction that we claimed Saddam had secreted all over the country. Those things are done, and yet we're still in Iraq.
Why'd we invade Afghanistan? To destroy al Qaeda after 9-11? To punish and remove the Taliban for its support of al Qaeda? Those things are done, and yet we're still in Afghanistan.
You tell the citizens the definition of "victory" BEFORE the war starts so that they can decide if it's worthwhile and if they're willing to make the commitments required to attain that victory.
As I posted elsewhere, what we have right now is circular logic in Iraq and Afghanistan -- we're staying because we're not leaving and we're not leaving because we're staying.
And while I think of it, as long as YOU'RE so hot to put boots on the ground in Afghanistan, please let us know when YOU'RE enlisting, and again when YOUR unit is shipping out. I've got 27 years in uniform, including deployment to Iraq. When you can match that, maybe I'll give your concept of foreign policy more consideration.
My itchy fingers are forcing me to type my opinion.
I think the goal needs to be clearly defined and then the Army's suggestions to achieve the goal can be evaluated.
We did not destroy Al Queda or Taliban. If we want to destroy Al Queda, more troops is not the answer. They are currently mostly in Pakistan, by the way. Covert operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only methods to kill Bin Laden and his cohorts.
Taliban, I care only a little bit about. If they can be stopped from providing grounds to organizations like Al Queda, them ruling Afghanistan is of little security risk to US.
Right now, we are not going after Al Queda. For a guy on dialysis, Bin Laden he seems pretty alive, secure, healthy and on schedule, delivering his messages to us.
We are providing support to a puppet government in Afghanistan that has little control on Taliban (even less on Al Queda).
It's a shame she is affiliated with NPR.
Maybe through genocide, but that's not really an option. You kill 1000 of them and there are 2000 ready to take their places. Killing Bin Laden? Won't do any good. I doubt he's still calling the shots. We are in a no-win situation, in both places. We'd be better off just leaving and do our best to secure our own country.
I do however think it is possible to bring to justice (capture, kill) those responsible for 911 (covertly or overtly). That's all I personally want.
Obama War-Afghanistan-Good
What hypocrites
Obama has not been asked for more troops, yet. But, he probably will be.
The reason why no clear decision has been reached yet, is because there has been no formal request.