Even as the White House is attempting to silence military and political leaders for offering advice or criticism on the administration’s handling of Afghanistan, President Barack Obama refuses to show leadership on the issue.
The man who promised to win the war continues to take his sweet time in deciding how to move forward, even after his top commanders have agreed on the best strategy.
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Tuesday ruled out shrinking the Afghanistan war to a counterterrorism campaign. Yet he did not signal whether he is prepared to send any more troops to the war zone — either the 40,000 his top commander wants or a smaller buildup, according to several officials.
House and Senate leaders of both parties emerged from a nearly 90-minute conversation with Obama with praise for his candor and interest in listening. But politically speaking, all sides appeared to exit where they entered, with Republicans pushing Obama to follow his military commanders and Democrats saying he should not be rushed.
Barack Obama has absolutely no military experience. Nancy Pelosi has absolutely no military experience. Steny Hoyer has absolutely no military service. Joe Biden has absolutely no military experience. I understand our military answers to civilian leadership, but whose advice is Obama waiting for here? What position is he or any of the other civilian leaders in to think they know better than the military commanders in strategists chosen for the job?
General Stanley McChrystal is a four star general and commander of American forces in Afghanistan. General David Petraeus is a four star general and current commander of US Central Command. Robert Gates has been Secretary of Defense under two administrations now. Fred Kagan was the intellectual architect of the 2007 Iraq surge that turned the situation in that country around. All of them have expressed the importance of higher troop levels than we currently have in Afghanistan.
Perhaps it’s time for President Obama to spend a little less time flying to Copenhagen for the Olympics and a little more time listening to the military leaders telling him how to win the war in Afghanistan. Instead of taking his sweet time finding a way to avoid making a decision that will likely cost him political capital with the left. Our troops deserve nothing less than his full attention and action at this time.
by Stephan Tawney on Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 9:55 pm