This Does Not Bode Well…
From the LA Times: (yeah, I know, but it’s worth reading)
Key players in the U.S. debate on Afghanistan policy
“…In five White House sessions, military leaders intent on getting more firepower have been seated beside civilian officials fearful of political fallout from an escalation of the war. Key players have hedged on questions of strategy and troop levels….”
One of the players is former Gen. Jim Jones:
Gen. Jones Scoffs at Afghanistan “Surge” - Just Like Failed Iraq “Surge!”
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From NRO:
Bond: ‘Suck It Up,’ Mr. President, and Support McChrystal
[Robert Costa]
Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond of Missouri, the ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, tells NRO that if President Obama continues to stall on Afghanistan, then “even the right strategy will fail.” President Obama, says Bond, should “suck it up and support General McChrystal” and “provide him with the resources that we need in Afghanistan. It’s clear that the White House needs a sense of urgency. Time is not on our side.”
<…>
“What we’re hearing from the White House,” says Bond, “is this: ‘Oh, well, Afghanistan won’t fall in the next twelve months. There’s no rush.’ This position is worrisome. Every day we delay, the Democrats express their frustration. On the other side, every month we delay, our troops grow dispirited, as do the people in Afghanistan whose hearts and minds we’re trying to win.”
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U.S. officials look at scenarios for Afghanistan ‘middle path’
Reporting from Washington -
As the Obama administration debates whether to shift its aims in Afghanistan, officials at the Pentagon and National Security Council have begun developing “middle path” strategies that would require fewer troops than their ground commander is seeking.
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CSPAN.org has the video up of the House Armed Services Cmte. Hearing on Afghanistan Strategy
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