AFGHANISTAN: OBAMA'S WAR

When the lib media say it, it must be so.

Associated Press writer Ben Feller has declared that Barack Obama "owns" the war in Afghanistan.

Obama widens al-Qaida war, making it his own

Widening war in "the most dangerous place in the world," President Barack Obama launched a fresh effort Friday to defeat al-Qaida terrorists in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, defending his strategy with shades of the dire language of George W. Bush.

Stirring echoes of Sept. 11 and making the war his own, Obama warned that al-Qaida is actively planning attacks on the United States from secret havens in Pakistan. He said he was setting new benchmarks and sending in 4,000 more troops, hundreds of civilians and increased aid for a six-year war that has seemed to be easing in Iraq but still has no end in sight.

Obama's tough talk doesn't reflect change in U.S. Middle East policy.

Sure, he sent a message, via YouTube, to the Iranians, wishing them a "Happy New Year" and telling them to knock it off when it comes to nukes.

And Obama has declared an end to the War on Terror. Now, it's "Overseas Contingency Operation."

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has given up using the term "terrorism," preferring to say, "man-caused disasters."

That kinder, gentler approach seemed to indicate a shift toward weakness. Obama's naïveté was in full view.

It turns out that Obama and his administration were playing word games. At least that's how it seems today. Maybe tomorrow Obama and his team will flip-flop again. I'm betting on that.

"I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future," Obama said. "That's the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just."

I've heard this before. I'm sure I have. President Bush said that! Right?

Obama is a plagiarist!

The president, who declared last weekend an "exit strategy" was needed for Afghanistan, never used those words in announcing his plans on Friday. His strategy is built on an ambitious goal of boosting the Afghan army from 80,000 to 134,000 troops by 2011—and greatly increasing training by U.S. troops accompanying them—so the Afghan military can defeat Taliban insurgents and take control of the war.

That, he said, is "how we will ultimately be able to bring our troops home."

There is no timetable for withdrawal, and the White House said it had no estimate yet on how many billions of dollars its plan will cost.

What?

No timetable?

No estimate on cost?

This has all the makings of a QUAGMIRE.

What now, Lefties?

Obama is sending even more troops to Afghanistan.

...Since becoming president, Obama has ordered 21,000 troops into Afghanistan, counting 17,000 combat forces who will try to quell surging violence. The Pentagon says that will put the U.S. total there at more than 60,000, the most to date. As the Iraq conflict winds down, the Afghanistan war is growing.

Taking firm control of the war that dominated Bush's presidency, Obama broke with his predecessor in significant ways but also used phrases that sounded strikingly familiar.

He described the ruthlessness of the enemy, the need to take on terrorists, the genesis of the fight. Bush often reminded the nation that terrorists were plotting to kill Americans, even as the public fear dissipated with each passing year after the 9/11 attacks.

"I remind everybody, the United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan," Obama said. "Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives."

Obama is definitely plagiarizing President Bush.

I thought the Obama administration was moving away from the politics of fear.

Obama and his hacks have consistently been playing on people's fears. He did it with the economy and then he had to backtrack when people listened. Now, he's using fear to justify his escalation of the war in Afghanistan.

I wonder if Obama's faithful flock will lose faith.

Probably not.

Whatever Obama says is brilliant. Whatever Obama does is cool.

...Much of the security build up in Afghanistan this year is meant to provide security for fair, stable elections there in August.

"We've been on a path since 2006, 2007, 2008, where violence has gone up," said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We add these troops, violence is going to go up in 2009 because we're engaged more. That said, we've got to have a year this year, I believe, that stems that violence."

Obama, too, warned of tough days ahead. He said al-Qaida, its allies and probably its leader, Osama bin Laden, were plotting in the Pakistani frontier.

The sad truth is more American troops will lose their lives fighting al Qaeda.

Will the lib media and the Leftist wingnuts keep count of the death toll and recognize the dreaded milestones as they did when President Bush was the Commander in Chief?

Will the anti-war activists march and hold protests in DC and all over the country?

What will CODEPINK do?

At the moment, the PINK ladies aren't happy.

Here's CODEPINK's statement on Afghanistan.

Let's Remind Obama of His Promises for Peace!



It's not just the CODEPINKIES who are troubled. Russ Feingold is critical of Obama's plans, too.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Sen. Russ Feingold said Friday he feared that the troop buildup in Afghanistan ordered by President Barack Obama could "make the situation worse, not better."

Feingold, who was a vocal critic of the Iraq war, stopped short of expressing outright opposition to the increase in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan.

But the Wisconsin Democrat said a military escalation in Afghanistan could de-stabilize neighboring Pakistan, which he termed a much bigger potential security problem for the United States than Afghanistan.

"The problem is if you do this wrong, with too much emphasis on Afghanistan and not enough on Pakistan, you may be creating greater radicalization (in the region)," Feingold, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview. "In the end, Pakistan is more dangerous than Afghanistan.  . . .  I do think we're kind of putting the cart before the horse."

Obama on Friday ordered 4,000 more troops into Afghanistan, in addition to the 17,000 he approved adding earlier.

"I am not convinced that makes sense. It may be counterproductive," said Feingold, referring to the possible spillover effects of the buildup on Pakistan, where militants and terrorists have occupied safe havens along the border and where violence has also been on the rise. The bloodiest attack in Pakistan occurred Friday, when a suicide bomber struck a mosque near the Afghan border, killing at least 48.

Yeah, well. The ball's in Obama's court.

I wonder how many Obama followers are disillusioned. Do they feel let down?

They may spew the White House rhetoric that nothing is Obama's fault. Obama inherited the problems. Blah, blah, blah....

The fact is no president inherits a perfect nation.

But Obama wanted the job. He won the election.

HE is choosing to escalate the war, I mean, the Overseas Contingency Operation in Afghanistan. It's all his now.