One of my biggest beef's with the current administration is that they are continously telling us the opposite of what they are telling us. I've taken issue with the current POTUS' position on Iraq from the day he proposed a retreat in defeat "strategy" as a Senator. I have expected him to be more supportive of the War In Afghanistan, as he campaigned that it was "the just war" that would be his "top priority." I've railed on him for undermining Victory there from day one in his search for "a way out."
Both publicly and privately, this Administration has been wrong on Iraq and Afghanistan more times than I can count, but it really chaps my hide that they can't send one message. They send out SecDef Gates and SecState Clinton to say they hope the Taliban believe we're pulling out in July 2011 and then send out Joe "Bite Me" Biden to say we are retreating in July 2011, "come hell or high water."
I don't like to p*** on a man's grave, but Holbrooke's last words were "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan," not we have to win, but that we have to end it. I can find no remorse in his passing. He should never have been in the position he was and the Administration would not remove him in any other way. I find only guilty pleasure that he is no longer able to undermine National Security and Diplomacy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Unfortunately, his last words are indicative of the Administration that put him there.
Fewer people will defend him, even in his own party, than will defend Robert Gibbs. And yet, both must have people feeding their egos, because if even half of their gaffes were challenged in their inner circles, they would long ago have taken up the life of a hermit.
Sometimes I wonder if the cabinet is attempting to shape the decisions of the President by arguing their positions publicly and other times I think they're attempting to gauge public opinion by floating trial balloons of opposing but potential policies. Mostly, I just think they're just trying to tell everyone what they want to hear, but fail to realize that when they do it publicly, they're giving everyone a reason to find fault. While that is typical of politicians, it does not lessen the effects of the lies, nor the effects of bad policies.
Consider the last year of so of these contradictory policies on the efforts in Afghanistan. It was our European Allies that publicly supported Our General, in his strategies to win, in his call for an open and visible committment to doing so. Astute readers of the news could feel the urgings and ugency with which European Leaders pushed the US to commit to General McChrystal's request for more Troops and Equipment. It took less than a week for milbloggers to loose patience with the dithering in the White House over a decision.
Yet, the Administration devoted months to the decision, not because there was a need for weeks of discussion, but because they could only devote an hour or so a week to discussing it. In the end, the decision was to half-step, to not give the General the resources he requested, nor to give into the Biden-Eikenberry-Holbrooke camp of pulling back into a Counter-Terrorism posture, but to give the General part of the resources he had said were necessary.
The Military is accustomed to doing more with less and has really come through in Afghanistan. Marjah, Khandahar, and Khowst are all demonstrating successes which even the Administration notes could not have occurred without the extra Troops. And yet these pockets of success also contrast with the areas not tamed. They were given the priority, while Baraki Barak received less attention, while Iran continues to build influence in Herat.
The blunder of the new policy, falsely labeled an Obama Strategy, was that the POTUS announced a retreat a year before the Troops arrived. He announced a retreat, even as he announced that his months of dithering had resulted in his half-step.
Until they were silenced, Our Battlefield Commanders dropped the truth, that their biggest challenge was convincing the Afghan Leaders that they would stay and be replaced until the enemy was defeated. Our Battlefield Commanders had faced the same challenge in Iraq, and when they won that trust of endurance, they turned around the War.
But Allied Leaders patience has worn thin. The same ones that worked so hard a year ago to convince Obama to support the General he appointed have felt the lash of futility in following the lead of a Politician that won't commit to a plan nor to Victory. The Canadians, the Danes, the British, and now the Germans have announced their own retreats, not willing to be the last one standing when Obama's retreat takes place. While Obama touts that 3 more Nations are deployed now than in 2008, the allies that have stood by us, with actual battle ready formations throughout the war are lining up at the airport for their tickets home. We're talking about our closest allies and the biggest contingents in Afghanistan.
The token numbers sent by these 'new allies' won't be sufficient to turn things around, even if they do demonstrate a political commitment to the effort. They're tokens, important politically, but not strategically. The main effort has always been ours and for good reason; we were the ones attacked. Like good friends, they joined us in the brawl. But like any rational friend, if we're not willing to commit to winning, they don't see a point in getting beat up with us.
More Nations have announced their withdrawal than have announced their token commitment since the current POTUS took the oath of office. Others have taken up safer areas of Afghanistan in an unpublicized manner. The Brits for example had Helmand as their area of responsibility, for years. It was a tough place to be but the US Marines are putting the hurt on the enemy today there. The Germans had taken care of the North: Konduz and Mazar-e-Sharif, relatively safe areas. While some might say it was easy to patrol the safe areas, it freed up Our Troops to take on the enemy in their lairs.
And while the Brits, Canadians, and Germans took losses as well, while those losses were just as upsetting to their Citizens, the loss of Allied Troops committed to the fight in such large numbers will mean much more difficulty for our own. And Our Commanders will have to prioritize how to defend those areas while continuing an offensive in the South. With these allies pulling out, we're looking at a loss of 15,000-20,000 fewer Troops, before Obama's own numberless retreat "come hell or high water."
The Al-Qaeda and Taliban definition of victory has always been more simplistic than ours. Their definition is simply to outlast our resolve. And since last year, they've seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Biden continues to tell them that "come hell or high water" their days will be rosier this time next year. Their plans to retake Afghanistan can start in earnest in 2014, just as they can start in Iraq as early as 2012. The current administration tells them so.
But perhaps the only thing more frustrating about this Administration than their hell-bent plan to retreat in the face of Victory, is their constant talking out of both sides of their mouths. Yes, I will vocally oppose your plan to retreat, but don't treat me like an idiot and send out SecDef Gates to tell me that you aren't planning to retreat while you send the chihuahua Biden to tell your loyalists that you are planning retreat. Quit blowing smoke up my butt.
Stumble It!
