Afghanistan is not in imminent danger of falling to the Taliban, President Obama’s national security adviser said Sunday as he downplayed worries that the insurgency could set up a renewed sanctuary for Al Qaeda.
Retired Gen. James Jones made the comments on the same day eight U.S. soldiers were killed near the Pakistan border and as many as seven Afghan forces in one of the fiercest battles of the eight-year war. Several hundred militant fighters streamed from an Afghan village and a mosque and attacked a pair of remote outposts.
It’s important to get the message out that, despite everything you’re seeing and hearing from Afghanistan, everything is all right, kids.
Jones’ view differs from that of the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal has called for an infusion of thousands more U.S. troops, saying that insurgents are gaining strength in Afghanistan and that the U.S. is in danger of failing if more forces are not sent to the fight.
Often dismissed as merely an unhinged cynic, I’m actually an optimist when it comes to my country. I like to think that we can eventually learn from and correct our mistakes.
Already in my lifetime, the United States has faced a fierce guerrilla insurgency in a country where terrain was a major pain in the ass. That war was fought based on decisions made in Washington which were largely dismissive of anything being reported from the field by the people who were actually being shot at. That spectacular failure still holds sway over the American political psyche. And not in a good way.
One would hope that the war-as-political-parlor-game crap wouldn’t happen again but here we are.
Yes, Gen. Jones served in Vietnam and one would assume that would be enough to avoid coming down with a nasty case of déjà vu. We should never underestimate the power of Washington politics to suck the common sense out of a decorated military man, however (see: Colin Powell).
In this most urgent of situations, Team Lightbringer has exerted extra effort to make sure we didn’t hastily act upon the recommendations of the general who is, you know, there and stuff. Once again, endangered troops are being treated like commodities to be discussed at next month’s board meeting. The president is being thoughtful.
In the time since Gen. McChrystal gave his assessment, President Obama implored the international community to act quickly on climate change legislation or face irreversible catastrophe. He also found Chicago’s useless Olympic bid so important that he needed a quickly arranged overseas flight to make sure the situation didn’t get out of hand. This week he’ll delay any decision on Afghanistan while the White House determines the best way to winterize Michelle’s garden.
After seeing Gen. Jones sent out to spin some comfort I don’t believe that the president is seriously considering Gen. McChrystal’s recommendations. The Message Machine is preparing everyone for a decision that has probably been in the can for a while.
And more room is being made under the bus.
As with every other bad feeling I’ve had about this president’s horrible foreign policy instincts, I hope he proves me wrong.
As with every other bad feeling I’ve had about this president’s horrible foreign policy instincts, I hope he proves me wrong.
He wont. welcome to another generation of fighting men and women that are going to be thrown under the bus
Chief (US Navy ret)
3x nam vet (riverine)
As sad as it makes me to have to expess it, and as much as I respect Jim Jones, I’m afraid he has fallen into lockstep on the White House line beside the bus. Remember, he told the senior leadership in Afghanistan months ago that they could not expect a surge — the “Whiskey Foxtrot Tango” moment.
No surprises here.