Obama’s Speech on Afghanistan to Envision Exit

[ProSense]

Obama’s Speech on Afghanistan to Envision Exit

By PETER BAKER, ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID E. SANGER
Published: November 29, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to lay out a time frame for winding down the American involvement in the war in Afghanistan when he announces his decision this week to send more forces, senior administration officials said Sunday.

Although the speech was still in draft form, the officials said the president wanted to use the address at the United States Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday night not only to announce the immediate order to deploy roughly 30,000 more troops, but also to convey how he intends to turn the fight over to the Kabul government.

“It’s accurate to say that he will be more explicit about both goals and time frame than has been the case before and than has been part of the public discussion,” said a senior official, who requested anonymity to discuss the speech before it is delivered. “He wants to give a clear sense of both the time frame for action and how the war will eventually wind down.”

The officials would not disclose the time frame. But they said it would not be tied to particular conditions on the ground nor would it be as firm as the current schedule for withdrawing troops in Iraq, where Mr. Obama has committed to withdrawing most combat units by August and all forces by the end of 2011.

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[eleny]

1. In is out and bad is good

Tomorrow is Opposite Day.

[FrenchieCat]

2. We will hear more on this tomorrow,

won't we?

[eleny]

3. One can only hope it's not what we've been told for over a week

[vaberella]

13. Dunno..if I remember correctly to help with our exit strategy for 2011/2012...

We increased troops in Iraq by 20,000 and currently this is the fastest withdrawal in decades people have said---about Iraq.

[Cha]

4. It's heartwrenching for everybody.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Good

I'm glad that he is incorporating an "exit strategy" into his plan and is actually changing our strategy there based on his long and drawn out review. IMHO McWar would've simply given McChrystal all of the troops he asked for, asked Congress for more money to sink into the SAME losing strategy, and definitely would NOT be setting any timetables for withdrawal. It would seem like we perhaps got the better end of the deal with Obama even though I see that many people here clearly are unhappy with him following through with the plan he laid out during his campaign last year (which, of course, doesn't mean that you had to support it- then or now- but it's hard to believe people are shocked by his presumptive plans).

[rhett o rick]

6. Surge

[knightinwhitesatin]

7. a 3-5 year surge

is only an exit plan to the warmongers around these parts.

[ProSense]

8. Good thing no one is proposing any such thing, right? n/t

[knightinwhitesatin]

9. deployments take at least one year to complete

1.5 is better, two rounds of rotations equals 2.5-3 years at the minimum. So a 3 year increase at the least...........Do you deny that one year rotations spaced to not over extend the military will mean more than 2 years of increased numbers.

[ProSense]

10. Wrong. n/t

[knightinwhitesatin]

11. Maddow

just said the DOD said the surge numbers will take 1.5 years..... I win...... ;)

[ProSense]

14. She's wrong. To elaborate:

It didn't take that long to send a few thousand combat troops to Iraq or additional troops to Afghanistan. Obama sent troops earlier this year, and they completed that in August. It appears that these will not be combat troops so they will require a completely different infrastructure in terms of support.

That's a simple fact.

[knightinwhitesatin]

15. Ummm 20,000 troops for the Iraq

surge took six months, I know I was in that surge. 34,000 troops will take longer oh yeah and we have fewer available troops now. I know math is hard

[vaberella]

18. You keep saying the same thing, on several threads which makes me repeat.

If Obama confirms KO's statement----that would mean RM is wrong. That would also mean you are wrong. And I would also think that would mean Obama, if he confirms this, was informed that it was doable by his Generals on the ground and domestic, advisors, that this can happen? He met on this for months--it was discussed for months that he's been meeting regularly, if not everyday on this. By your posts you're trying to paint Obama, if this is confirmed (I continualy stress), in two ways. As naive and stupid---because you consider the plan impossible and secondly lieing and misleading the American people. I'll wait on the news from our President's lips; but your argument doesn't hold water for me.

[bigjohn16]

19. Keith also said we cannot afford this war and called it a quagmire.

I agree with you that the President needs to confirm what Keith said.

[vaberella]

20. I was discussing the proposed exit strategy he reported on not his opinion on the war.

I'm talking only in regards to his statements on the supposed exit strategy that the poster above me wants to argue as impossible, which was apparently confirmed by RM's reporting---and which I find makes no sense.

[HopeOverFear]

17. I win?? how childish

:eyes:

[jefferson_dem]

25. I win? Welcome to DU...

I think.

[Peacetrain]

24. Deployments can vary... from a matter of weeks to several months and years..

In fact at the beginning of this conflict people were rotating in and out in three months..

[knightinwhitesatin]

29. Name one major Army unit Brigade or Division

that did 3 months.

And name one unit in the surge..... i.e. reinforcements that did less than a year.....you guys are gonna twist yourselves any way you can to spin this.

[Peacetrain]

30. My nephew deployed for three months in 2003

His whole unit did..Since then deployments have been extended to a year to a year an half with multiple redeployment's

Deployments are extended and contracted to need. The suggested deployment is 1 year.. but it can be extended or shortened by need.


"you guys"? who the heck made you GOD of DU

edit(3rd time)...I can't spell or type this morning.. COFFEE

[knightinwhitesatin]

31. Then it should be easy to name

the Brigade or Division that did a 3 month rotation.

I'm not denying certain specialized units have shorter deployment schedules, but not a Brigade or Division which is what we and Obama are talking about. Except for 3 Brigades from 2003-2009 no unit has done more than 15 months. So again please name a Brigade or division that has only done 3. I did not start this tangent.

[Peacetrain]

32. First of all, WHAT TANGENT?

24. Deployments can vary... from a matter of weeks to several months and years.. Updated at 2:44 PM

In fact at the beginning of this conflict people were rotating in and out in three months..

my post.. just informational..

Secondly.. he is from Minnesota, and I am not going to call him up and ask him what unit he was in for your edification..

[knightinwhitesatin]

34. So you readily admit

you cannot prove a Brigade or Division did a 3 month rotation. Obama is deploying Brigades, they will not be deploying for less than a year. There are only so many Brigades to deploy. And please don't tell me about deploying, I have done it far more than you.

[Peacetrain]

35. Hell no I am not giving any private information on my family to you..

How long have you been here.. 3 days, and you are trying to pump me on the names of the unit my nephew was assigned to in 2003.. Think again saffron

Besides I do not know it off the top of my head and I am sure as heck not calling him and then giving it to you..

[knightinwhitesatin]

36. good lord

stop being paranoid.

[girl gone mad]

12. Sounds about as useful and productive..

as those "Visualize World Peace" bumper stickers I used to see everywhere.

[jenmito]

16. K&R. Sad that posters unrec good news. n/t

[ShortnFiery]

21. What? WTF does "envision" mean? It's just a pipe dream in order to manufacture consent.

It's VILE pandering to justify more KILLING and DYING. :thumbsdown:

[ProSense]

23. Ask the NYT, it's their headline. n/t

[Kdillard]

22. Good .

[Clio the Leo]

26. Kick. NT

[backscatter712]

27. Hold him to the exit plan.

We're stuck with the escalation now.

If we don't make a huge amount of noise, that exit plan will likely encounter "delays"...

The more unpopular we make the war, the closer the exit plan gets to reality.

[democrat2thecore]

28. JUST like LBJ and Nixon's "exit strategies" - actually wishful thinking as we sink into quicksand

Some never learn from history. Or, the more cynical view: it's filling the coffers of the defense industry and who gives a damn about 3-5 BILLION dollars a month?

[Cha]

33. We'll see won't

we?