Does he stay or does he go?

[Tommy]

he's lucky he isnt getting court martialed

[2ndthyme]

I suspect you're right. When you're the Commanding General, you can't say the POTUS and his staff are complete morons, even when they are complete morons. He'll resign, and right a book. Afghanistan will further deteriorate, and go to hell in a handbasket, and obama will go down in history as the President who lost that war....

define win that war?

[FredK]

....... Afghanistan will further deteriorate, and go to hell in a handbasket, and obama will go down in history as the President who lost that war....

Could be that Gen. David Petraeus does what BO wants and gets the war wound down next year and begins the long pull out while the Afgans start pulling more of their weight in the fight. and then LD will have to wait until 2016 to vote someone other into office. Maybe even Gen. David Petraeus after this tour is over.

Seems the Afgans are happy at the choice. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100623/...as_afghanistan

Afghans relieved at choice of Gen. Petraeus

Afghan officials expressed relief Wednesday at the choice of Gen. David Petraeus to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. and NATO commander, believing the U.S. strategy aimed at minimizing civilian casualties and bolstering the Afghan government would continue.

Afghans had warned that the dismissal of McChrystal would disrupt progress in the war and jeopardize a pivotal security operation under way in Taliban strongholds in the south.

After President Barack Obama announced the selection of Petraeus, Afghan authorities said they were relieved because the veteran war commander helped craft the counterinsurgency strategy being implemented in Afghanistan.

[TxMusky]

I guess some people forgot all that during all those years where everything was Bush's fault.....

You noticed that too?? Funny how the shoe being on the other foot looks different now huh?

[TxMusky]

Seems to me the looney left group Moveon, made a commercial a few years back and called him "Gen. Betrayus" that made a pretty big splash, now I guess Bush's people were not that bad after all? Seems I also remember Obama saying he would listen to his generals in the field who were right there in the action, well seems like the Ambassador was the real problem, yet he hasnt been fired. Just like a rookie to have a general who he picked, make good headway into a job he was given, the Leader of Afghanistan is pleased enough to take up for his American General friend(which means again Stanley was doing something good) his troops liked him and respected him, and just about every military man when asked what they thought of him, said he was a great general. After all of that, Obama knew there was a problem with the Ambassador and the General, yet never made his little speech to him, (Eichenberry) who himself was a retired general, who the troops he commanded.... did not like or respect and he was almost forced to take an easy job. He is the problem, because he wants the spotlight and is jealous of McChrystal. As some of the Congress said today, the civilian side needs an overhaul instead of the military side.

But then again if Obama had any experience in being any kind of a leader himself, he would have already known that. Now he has a surge going on that he approved, and a change of command, not to mention the opinions of him going down the toilet, by other NATO countries who also have a stake in the game. The fools that thought he could do anything even close to acting like a President should be wide awake now....he wasnt even a good senator, how in the hell was he going to be anything but an orator disguised as a politician?

[FredK]

You guys that haven't been in the military just don't get it. You don't get to say bad things about the boss. Should have been court-marshalled and dropped a star and pay grade.

[TriGuy]

very interesting analysis of the Afgan Situation. McChrystal and Patraeus

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/06/2...ex.html?hpt=T2

[Kevin]

From that article:

And that clearly was a crucial part of why the surge succeeded, because the whole premise of the surge is that the military part is not by itself going to be enough. You need a great deal of activity on the political, economic, social and diplomatic fronts.

Well, that goes against the thought that many have that the politicians should get out of the way of the military and just let the military fight the war without any involvement from others.

Maybe Petraeus understood that war is joint effort and that the model of victory based on WWII notions is not tenable in these sorts of conflicts.

And what does victory look like?

Afghanistan is the the third-poorest country in world, it has had 30 years of almost unrelenting civil war. It is a deeply tribal society which lacks any developed government authority. ... You're not trying to rebuild a nation or a state but to build one for the first time in history.

I've always been more sympathetic to Vice President Joe Biden's counterinsurgency strategy, which says you should reduce the troop levels down to some significant number which would be able to engage in effective counterinsurgency and deny the Taliban any major territorial advances. But you leave open the possibility that there will be political accommodations worked out at local levels between the Taliban and the government, because in the in long run, that's the only viable strategy.

In the long run, the Pashtuns who make up the Taliban -- Pashtuns make up 50 percent of Afghanistan and 100 percent of the insurgency -- are not going anywhere. They're not foreigners, they're not aliens, so you're going to have to live with them. So some kind of political deal making needs to start happening.

Political accommodation with the Taliban is something I proposed here many months ago.

[Tommy]

You guys that haven't been in the military just don't get it. You don't get to say bad things about the boss. Should have been court-marshalled and dropped a star and pay grade.

Officers dont get demoted. they get promoted and moved up the chain of command. those in the military understand that

[Saggy]

[QUOTE=FredK;913312]Actually it's about the respect of the chain of command. It shows contempt for the commander in chief.

Well. That kinda puts him in along with the majority these days.

[Saggy]

Somehow I remember----whose side Obama was on during the "GENERAL BETRAY US" chit. It wasn't General Petraeus's side.
Somethin' changed?

Back then it would have been anybody BUT Petraeus.

"Oh what webs we do conceive---when first we try to deceive" (or somthin' like that)

[FredK]

Somehow I remember----whose side Obama was on during the "GENERAL BETRAY US" chit. It wasn't General Petraeus's side.
Somethin' changed?

Back then it would have been anybody BUT Petraeus.

"Oh what webs we do conceive---when first we try to deceive" (or somthin' like that)

Saggy, I'm sure there was discussion about that before he was offered the position. And the good General said, "Yes, Sir" when giving the opportunity to accept or reject the offer.

[LawDog]

Somehow I remember----whose side Obama was on during the "GENERAL BETRAY US" chit. It wasn't General Petraeus's side.
Somethin' changed?

Back then it would have been anybody BUT Petraeus.

"Oh what webs we do conceive---when first we try to deceive" (or somthin' like that)

Yeah, it's funny how he has had to fall back on the things he used to criticize...

[Saggy]

Saggy, I'm sure there was discussion about that before he was offered the position. And the good General said, "Yes, Sir" when giving the opportunity to accept or reject the offer.

You had a microphone in there?? Good for you. Did you hear ANY discussion re: the previous (during the last administration) "General BETRAY US" bash?
I sure would like to hear THAT!
Of course the General accepted the job. He is, and always has been, a good man. Hey-----probably even make a good President and an improvement over the existing one.

[Saggy]

Yeah, it's funny how he has had to fall back on the things he used to criticize...

I really hope that this is DULY NOTED by all.