Romney Criticizes Afghan Pullout Plan, but Obama Is Eager for the Debate

[ProSense]

Romney Criticizes Afghan Pullout Plan, but Obama Is Eager for the Debate

By MARK LANDLER and HELENE COOPER

WASHINGTON — It did not take long for Mitt Romney to pounce on Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta’s statement Wednesday that American troops could end their combat role in Afghanistan by mid-2013, 18 months sooner than expected. Within hours, Mr. Romney lambasted it as “naïve” and “misguided.”

But President Obama, far from disavowing the Pentagon chief, seems eager to debate his Republican critics about a withdrawal timetable that his advisers contend is strategically sound, and which also happens to be politically popular. The White House said that Mr. Panetta’s remarks reflected the president’s resolve, supported by his experience in Iraq, not to wage a “war without end” in Afghanistan.

“The president made clear that U.S. forces are in Afghanistan to accomplish a mission, and they will not stay in Afghanistan forever, and they will not stay in Afghanistan any longer than is necessary to accomplish that mission,” said the press secretary, Jay Carney, when asked about Mr. Romney’s charges.

Though Republican candidates have often successfully used foreign policy against Democrats, they have struggled to turn Mr. Obama’s handling of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to their advantage, largely because polls show that a majority of Americans favor getting out of both countries as quickly as possible. Mr. Romney charged that the United States, by putting a more precise timeline on its military planning, was giving the Taliban and others a chance to wait out the Americans.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/03/us/politics/obama-glad-to-debate-romney-on-afghanistan-pullout.html

[russspeakeasy]

1. Mitt should be pissing in his designer underwear.

[bluestateguy]

2. Obama got Osama

Thank you. Debate over.

[BeyondGeography]

3. 12 years is insufficient

Riiiiight.

[Old and In the Way]

4. Mitt wants the largest, strongest military we've ever had.

He needs a war to justify his plan. Oh well, maybe he can outline his plan to create new wars to justify the need for a military budget we can't afford.