Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Obama and Afghanistan

Via BBC:
Obama 'to lay out Afghanistan exit plan'
US troops in an ambush in Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan on 20 October 2009
Support for the Afghan mission among the US public has been falling

President Barack Obama is expected to announce that US forces will begin handing over to Afghan security forces by mid-2011, as part of an exit plan.

In a much-anticipated speech to the nation within hours, he is also set to unveil a rapid deployment of 30,000 fresh troops over six months.

But Mr Obama will not give a pullout date; officials say that will depend on conditions on the ground at the time.

The administration's sense of urgency is palpable, says our correspondent.

In Tuesday evening's address at West Point military academy, Mr Obama is expected to make an accelerated troop surge the centrepiece of his new strategy for Afghanistan.

Read more


Don't think I'm happy about this. I want to get out of Afghanistan and out of Iraq! I thought Obama would do both things and that's why I voted for him.
I won't be listening tonight because I'll be more unhappy than I am now watching him go against what he's wanted to do all along!

7 comments:

Jan said...

I agree and disagree. He has one of the toughest jobs in the world, and now, I hope he makes less mistakes that his predecessor. I'm sure he will succeed.

DrillerAA said...

He is learning the hard way that there is a significant difference between running for President and actually being the President.

Terry said...

dear mary...all i know is that i will be so glad when these brave men and women are on good american land again...the same way i will be glad that our canadian troops are home.
mary, they are for the most part only babies!
it must be very hard to be the president. i sure would not want his job.
i think he is doing the best that he can mary...it is so hard!
love terry

♥ Kathy said...

I totally agree with you Mary. I'm very disappointed.

Mimi said...

From this side of the Atlantic, I agree with Driller and Terry, that Obama is doing the best he can, and at the same time learning that things don't happen so quickly, even for the President.
I still think he's doing a much better job than his predecessor.

The Cunning Runt said...

Yes, better than his predecessor.
Talk about being damned by faint praise!

In fairness to the man, he always referred to the Afghan war as a "just war," and the debacle in Iraq as just that. On these two points he's running exactly true to form, though not as I would wish.

Putz said...

yeh, what can i say...i said what i wanted in my blog....but didn't use any four letter words like i wanted....politics are all wrong lately