Bob Woodard's Book - President Obama Rejected Request For Fight That Lasts Throuogh Our Kid's Lives

[TomCADem]

I expect Republicans when they win back the House to nail the President for not listening to the military's demand to commit to a war that lasts "for the rest of our lives and probably our kids' lives." I am sure this will anger many folks who want us out now, and consider President Obama's committment to 2011 drawdown to be insufficient.

Still, perhaps in 2012, Republicans will be able to make their case for peace through more war.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/21/AR2010092106706_3.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2010092106707

Obama kept asking for "an exit plan" to go along with any further troop commitment, and is shown growing increasingly frustrated with the military hierarchy for not providing one. At one strategy session, the president waved a memo from the Office of Management and Budget, which put a price tag of $889 billion over 10 years on the military's open-ended approach.

In the end, Obama essentially designed his own strategy for the 30,000 troops, which some aides considered a compromise between the military command's request for 40,000 and Biden's relentless efforts to limit the escalation to 20,000 as part of a "hybrid option" that he had developed with Gen. James E. Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In a dramatic scene at the White House on Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, Obama summoned the national security team to outline his decision and distribute his six-page terms sheet. He went around the room, one by one, asking each participant whether he or she had any objections - to "say so now," Woodward reports.

* * *

Woodward quotes Petraeus as saying, "You have to recognize also that I don't think you win this war. I think you keep fighting. It's a little bit like Iraq, actually. . . . Yes, there has been enormous progress in Iraq. But there are still horrific attacks in Iraq, and you have to stay vigilant. You have to stay after it. This is the kind of fight we're in for the rest of our lives and probably our kids' lives."

[RandomThoughts]

1. Wars should only be used to stop worse wars.

They are used to try and create peace systems in many cases, thats funny.

The class warfare waged against middle class is because some want power and control. The reasons for the afgan and Iraq wars is to create a global corporate state. The countries on the neo con list are ones that don't go along with global banking and corporate ideas.

You don't hear media hyping wars against Saudi Arabia, a monarch with much of Sharia law, because it is not about any of the things they think they are about.

It is about a single authoritative governance all under corporate ownership.







On a personal note.

I think many people have wars they fight. Mine wont be over till proper compensation for smears from years ago are paid to me. Although I wont do anything, the removal of everything else in existence, or compensation is really the only way to end that war as far as I am concerned.

Probably wont even post here that much in a short while. Enough things have been proven. Just have to hit the equals key.

[ClarkUSA]

2. As expected, Obama stood up to the warmongers. I am so glad he won the presidency.

K&R

[vaberella]

3. DU said otherwise.

God, this is what I've been talking about ClarkUSA. Obama doesn't even have our back up---because so many of us call him a homophobe, sexist, a corporatist and a warmonger---we don't elect officials---or enough of them to back him up. And then we say he's all of the above. He's got no one, while he's out there fighting. It's like people want a reality show on what's going on to trust the guy, when I can see he's pretty much doing what he can--without a lot of our support or even other Dems.

[vaberella]

4. Petraeus is nuts. And Repubs hate America and Americans. n/t