40 days of Afghanistan indecision
In July of 2008, Obama crowed that he would withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq and send them to Afghanistan, which he called the real front on the "War on Terror." He also repeated threats to attack Pakistan "if necessary."
At that time, most thinking Americans understood Obama's attempt to sound macho was because of rival John McCain's proclamation that, "I know how to win wars" -- and polls showed Americans trusted McCain three to one over Obama as a war leader.
We now know, of course, that the polls were right, especially since Obama recently decreed that there was no longer a "War on Terrorism" or even an entity known as a "terrorist."
For his own political purposes, Obama disingenuously hitched his star to the notion that the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan was a "good war," a view he knew was held by most Americans. Ever faithful, Obama's radical-Left power base and state-run media lackeys parroted his charade while at the same time craftily hiding their true revulsion of anything military.
But oh, how things have changed since then.
40 days of indecision
For 40 days now, an urgent mission strategy assessment from General Stanley McChrystal, commander in Afghanistan, has been collecting dust on Obama's desk. We can now add McChrystal's urgent force enhancement request to the dust pile.
Last night, Obama met key Republican and Democrat leaders to "discuss" the request. Discuss the request? After 40 days of dithering while American troops are dying?
Exactly who is Commander in Chief of American armed forces, and is he or is he not committed to the Afghanistan mission?
Apparently we're not the only ones wondering. At the meeting, Obama's former rival, Senator John McCain, accused the President of stalling while U.S. troops remain under fire. McCain told Obama that he should not move at a "leisurely pace" while U.S. commanders wait for a decision on troop levels.
McCain's comment drew a sharp response from Obama, who replied that nobody felt more urgency than he did about the war and there would be nothing leisurely about his decision.
Except for the pesky little fact that Obama has indeed been stalling -- for 40 days and counting.
Questioning commitment
As of July 2009, America had an estimated 59,000 military personnel in Afghanistan. The NATO count includes the UK with 9,000 soldiers, Canada 2,500, France 2,900, Italy 2,800, Germany 4,000, the Netherlands 1,650, and Denmark 700.
Large force, you say? Hardly, when you consider Afghanistan is the size of Texas, far more inhospitable, and that only 20 to 30 percent of the entire force is in the field at any one time.
American military personnel are, by nature and training, upbeat, driven by a strong sense of duty, and exude a can-do spirit. However, recent reports indicate that due to indecision in Washington, morale is beginning to slump. One soldier, asked by a reporter if the mission was worthwhile, replied: "If I knew exactly what the mission was, probably so, but I don't."
Resources, not rhetoric
Recently in Kabul, members of McChrystal's staff have leaked to the press that they don't understand why Obama called Afghanistan a "war of necessity" but still hasn't given them the resources they need to turn things around. Pentagon officials who know General McChrystal have leaked to the press that McChrystal would resign before he'd stand behind a faltering policy that he thought would endanger his forces or the strategy.
Such off-hand public slaps by the military against Obama are a direct reflection on his Afghanistan waffling and perceived ineffectiveness as Commander in Chief.
For those of us who lived through the Vietnam debacle, Obama's indecision is ominously Déjà Vu. Nothing is more conducive to a guaranteed mission fail than America's military perceiving that the administration is half-hearted in its commitment to the troops.
Every bit as bad as the administration slighting the troops is when the military questions the administration's commitment to succeed. If you fight, fight to win.
Unconscionable political hegemony
It is important to remember that Obama and the Democrat Congress autocratically rule America with absolute power. There is scant little the Republican opposition can do to stop the statists from pillaging America.
The radical Left now totally controls the Democrat Party, and despite once mouthing the "good war" lie to man-up their presidential candidate, they really despise the United States military and our presence in Afghanistan.
As Michael Moore stated this week in an interview on Hannity, "There are only 200 terrorists worldwide, climbing on monkey bars, and yet we are waging war on a country."
Et cognoscetis veritatem.
That is the Left's real sentiment. That is their true "commitment" to America's best and brightest fighting the terrorists. That is whom Obama must appease -- the Radical Left -- the real power of the Democrat Party.
One must then wonder if the absence of an effective Afghan strategy and the stalling of an urgent force upgrade request is nothing more than a ploy to avoid a distraction from forcing the Government-run Health Care Rationing scheme on America.
Certainly the Democrat elite ruling class would never sacrifice our best young men and women in a fierce war solely for political expediency, would they?
Just ask any Vietnam-era veteran about LBJ.
Hype and Chains.