The President knows about YouTube, right?

[monmouth]

Statements like "You can take that to the bank" as far as our leaving Afghanistan and other promises re anti-war made during the campaign. His numbers are going to drop to the low 40s by the time this week is over, and according to other forums I'm reading, this is among Dems who did not sign up for this. I also notice he makes these statements while out of the country...I'm very disillusioned and feeling very naive.

[Jennicut]

1. Even Rasmussen of all polls has him at 49% today.

The American public just is not caught up in Afghanistan. Their is a general apathy against and for it.
And he never promised to leave Afghanistan during the campaign. It was just recent, the date in 2011. Honestly, there is inner debate in the administration about it and will be for some time. Some say the date is etched in stone as to when we will start drawing down troops (like Biden), others remain iffy on that date, like Gates. The most important moment will come in December, when there is a total review over the COIN operations. I doubt it looks pretty. McChrystal's plans pretty much failed, there is no govt. in a box in Afghanistan.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. Obama always said that he wanted to shift the focus back to Afghanistan.

Whether people like it or not, Obama has been consistent on his agenda regarding Afghanistan.

Dems who are disappointed by this "revelation" were not paying attention to him during the presidential race.

[tekisui]

5. I wonder if everyone realized that when he said shift focus, he meant

escalate and get bogged down for another 5-10 years.

[vaberella]

10. Hyperbole. He never said that. n/t

[tekisui]

12. His actions have said that.

He has escalated and expanded, that cannot be disputed.

We are in the second year of it being his war. There is no end in sight. We will be there at least through his first term. We are looking at 5-10 years from the day he took office and still being in Afghanistan.

[vaberella]

21. And I'm not disputing it.

However he, and Petraeus have said, as of last week and since he came sent in the 30,000 troops we will see withdrawal of military men July 2011. That timeline has not been amended. When I hear withdrawal I understand it to mean that little by little we're going to leave. I think Obama is fully aware that we are not able to sustain this. And we won't be able to for several years to come. Which is why in one of his messages he said that we have the people who want to leave and end this war now. Then he also knows that Afghanistan still houses many terrorists..if we leave, then most likely we'll be back in there because we have other countries surrounding with nuclear weapons who will use it against it. And hence he mentioned the people who want war, war, and more war.

I figured you and many others could see that Bush has pushed us into a war that we're almost stuck in. To leave this is to leave hundreds of potential blow-back. I hate the war but I freakin know that if those people were able to do what they did in NYC on 9/11 then they'll be able to rally together and do some other untold damage. They are a real and possible threat. Not to mention the societal mess we've done to those people. We leave and without giving them something or doing something and we are some of the most inhumane people on earth. We made their lives worst and we'll leave it shit either way we look at it, but if we tried to give something in the sense of stability then maybe it wouldn't have been for naught.

[tekisui]

22. I agree on many points.

Obama knows this is unsustainable and getting worse. I don't doubt that he wants to get out as soon as possible.

However, I don't believe that there are terrorists in Afghanistan that are wanting or trying to attack us here in the US. The CIA admitted there are 50-100 AQ in Afghanistan. AQ is not what it used to be. It is not a singular, hierarchical organization, at least what is left of that isn't a threat.

The terrorist threat we face today is not in Afghanistan. It is in radicalized pockets around the world. In dozens of countries, including the US. Both Hasan and Shahzad are American citizens. And both were encouraged to radicalize by another American citizen, Awlaki. The radicalizing that lead to terrorism is happening across the globe. Our focusing and prolonging the Afghanistan debacle serves as an everyday, non-stop recruitment tool for the extremists.

We are pushing more to be our enemy, then go on to fight that enemy. We are stuck in a War on Terror mindset that leads to unending violence. Violence breeds violence.

War as an anti-terror tool doesn't work. The war in Afghanistan makes us less safe rather than safer. The resources being flushed away there could be put real meaningful use in the US.

[closeupready]

23. Considering the mineral resources 'recently' discovered, I predict we won't be leaving.

Period.

[Golden Raisin]

24. And dump more billions

down another black hole. Billions that could be used at home for education, infrastructure, jobs, etc.

[msongs]

3. probably, but he doesnt seem to know the history of people who invade afghanistan lol nt

[Clio the Leo]

4. lol, regale us in stories of him saying we would immediately leave Afghanistan....

... before he was elected. I'd love to hear them.

I'll even start you off...

I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars.

So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president today. You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings. 10/2/02

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Barack_Obama's_Iraq_Speech

That's the REAL speech that made him famous on the national stage .... the one that gave him the platform to speak at the national convention.

It's one thing for you to disagree with the war because of the concept as there are fair arguments to make for that side .... but to say that he said he said he would scale back or end the war in Afghanistan simply misstates the facts.


Now, here's a Youtube for you....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUV69LZbCNQ

[monmouth]

6. I'm sorry, please explain what July, 2011 really means? That's the

date (conditions permitting...LOL) that drawdown was to begin. Is that not still the plan? And am I "obsessed" in "taking that to the bank???"

[vaberella]

11. That is still the plan. He hasn't changed from it once. Tell me where he has. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

13. Are you sure you aren't the victim of MSM spin?

I'm afraid I'm not sure what the confusion is....


12/1/09

Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan's Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government - and, more importantly, to the Afghan people - that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/01/obama-afghanistan-speech-text-excerpts_n_376088.html

6/27/10

Now, there has been a lot of obsession around this whole issue of when do we leave. My focus right now is how do we make sure that what we’re doing there is successful, given the incredible sacrifices that our young men and women are putting in. And we have set up a mechanism whereby we are going to do a review - and I’ve signaled very clearly that we’re not going to just keep on doing things if they’re not working - and that by next year we will begin a process of transition.

That doesn’t mean we suddenly turn off the lights and let the door close behind us. And if you look at what’s happening in Iraq right now, we have met every deadline. By the way, there was a timetable in place, and we are - we have - by the end of August, will have removed all of our combat from Iraq. We will maintain a military presence there. We will maintain military-to-military cooperation. And we are providing them assistance, but we’re meeting this deadline.

[tekisui]

7. You are right, I don't think he has ever siad he will end it.

I don't think he has that intention.

[Clio the Leo]

14. not what I said love.....

.... I quoted him saying "finish the fight with Bin Laden and al qaeda...."


The real question is what "finish" means.

[tekisui]

15. There is no finishing.

There is no way to kill the last AQ. Or to kill the last Taliban. There is only how long are our leaders willing to keep fighting. And, how long is the public willing to let them keep fighting.

Just like in Iraq, the day will come when everyone has had enough and a deadline will be set. It doesn't mean we'll be any safer, or that anything was finished, only that we have had enough.

[lame54]

9. many of us voted for him despite that statement...

funny - it's one of the few campaign promises he's actually kept

[great white snark]

16. You live up to your screen name

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

[lame54]

18. I stand corrected - and thanks for the name calling - although...

the health care bill is a compromise - not a promise kept

[great white snark]

19. My Apologies

No coffee-have to get a blood test and I am cranky. Forgive me lame54.

:hi:

[lame54]

20. it's all good

[lame54]

8. Now-a -days the bank is the last place you want to take anything to

[Arkana]

17. Pretty sure that he said we'd be leaving Iraq first.

[Xenotime]

25. Gallup has his job approval numbers going up.