Senior US Senator(Robert Byrd) Opposes Afghan Ramp-Up

[Purveyor]

Source: AFP

(AFP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — The longest-serving US Senator made an emotional plea Wednesday against sending more US troops to Afghanistan, warning that the top military commander there had "lost sight" of the war's key goals.

Democratic Senator Robert Byrd said in a speech to his colleagues that, if more soldiers must go fight the eight-year-old war, they should come from Washington's international partners.

"The international community should step up and provide the additional forces and funding. The United States is already supplying a disproportionate number of combat assets for that purpose," said Byrd.

Byrd, 91, who comes from West Virginia, said the United States should refocus the conflict on hunting down Al-Qaeda extremists and abandon a "broader scheme of nation-building which has clouded our purpose and obscure our reasoning."

The senator took aim at the top US and NATO military commander, General Stanley McChrystal, for requesting up to 40,000 more US troops on top of the roughly 65,000 already there, and at his superior, General David Petraeus.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hsMCol4LDh7sQl9TX67tNoF6ELLg

[IndianaGreen]

1. Byrd warned about the invasion of Iraq

unlike these assholes:

Bush and Gephardt at Rose Garden, October 2, 2002, on passage of Iraq War Resolution.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Argued against it passionately. (of course, no one listened)

[IndianaGreen]

3. We got over 9.000 dead GIs, and over 600,000 dead Iraqis to show for it

Here we go again!

[Tx4obama]

5. Huh? Where did you get that 9,000 figure from?

Numbers from the bottom right of the front page of http://michaelmoore.com /

* U.S. Military Deaths (Afghanistan) 796
* U.S. Military Wounded (Afghanistan) 2,046
* U.S. Military Deaths (Iraq) 4,331
* U.S. Military Wounded (Iraq) 3,1463
* Excess Iraqi deaths 655,000

[zbdent]

6. They did listen ... but they turned around and questioned his patriotism for doing so ...

and he's consistent ... he's doing this under Obama, too ...

[wisteria]

4. Bravo, Senator Byrd. I am glad he is well enough to express a fighting opinion on this matter. n/t

[CountAllVotes]

7. can always depend on Sen. Byrd

glad you are better sir. :patriot: You have no fear of saying what needs to be said and speaking the truth. Thank you for your continued fine service!

:kick: