Gibbs accuses Bush/Cheney of “underresourcing” the whitewashed war on terror
Responding to a question about Afghanistan during today’s White House press briefing, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs assailed Bush/Cheney for having “under-resourced Afghanistan for the better part of a decade” and declared the region “the most important part of our war on terror.”
Whoops. That’s “Overseas Continegency Operation” to you, Bobby.
After days of confusion and denial about whether the Obama administration was officially no longer using the term “War on Terror,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the Obama administration is no longer speaking of a “War on Terror.”
“I haven’t gotten any directive about using it or not using it. It’s just not being used,” said Clinton during a briefing with reporters aboard her plane to the Hague to attend an international conference on Afghanistan.
“The administration has stopped using the phrase and I think that speaks for itself,” she said at a different point during her trip. “Obviously.”
***
President Obama hasn’t yet read Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s report on Afghanistan delivered to NATO allies and the Pentagon earlier today.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
 |
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
December 25, 2011 03:26 AM by Michelle Malkin
75 CommentsJoe Biden: The Taliban Per Se is Not Our Enemy
December 19, 2011 04:06 PM by Doug Powers
105 Comments
CNN: 31 Americans, Including 22 SEALs, Killed in Afghanistan
August 6, 2011 03:35 PM by Doug Powers
52 CommentsZogby International: Most Arab Countries View US Less Favorably Than at End of Bush Administration
July 13, 2011 04:08 PM by Doug Powers
99 Comments
Harry Reid & Lindsey Graham: Afghanistan Riots Might Be Due to Too Many Freedoms in the US… or Something
April 3, 2011 03:49 PM by Doug Powers
169 CommentsTroops Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan Get a Little Surprise at Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport
August 11, 2010 10:20 PM by Doug Powers
91 Comments
Taliban executes Christian medical team in Afghanistan; 6 American doctors among those murdered
August 8, 2010 10:31 AM by Michelle Malkin
202 CommentsDoes a US Marine in Afghanistan Really Have a Sarah Palin Tattoo on His Butt? You Bet’cha!
May 30, 2010 03:55 PM by Doug Powers
30 Comments
Categories: Afghanistan
Redstate
» Morning Briefing for February 14, 2012Pundit & Pundette
» Bishop Jenky, Nicki Minaj, and the "98%"Sister Toldjah
» Obama’s new budget is a bad jokeJustOneMinute
» We Hear From The Department Of Good Ideas And False Choices
There you go Gibbs – point the finger elsewhere and use the worn out Booshe/Cheneys fault line.
What else can we expect from the office of
The Most Incompetent President Ever?
Collin
http://philosophyforchristians.blogspot.com
http://evangelicalperspective.blogspot.com
o fer cryin’ out loud.
No wonder they never get anything done; they’re too busy trying to decide what or what not to call ‘it’.
Bagdad Bob
I wonder if Gibbs ever looks at video of himself saying this kind of thing. I mean, the man does not strike me as stupid, does he realize he looks the fool?
Unbelievable.
Evidently it hasn’t yet been edited to fit TOTUS format!
No one in this administration cares what you, or anyone else not already on the reservation, thinks.
The only people they speak toward are the ones they believe are with them already. If you’re not “in,” then your opinions, sensibilities, and even your sense of reality itself is wholly irrelevant to them.
If we wanted to end the War on Terror we would withdraw our combat forces from Iraq through the Tehran AIrport.
Can we get a good photoshop image of Gibbs in the court jester suit and use that for him every time? I cannot believe the WH press corps gives him any credibility (even as liberal as they are). He is the biggest fool/tool in the administration.
Do you get the impression “the buck” is out there wandering around lost somewhere?
What a stirring example of prioritization and leadership….. /sarc
Watching Obama’s Administration in action, it becomes obvious how the Russians lost Afganistan.
The Obamastration makes Carter’s non-starters look like a group of executive geniuses!
What’s the news here? Obama has argued for years that more of our counter-terrorism efforts should have been spent in Afghanistan, relative to Iraq.
Is it that Gibbs used the phrase “war on terror”? Surely you have more interesting things to write about. How are things going in Afghanistan anyway? Is it true that our military effort there was “under-sourced”?
Question to the group: which is more important?
A. the progress of US military operations in Afghanistan
B. the phrase used by the press secretary to describe these operations
The Joker is on a mission the communist USA. Can’t be bothered by distractions.
One could ask, what are our soldiers dying for if it’s not victory.
Gibbs is a grade AAA asshole.
Like it or not, Mr Gibbs has a point. Afghanistan went on the back burner after we began our involvement in Iraq. Recall our actions in Afghanistan were in response to 9/11.
Yep, 15 SAUDI ARABIANS on orders from a SAUDI ARABIAN living in AFGHANISTAN, a country (government) recognized by PAKISTAN, a country ruled by a man, MUSHARRAF, who came to power in a coup, . . . perpertraited the atrocity of 9/11 upon us.
And, we go into Iraq? Huh?
Yep, our goal to bring the perpertraitors of 9/11 to justice was set aside and eventually forgotten and dismissed as unimportant. Lest we forget that at one point funding for the Afghanistan efforts was forgotten in supplemental bills and required an emergency bill.
Nope. Mr Gibbs got it exactly correct. Our efforts in Afghanistan were under resourced.
And, our efforts in Iraq were poorly managed.
.
Bahgdad-Bob-Gibbs
.
And that would have been the perfect response had the question been about resources years ago. What most people want to know is what plan does the current administration have to address this issue. Gibbs’ response just seems like more buck-passing to me.
I always thought that we should have attacked Iran after Afganistan. But that is no reason to admit defeat and withdraw after battle had been joined in Iraq. In fact doing so would have been a disaster for America. Afganistan was quiet for the time we were fighting in Iraq and only heated up after we pulled back in Iraq. Agree with the intial invasion or not, we are there. I would think a logical person would see the value of leaving with a victory instead of a defeat.
Fact is, Afganistan has only heated up since obama the fraud came to power. Our enemies see our weakness in the whitehouse.
When the Whitehouse has declared that there is no War on terrorism and then turns around and speaks of a war on terrorism, people get confused, so a little clarification is in order don’t you think? Isn’t it important that our military knows whether or not it’s engaged in a War On Terrorism? How about other governments? Words mean things, empty words can mean more!
Gibbs must have an IQ that is less than the sum of his digits . . . the dolt is an complete idiot.
It seems to me the more important “goal” at the time was to make sure we weren’t hit again and that another 3000 Americans wouldn’t face slaughter. Our military performed bravely, brilliantly and with honor in achieving that goal — and please credit the president at that time with having the wisdom to execute that as a priority. Our efforts in Iraq couldn’t have been managed too poorly when the ultimate goal was achieved. 45,000 people welcomed some of America’s best home from those efforts this weekend in Colorado Springs and I for one, held my head high with pride. Poorly managed in what way? Never mind – don’t want to hear any crap today.
LGM, my prediction is we will see a call to withdraw from Afganistan within a year.
And obama will do it. Thus snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
I know we’re not supposed to make fun of the way people look, but…
how many lockers do you think Gibbs was stuffed in during his school years?
That guy is a geek with a capital G.
On morning of September 12, 2001 I was asked what was going to happen. My answer was, “We will go into Afghanistan and take out Al Quiada and invade Iraq and take out Saddam.”
Anyone above the rank of Captain knew that was reality.
You two “generals” can rest easy in your armchairs.
“When shooting terroists the only thing you should feel is recoil.”
I sure do miss Tony Snow. Gads, that gibbs, what to say?
L
Get ready for liberal talking points. Fact is that there are always mistakes made. Onlt in liberal la la land do thinks go exactly as planned. Fact is the Iraqi war was one of the best planned and executed wars in history. It was ham-strung by liberals in washington putting party ahead of country, not by anyone in the field.
Anytime you “contribute” to this blog is far less interesting than the most boring subject imaginable. The only thing you’re good for is comic relief.
A.
Now what?
That is absurd.
With the exception of last month, according to this chart, the casualties have been pretty consistent for the past 2 or 3 years, and appears to be pretty cyclical.
1. You think we would have invaded Saudi Arabia. That war may have caused the same resourcing issues.
2. Our efforts in a Saudi Arabian invasion may have been just as poorly managed.
How exactly?
CHAP, clearly you didn’t look at your own link.
How exactly? well to start with thousands of people on the mall siding with the insurgents in Iraq rings a bell.
Gibbs aspires to cretinism.
Chap I am so sorry to see you have apparently taken a blow to the head and developed acute amnesia.
This blame Bush stuff is a distraction. Afghanistan heated up when we won Iraq and AQ is now funnelling Iranian backed money into the fighting there. There were very few instances of ied’s, ambushes on American convoys, etc. when the intensity was high in Iraq. Will the media (who can plainly see this) call out this administration for being short sighted and not see this coming like they should have? Probably not. Where are the headlines, soldiers die while Obama vacations in Martha’s Vineyard?
This is only the usual hypocracy that we get from the left. Having been in the military, I know it takes time to get resources overseas. No problem as long as the problem is being addressed, which it probably is, but the media showing infinite patience with this president and marked disdain for the last…. Keep going MSM, you know Obama’s sinking numbers are probably your fault.
Uh, sure did. July 09 was clearly a bad month, but otherwise, 2009 is pretty consistent with the past couple years. Certainly in line enough so that it is ridiculous to say that Afghanistan “didn’t heat” up until Obama was in office. If anything, it looks like February 2006 was where it started to heat up.
Even accepting your interpretation, in what way did those protesters definitively affect any mission or any funding for the war effort? Was one single war appropriations bill not passed? Was one single mission changed? Did Bush not go ahead with the surge? Did he set any withdrawal date to appease the Code Pinkers?
Chap, you are smarter that that, read the chart again. And even if I accepted the feb 2006 date, guess who took control of congress then?
Those protesters caused the entire world to assume the mission in Iraq was doomed and definately cause more fighters to enlist to fight Americans in Iraq. Those protesters cost American soldiers thier lives. Damn them to hell.
The only way to truly win the war in Afghanistan is to defeat Iran.
Gibbs has the job because he makes BHO look intelligent. Can’t have an underling smarter than the Bozo and Chief.
Sorry, but just because the press put Afghanistan on the back burner doesn’t mean the Pentagon did.
Just because the press, in their haste to make Iraq the center of attention, trying to snatch at any chance of failure, doesn’t mean the US military wasn’t doing exactly what they needed to do in Afghanistan. The press and leftist politicians are the ones that “under-resourced” Afghanistan for all these years because they weren’t able to score political points out of it. They couldn’t use it to embarass the previous adminstration so they ignored it as much as they could.
Now that a group of incompetents and leftist swine who are actively trying to destroy the country are in power and screwing things up, they try to cast the blame on anyone but themselves.
It’s a racial thing. Or maybe it’s the media twisting his words. Or maybe it’s those evil Republicans.
They’ve shifted their focus to the War on the Taxpayer.
First off, I want to make it clear I never said that it wasn’t escalating. i just think it is ridiculous to say that it wasn’t “heating up” until Obama. Casualties there have been on the rise every year since 2003 and jumped from 59 in 2004 to 131 in 2005. And then 191 in 2006. Even if you want to change your argument and shift blame to a Democratic Congress (who took control in January 2007,) how can you with a straight face, claim it wasn’t already heating up at that point?
Oh please. Give me any evidence of this besides touchy-feely nonsense about emboldening the enemy. If the enemy is so smart to track our popularity polls, you’d think they were smart enough to realize Bush wasn’t changing any tactics because of them.
In case anyone wonders, no Gibbs never said that. It’s a joke.
On August 31st, 2009 at 3:32 pm, sonofdy said:
Not to mention Democrat politicians who claimed the war was lost, called the president a war mongerer who invaded a sovereign country (never mind one who ignored UN weapons inspections for 12 years), claimed the intelligence was “cherry picked”, stated that the Iraqis did not greet us as liberators like the president said they would,it’s all about oil, there are more, just can’t think of all of them off hand.
Words like those fueled the fighting. Democrats like Pelosi, Reid and Durban (many more) are traitors who very likey caused the death of American soldiers. The MSM is just as guilty. We truly have the best armed forces in the world to have to put up with anti-american, but surprising still american, politicians and journalists and still kick a$$.
Bobby Gibbs second guessing Dick Cheney?HAHAHAHAHA.That is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a looooong time.
BUSH DID IT blah blah blah. this ahole prez is going to go into his last year still ranting it’s all bush’s fault. what a woosie.
If you are old enough to remember, the behavior of the Democrats since 2003 has been an “instant replay” of their conduct during Vietnam. In a word; treasonous.
The difference was this time we had a President and a Vice President, GOD BLESS HIM, who chose to fight to win. And a silent majority that this time was not silent.
If you want to win this war, the quickest, best, and least bloody way is to chop off the snakes head; Iran.
Funny, but Afghanistan wasn’t spiraling out of control until we started putting MORE resources into the country. If being under-resourced for years was really the problem, shouldn’t we have seen problems when it was actually under-resourced?
We have also seen a change in priority from the opposition. Many have
movedbeen kicked out of Iraq, and went to the region. The leadership has shifted from Iraq being the battleground against the infidels, to Afghanistan/Pakistan. I’d say they are ample explanations for why things are getting more heated in Afghanistan, other than resources and blame Bush.“President Obama hasn’t yet read Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s report on Afghanistan delivered to NATO allies and the Pentagon earlier today.”
He’s waiting for the pop-up version, with the buttons on the side that make cool tank, plane, and gun noises…
Even the French didn’t (always) greet us as Liberators.
1. Do you think the North Vietnamese were smart enough to track and be emboldened? They certainly had good reason.
2. This isn’t just about Bush. Rangle declared PRIOR to the 2006 election that the dems would cut off funding for the war if they won. How can you state that such a statement WOULDN’T empower an enemy?
This isn’t just about Bush and you know it.
Look around the net and words like quagmire and unwinnable are cropping up in MSM stories.We will be out of there in a year or so with polls spun to show “the people wanted it”.Obama has no shame for anything he says or promises he makes.We will be defeated,the left will be estactic and it will be all Bushes fault.The left has no qualms about abandoning an ally or a girl in a car.
Chap,
How old are you? Does Viet Nam ring a bell? The press and the congress lost that war not the US Military. Remember, we in the military heel to our civilian masters. We are not a rogue force doing what we think is best.
They, Vietnamese, used our press and noodle spine politicians to fight our war effort. Do the research and you will find that we actually did well there as did the South Vietnamese before we cut off their supplies. Hard to win when you run out of bullets and arty rounds. I think Hitler had that problem at Stalingrad.
So yes, Sonofdy is correct. Speaking of which, Son keep the head up and make us all proud when you deploy.
Corkie,
Beat me to it.
I have not reached figmo status yet. arrrrgggghhhh!!!!
I’m starting to wonder that the real reason why Obama is NOT going to let the troops come home en masse is because he fears what they could do in mobilizing resistance to his administration, particularly if (or is it when) the dems try shove their agenda down our throats -even if these efforts are massively unpopular at home…. But if our forces are fighting overseas under dilatory NATO leadership, with a still-tribal Afghan society that continually will not unify agianst the Taliban so as to wipe them out, and a Pakistan unwilling to truly wipe out Taliban strongholds, this is just fine to Obama. I no longer believe he is willing to actually defeat the Taliban, but rather use this effort as both a distraction form his other problems, and a way let his Civillian National Security Force-however created- have much more weight than it would otherwise have domestically, should a crisis or crises erupt(s)at home.
…Also notice the dead silence of the anti-war left since Obama took office…
These are odd thoughts, I know.
Son,
Hang in there. I am working in Germany and one of my buddies just got called up and is on his way. I don’t know if quicker is better than slower? I had to wait an additional four months for my deployment because I had to fit into the PRT cycle. In the end command is command. Do well friend.
expat, I know.
Head
Wall
Bang
Repeat.
I know how it is. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
“President Obama hasn’t yet read Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s report on Afghanistan delivered to NATO allies and the Pentagon earlier today.”
What is this suppose to mean? Is he saying that the CinC does not know what is in it? Surely he has been briefed on what it contains – why is Gibbs trying to make it seem that Obama does not know what the report contains?
Son,
Been there done that. Would be doing that again if I did not enlist in 1978 and have 31 years under the belt. Retired in January. Hard decision but the right one. You youngsters have to carry on. Not quite 50 but 7 months short and humping Afghan mountains is not fun, pretty, but not fun. Pretty in the valleys with rivers. A gemstone in the rough. If you get there get a job outside the wire. More dangerous but as we both know more rewarding. I was a PRT Commander in Ghazni and Wardak 2005-2006. That was my swan song and it turned out great. I could have move up but at a late age had a child I never would have expected.
I guess after 31 years it is time to focus on family and country in a different manner. GOD Bless and be safe.
You had far more intelligence than the Administration did, you ought to be commended. On the morning of 9.12.2001 the question remained open as to who was responsible. Certainly there was speculation that included Iraq, but of course, it was determined later that Saddam Hussein had no direct involvement in the events of 9.11.2001.
[Note: There was a report, and concern, that suggested Airforce One was a target, as it flew around the country. But, you knew more. Very well, call me an arm chair General, and you can be called a crystal ball seeing the future General.]
It took me, and the administration, a tad longer to find out who was actually responsible.
I am old school, and you hit back when hit, and you only hit those who hit you. You don’t climb into the stands and hit the 5’8″ geek holding a beer, you hit the 6’3″ dude with the empty cup . . . I am certain you get my reference, you Ron Artess punk lover.
For the record, when I heard that we would go after the perpertraitors, I thought that was the correct thing to do. When I understood that it was Saudi Arabians, and their Wahabi fundamentalism that was the genesis of the thought process that allowed this heinous act, I thought, dripping with sarcasm, ‘Yeah, right.’
I like your ‘recoil’ comment. Though I subscribe to the following, the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.
Oh, and by the way, have we brought the perpertraitors of 9.11.2001 to justice? If we haven’t, maybe it is because our efforts were under resourced in Afghanistan.
It says what is obvious to anyone who has a clue, which you do, that this CinC is more interested in the perks of the office than of the requirements of the office.
Last time I heard the command structure is in Pakistan. Feel like invading a nuclear armed ahem “ally” ahem sorta…
expat, change in orders might mean a lower, duster place.
Why is that situation analogous? Isn’t the point that Bush didn’t kowtow to the protesters like we did in Nam? As flyover said:
If it is so entirely obvious that protesters emboldened the enemy, it should be easy to point to actual facts. Otherwise I can say that the protesters actually saved American lives because would-be terrorists figured the US was already beaten and decided to stay home and watch Al-Jazeera. I have provided exactly as much evidence of that statement as your or sonofdy or expat have provided for your contention. I mean, if the enemy was more emboldened, wouldn’t you expect a dramatic increase in fatalities? But you didn’t see that in Iraq. In 2004 there were 849. In 2005 846. In 2006 there were 822 and in 2007, when they apparently were so emboldened by the new Congress and Rangel, there were 904. Of course 2007 was also when the surge was implemented, which added, what? 20,000 more troops and sent them to clear out and secure the most dangerous neighborhoods. Given that, I would say 2007 was right on par with the rest of the years.
Again, if it is entirely obvious, show me the statistics.
I have no idea where you got the idea I was saying anything like that.
I refer you to the Chap string. By the way we were attacked by Japan but beat the Germans and Italians first.
Your thoughts? Make it quick, it’s late here.
Chap, my opinion of your common sense just got shattered. I will never forgive the anti-american a-holes who marched to assist the defeat of the american army in the field.
Son,
I get it fully. We but serve, or in my case for the next five years, have served and pass the baton. My prayers are with you and all of those that you will serve with. We are truly a brother/sisterhood. And yes I will proudly include our female brethren. More importantly I include our spouses and families.
When I was deployed I was too busy to be concerned, but my wife and family did not watch the news for a year. That is why I include them and Godbless your family as well
Chap, there was no real difference between the insurgents goals while they killed americans and the protesters goals while they called american soldiers baby killers and stabed them in the back here at home.
Both wanted America defeated.
Don’t be so freaking mellow dramatic, just because I don’t think that the protesters had a tangible affect, one way or the other, on the course of the war and that I am asking you to back up your contention that it did. Either way, you are free to still think the protesters were a bunch of anti-American jerks.
And I could just as easily say that any opinion of your common sense that I may have had was shattered when you tried to defend the notion that the Afghanistan war has only heated up in the last 6 months…oh wait, since Congress took control in 2007…oh wait it was actually 2 years prior to that.
But I won’t because I like you and can disagree with you civilly. Or at least I hope so.
Bull. That is such hyperbolic crap, I don’t even know where to begin.
Son,
Not sure if Chap gets that. Maybe?
He is an enigma, sometimes coherent and other times who knows what sets him off?
No its the truth. The protesters might as well have been planting the ied’s.
I know he doesn’t, and he never will. That sort never admit to the damage they have caused.
I guess asking someone to back up their contentions with evidence rather than just spouting off crap and pretending to be able to peer into the soul of insurgents and terrorists and know their motivations. And then using that unsubstantiated crap as evidence to condemn an entire block of Americans as traitors.
Yeah. That does set me off every time.
This is one issue I can never forgive you or your fellow insurgent supporters for. EVER. To many dead bodies.
I have taken no issue with our military personnel in their conduct and execution. And, yes mistakes are made. The first casualty of war is often the plan for it.
It is the adjustments that were not done when confronted with the realities on the ground. It wasn’t the military that failed to adapt and overcome, it was the policy makers who took a couple of years to realize a ‘surge’ was necesssary, and evetually agreed to do so. That is what I meant by poorly managed.
Recall that part of the initial plan was to go into Iraq from Turkey. The Government of Turkey nixed that idea and we failed to adequately address that change. It kept vitally needed assets away from the fight.
I am disinlclined to cast broad brushed accusations, not because hindsight is 20/20, but because military history says invasions require a ‘ten to one’ (let’s just say a superior numerical force) advantage for invasion. We did not have it, and yes that is also part of the poor management of our efforts in Iraq. Yep, the invasion and defeat of Iraq was successful, but the occupation was abissmal.
Lest we forget that defeating the enemy is different from maintaining the peace and is part of the poor management of our efforts in Iraq.
This is so shockingly stupid. Really. The fact that you even entertain the notion that this is a valid comparison makes you very sick, in my book.
This conversation is done.
Chap, its not hard. The insurgents goals are all quite public, and they match the protesters goals almost word for word. Hell the protesters QUOTED the insurgents all the time.
CHAP, don’t worry, I will continue to show you the results of the protesters actions everytime the topic comes up.
Hell code pink sent medical supplies to the insurgents!!!
That is treason!!!
Son,
Keep up the fight! Z and C are fighting reality. I still don’t have an answer and its 2357 and counting.
Chap and Z,
How about posting a reply that I can answer tomorrow while working with our warriors?
By the way, why is America so bad? Why do you want to enslave future generations like the Soviets and other failed “progressive movements” did.
Most of us think our freedoms should be preserved.
Be cogent please. Night
I see where they delivered medical supplies and humanitarian to citizens of Fallujah who were living in refugee camps, whose city was pretty ripped apart by fighting. Is that the standard? Or do you have any actual proof that the supplies were meant for and delivered to actual insurgents?
Because by your standard, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross and hundreds of other organizations are doing the same thing. Not to mention our own government.
Gibbs also used McCain’s position that Cheney was a torturer to attack Cheney on fighting terrorism.
Are there any nose-holders left who still don’t understand what a disaster it was for the GOP to nominate this turd?
I do not follow strings that do not reference me. However since you have called me out, I will address you.
The Germans, Japanese and Italians were the ‘axis’ powers and alligned, not to mention that we were already doing lend lease, and therefore have already taken sides.
Your ‘ahem ally’ suggests a level of sarcasm, and the possibility that you agree with me that aligning ourselves with Pakistan was a failed policy.
Your ‘ahem ally’ suggests a level of sarcasm, and the possibility that you agree with me that aligning ourselves with Pakistan was a failed policy.
We got into bed only veiwing the short term, and not a historical long veiw that took into account the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
I am experiencing some sort of technical glitch and will attempt to finish my reply to post #65 at a later time.
“No its the truth. The protesters might as well have been planting the ied’s”
Insert photo of Jane Fondle behind enemey ack-ack gun here…
What makes you think I am fighting reality? Please be cogent.
Post a reply? What is your question? Please be cogent.
Who said America is so bad? Please cut and paste where you saw me write that? And, yes be cogent.
Who said I wanted to enslave anyone? Please cut and paste where you saw this. Of course, be cogent.
I agree, I like our freedoms. And, guess what? Saddam Huessein, nor Al Qaeda, could not have taken them away from me. What were they going to do sail their navies here, fly their air forces here, and or march their armies here, to take away my guns? Tear down my house of worship? Shut down our newspapers? Prevent us from political assembly and dissent?
Go ahead, I dare you to tell me how, Iraq or Al Qaeda planned to take away my freedoms.
And, doggone it, be cogent.
But you are assuming adjustments were EASY and assuming that because they did not occur, it was the fault of some top level decision maker.
In reality, our military claimed to be able to handle ANY conflict, including the police action type we encountered throughout the 1990s, but was not prepared at all.
They didn’t even know how to protect a convoy, and other basic tasks. The MILITARY had to learn how to do it on the job.
The military had no counterinsurgency strategy, they had to develop them after failing. Petraeus spent 2 years developing a strategy, from 2004 to 2006. Is that Bush’s fault?
The military had lightly armoured vehicles, and even their armoured vehicles were susceptible to RPGs and IEDs. They had to design an entirely new line of armoured vehicles (MRAPS) to deal with the situation, and create reactive armour and screens to protect Bradleys and Strykers.
We tried to build an Iraq army using special ops soldiers, like what was successful in Bosnia, and that failed miserably. We switched to regular army training a year or so later, which worked but set us back significantly.
So basically we went in in 2003. By 2004 our military was already addressing the key issues, all very difficult to fix or understandably delayed. It took 1-2 years to correct each problem. Once they were corrected, the tide turned in our favor. That’s what happens in war.
I wish many of you who take issue with me would address whether we were under resourced, or not. I have terrific faith in the ability of our military to execute sound military actions.
Why is it that we are still in Afghanistan seven years after the fact, unless we were under resourced, and put our efforts there on the back burner?
That is the only question.
Z,
You said “Go ahead, I dare you to tell me how, Iraq or Al Qaeda planned to take away my freedoms.
And, doggone it, be cogent.”
I don’t know, but how did that work out with National Socialism in 1933, and how did Il Duce do it in Italy in 1927? How did the PRC, the DRC (Cuba) and DPRK come under the magical spell that has made their lives so wonderful?
It happens from within a few dissatisfied rabble rousers who scream that their rights are being violated, they are being marginalized, etc. If you are a fan of Allah and Mo’s folks, fine. It’s your right. But they get no special privileges just because they are muslims. Or do you plan to allow Mormons to go back to the old ways? After all, aren’t they being treated unfairly by not being allowed to have multiple wives when muslims can and do, while the police look away fearing that will be tagged as racist bastards.
Liberals are such a joke. Wholly unprincipaled, eveything is situational including their ethics and morals. Liberals are just conservatives who have not been mugged.
I have no need to be clear, concise nor cogent with a liberal. They only hear what they want to hear and see what they want to see. I am working with some Canadian Forces folks right now, and hear stories of how it takes 10-12 month for an MRI and how their parents come to the US for healthcare.
I told them not to worry, Odopey will confiscate all the CT/MRI machines and redistribute them as soon as his healthcare passes. He might send them all to Cuba, but Canadians can go there…..
I chose:
C. Eliminating the cause of terrorist attacks on America: Spineless Liberalism.
No lgm, you don’t get a say in this matter. You spent half of your childhood wetting your panties over warmonger Bush, now you’re supporting warmonger Obama. You might have it both ways, but I won’t let you.
Nailed it.
Of course it does.
The link did not come through. Here it is.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/iraq/2008/03/12/are-iraqi-insurgents-emboldened-by-antiwar-reporting.html
My statement is from post #92, which was precipitated from expat’s post #84, for whom it was originaly intended. Having injected yourself, I will address you in the hopes that it will help expat better address the statement than you have.
Good greif, you addressed the issue of how could Iraq, or Al Qaeda, take away our freedoms by the example you yourself provided. Those other societies suffered challenges, in your words, because it ‘happens from within.’ As it stands, Al Qaeda and Iraq are primarily an external threat. Those other societies suffered the dislocations they did because their own citizens, home grown citizens, went off the deep end.
There is no way for either entity to project enough strength to take our freedoms. Even the local Police can not take away my guns. How are Iraq and Al Qaeda, from half way around the globe, going to do it?
I will grant that there are Iraqi and Al Qaeda sympatizers in the US, but not enough in the numbers to take away our freedoms.
Making some sort of moral equivalence between Mormons and Al Qaeda, is simply offensive.
One attack at a mall will strip us of freedoms. Can you imagine having to be searched before shopping at Macy’s? Walking through a metal detector just to go shopping? Not to mention the price increases to pay for security at our stores. This is an invitation for the government to swoop in and impose strict guidelines to “ensure safety”. This is just the beginning of freedoms going bye bye. Exactly the type of things terrorists want. You see how much liberals and conservatives disagree on things. Terrorist attacks will make those differences seem like they have been put on steroids.
It is funny though, liberals don’t seem to mind when freedoms are taken away by a liberal government. Don’t even start on conservatives feel that way, when a Repub messes up, we vote them out. Liberals keep all of their criminals in power.