HELEN THOMAS: "It's Obama's war now, and a Vietnam-like quagmire is dead ahead"

[kpete]

Helen Thomas: Can America prevail on Afghanistan/Pakistan front? No!

NO It's Obama's war now, and a Vietnam-like quagmire is dead ahead.

By HELEN THOMAS

WASHINGTON -- I had a flashback recently when I read a Washington Post news story about how the U.S. commander in Afghanistan thinks he may need many thousands more troops to win the war.

Shades of Vietnam. Do we ever learn?

It brought back memories of the late Gen. William C. Westmoreland, the U.S. commander in Southeast Asia, who kept escalating the troop numbers after the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam. His strategy produced a debacle for us.

Fast forward to Afghanistan, 2009.

....................

Afghanistan, which once harbored Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaida training camps, has been on Obama's agenda since his presidential campaign. Now it's his war -- big time -- even as it takes on the appearance of another quagmire for U.S. forces in their effort to quell the Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters.

more at:
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/51252422.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:U0ckkD:aEyKUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

[redqueen]

1. The quagmire is only dead ahead if Obama agrees with that commander.

So far he's done what he said he would do wrt Afghanistan. We'll see where he goes from here.

[David Zephyr]

17. I agree.

The Commander and Chief is not a warmonger like LBJ, Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. Not even by any stretch of reality.

I think the quagmire might be a groupthink that pigeonholes Obama into that same mindset.

I trust this President on this issue. If that pisses people off, then so be it.

[Senator]

21. That commander is the "new Obama guy." Of course he "agrees."

And this is exactly "what he said he would do."

---

[redqueen]

22. He said he would send more troops initially...

not that he'd appoint someone who'd say we need more troops and then he'd automatically go along with that decision.

I don't agree with you that just because Obama appointed this guy, he necessarily agrees with everything the man says.

[Senator]

25. Do you think he'll repeat the bush "mistake"...

...and not "listen to the generals?"

Helen may be wrong on the analogy here. This may more Korea than Vietmam -- with the bushie Gates having arranged for McChrystal to become Obama's MacArthur.

And it will be his own fault for failing to deal with torturers -- http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/stanley-mcchrystal-a-history-of-torture.html">like McChrystal.

--

[kenny blankenship]

2. OK "Vietnam" ahead. But at least the "Great Society" program is advancing.

oh wait...

[Vidar]

3. Helen always tells it like it is.

[peace13]

4. A+ for Helen! n/t

[AzDar]

5. And she's right.

:(

[crickets]

6. Keep putting the truth out there, Helen. K&R -nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Complete with "falling dominoes" and incursions into a neighoboring country.

Not to mention the "regrettable" civilian casualties and the calls for more troops from the generals.

[texastoast]

8. Sing IT, sister

While I'll give him a couple of years to clean up the Bush shit pile he inherited, he better get pushing that broom and harder and faster if he plans on keeping the faith (of those of us who don't have to have our ponies right this second).

[timeforpeace]

9. If Helen led the protest marches, a lot of folks would turn out.

I wonder if there will be protest marches?

[CountAllVotes]

10. Helen Thomas = the last great journalist in America

Helen, you are dead right-on and lots of people know it.

This war crap must stop and must stop now.

Health care for all is pointless if we are murdering people and having our troops butchered only to return home (perhaps) with no satisfactory health care, VA or no VA.

This is a major problem Pres. Obama. I suggest you wake the fuck up!

THANK YOU HELEN THOMAS! :patriot:

:kick: & recommend

[bvar22]

11. K&R

Helen is right.

No Military Objective + No Exit Strategy = Quagmire

[Mari333]

12. knr

[TankLV]

13. Helen is CORRECT - as usual...

batting a THOUSAND again...

YOU ROCK HELEN!!!

[Orsino]

15. Except for the quagmire being AHEAD.

We've been there nearly eight fucking years.

[BlueIris]

14. Shut it down, Mr. President. Just shut it down.

There's nothing stopping you, not really.

[varelse]

16. recommended - because it's fucking true

no matter how devoutly we might wish otherwise. :(

[Wilms]

18. .

:(

[EmeraldCityGrl]

19. Wise words from a wise woman.n/t

[ControlledDemolition]

20. 'They' learned from Vietnam alright!

The way to be an anti-war candidate these days is to 'stop' or slow down one war! Preferably the one that is continued with renewed vigor is the 'just war'. But let's not forget that the Taliban offered to turn over Bin Laden if the USA provided proof that the attacks were his doing. No such evidence was forthcoming.

Perhaps Obama has to keep one war going so that he doesn't end up riding through Dealey Plaza in an open limo!

[indepat]

23. If only all Americans would read and learn from the lessons in Barbara Tuchman's chapter on Vietnam

in her "March of Folly." :D

[Hubert Flottz]

24. We can't just walk away from Afghanistan and leave that p

ipeline.