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rug

(82,333 posts)
Mon Jun 25, 2012, 05:21 AM Jun 2012

Biden, in leaked memo, told Obama war plan flawed

June 25, 2012
By Anne Gearan
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON—As President Barack Obama considered adding as many as 40,000 U.S. forces to a backsliding war in Afghanistan in 2009, Vice President Joe Biden warned him that the military rationale for doing so was flawed, a new book about Obama's expansion of the conflict says.

The book, "Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan," also says that in planning the drawdown of troops two years later, the White House intentionally sidelined the CIA. Obama purposely did not read a grim CIA assessment of Afghanistan that found little measurable benefit from the 30,000 "surge" forces Obama eventually approved, the book quotes a U.S. official as saying.

A copy of the book by Washington Post correspondent Rajiv Chandrasekaran was obtained by The Associated Press. It will be released Tuesday.

A previously undisclosed Biden memo to Obama in November 2009 reflects his view that military commanders were asking Obama to take a leap by adding tens of thousands of forces whose role was poorly defined.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2012/06/25/biden_in_leaked_memo_told_obama_war_plan_flawed/

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Biden, in leaked memo, told Obama war plan flawed (Original Post) rug Jun 2012 OP
he was correct Skittles Jun 2012 #1
Sounds like a book chollybocker Jun 2012 #2
Interesting. BlueIris Jun 2012 #3
It is also possible the CIA wanted MORE troop. not less. Mass Jun 2012 #7
For the record, Biden also was against the bin Laden raid scheming daemons Jun 2012 #4
Escalating a war is quantitatively and qualitatively different. rug Jun 2012 #8
That is not exactly news. Mass Jun 2012 #5
Spam deleted by Violet_Crumble (MIR Team) Beverly Weaver Jun 2012 #6
Contrast that with Cheney tells Bush to jump and Bush asks how high. progressoid Jun 2012 #9
Find the constatnt leak in the WH and kick his/her butt!!! mfcorey1 Jun 2012 #10
When Obama promised to escalate Bush's lost war he lost my vote. Tierra_y_Libertad Jun 2012 #11

BlueIris

(29,135 posts)
3. Interesting.
Mon Jun 25, 2012, 06:16 AM
Jun 2012
the White House intentionally sidelined the CIA. Obama purposely did not read a grim CIA assessment of Afghanistan that found little measurable benefit from the 30,000 "surge" forces Obama eventually approved, the book quotes a U.S. official as saying.


I always blamed "the surge" on the C.I.A. It's curious to think it might not have supported continuing the War on Terror, either.

Mass

(27,315 posts)
7. It is also possible the CIA wanted MORE troop. not less.
Mon Jun 25, 2012, 07:35 AM
Jun 2012

Hard to say from the sentence in excerpt.

 

scheming daemons

(25,487 posts)
4. For the record, Biden also was against the bin Laden raid
Mon Jun 25, 2012, 07:30 AM
Jun 2012

Joe gives advice to the president. His advice isn't always correct.

Mass

(27,315 posts)
5. That is not exactly news.
Mon Jun 25, 2012, 07:33 AM
Jun 2012

May be we had not read the actual memo, but it was clear from a very long time ago that Biden disagreed with the plan.

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