Obama's War

[nacho]

Okay...we have the war threads in the Newsday forums... But, soon, this will become Obama's War.  Say good night to those dreams of pull out, peace, and pseudo-isolationism:

President Barack Obama and his advisers have decided to expand significantly Afghanistan's security forces in the hope that a much larger professional army and national police force could fill a void left by the central government and do more to promote stability in the country, according to senior administration and Pentagon officials.

A plan awaiting final approval by the president would set a goal of about 400,000 troops and national police officers, more than twice the forces' current size, and more than three times the size that American officials believed would be adequate for Afghanistan in 2002, when the Taliban and Al Qaeda appeared to have been routed.

The officials said Mr. Obama was expected to approve a version of the plan in coming days as part of a broader Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy. But even members of Mr. Obama's national security team appeared taken aback by the cost projections of the program, which range from $10 billion to $20 billion over the next six or seven years.

More:
http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/asia/afghan.php

He's long been saying that we need to do this, so this isn't a turnaround.  But the Obama-philes I work with seem to have forgotten that he also had a war agenda.

[RottingCorpse]

Iraq is the big war issue though he's made clear the pullout in inevitable.

Gulf War III in 2018!

[nacho]

Oh, but what is a worrisome turnaround is our growing problems with Pakistan:

http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/asia/kabul.php

Increasing an Afghan presence means that we're eventually going to spill into Pakistani space.  And lawless tribal region or not, Pakistan will not tolerate an incursion.  If that country destabilizes, then things are going to get really upsetting.

[nacho]

Iraq is the big war issue though he's made clear the pullout in inevitable.

Gulf War III in 2018!

See, it's the "pullout" talk that gets me.

Okay...pull out of Iraq...yay!  And...redeploy in Afghanistan and Pakistan...uh...

I guess we can give this a positive spin.  Out of the fire and into the frying pan!

[RottingCorpse]

Oh, but what is a worrisome turnaround is our growing problems with Pakistan:

http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/asia/kabul.php

Increasing an Afghan presence means that we're eventually going to spill into Pakistani space.  And lawless tribal region or not, Pakistan will not tolerate an incursion.  If that country destabilizes, then things are going to get really upsetting.

But Pakistan has nukes so I imagine the Pentagon will be a little more careful about how they handle things.

[nacho]

But Pakistan has nukes so I imagine the Pentagon will be a little more careful about how they handle things.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/world/asia/18terror.html?ref=world

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=ap47UgS05kFc&refer=india

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/19/pakistan-us-national-security

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/03/200931218510270742.html

[RottingCorpse]

I guess I give the military more credit than they deserve.

[Cassander]

well, at least we don't have the "war with iran is inevitable" story being paraded around everywhere anymore now that the bushies are gone. 

[nacho]

"War with Pakistan is inevitable."

[monkey!]

I guess I give the military more credit than they deserve.

They don't deserve any.

[Matt]

I guess I give the military more credit than they deserve.

They don't deserve any.

what monkey said

[nacho]

Amen.

[monkey!]

I guess I give the military more credit than they deserve.

They don't deserve any.

what monkey said

Amen.

Brother.

[Cassander]

wait, where's the old "it will be a perfect america when the military has to have bake sales" quote?

[monkey!]

wait, where's the old "it will be a perfect america when the military has to have bake sales" quote?

Done.