So, the POTUS dropped into Afghanistan for a few hours on 3 December 2010. He was his third trip ever and the shortest, though he never found the time while he was the Chairman of the Senate subcomittee on the War there, until he became a candidate for POTUS.
He claimed there was nowhere else he would rather be for the holidays, than with the Troops, which he had assembled late at night for his photo-op. His time inside Air Force One in Afghanistan was longer than his time with the Troops or with General Petraeus who leads them. Weather prevented him from meeting with President Karzai. That and the short time he allocated for his "visit."
He did "take the time" to pin a few Purple Hearts on Wounded Warriors while on the ground.
Instead of believing the new found commitment he expressed to 3,000 Troops forced to listen in the wee hours of the night, I'm reminded of his campaign strategy of telling everyone what they wanted to hear. I'm reminded that he pioneered a micro-campaign strategy that told San Francisco donors how he'd tax and spend while telling Southern Independents that he'd protect Gun Rights, even as he told progressives that West Virginians in small towns clung to their guns and religion. Even his website was set up to tailor the message to the regional IP address.
I'm reminded that he claimed to have finished his "new strategy" for Afghanistan in the spring of 2009, then fired two Generals for speaking honestly about the War. General McKiernan was fired for failing to parrot an Administration apology, instead insisting on protecting the Honor of Our Warriors who killed bad guys at the request of the Villagers caught in the crossfire. General McChrystal was fired for things he didn't even say, for things his Warrior Class staff said, while stuck in Europe because of a Volcano, and while their lips were loosened by alcohol and a belief that the cool journalist would keep off the record remarks, off the record.
I'm reminded that before he decided, after a dozen hours of meetings stretched out over several months, devoid of significant military leaders, to half-step the request by General McChrystal for more Troops and Equipment, he also decided to retreat in July 2011. I'm reminded that he dithered for weeks to half-step the request, months after his "new strategy" was announced as complete. I'm reminded that the administration has been telling progressives that July 2011 is set in stone for months before the Troops began to arrive and a year before they did arrive. I'm reminded that his lackeys now tell us that they will be withdrawing beginning in July 2011 "based on conditions on the ground," and the "recommendations of ground commanders," who have indicated nothing of the sort, to date.
I remember that he held several "off the record" meetings with divergent groups of people after his inauguration; milbloggers, conservative commentators, progressives, liberals, and others. I surmised he told each group what they wanted to hear, just as his campaign told potential voters what they wanted to hear in 2008. By holding private meetings with targeted groups that influence readers, he was able to do so with little fear that they'd let the cat out of the bag. And I've seen nothing to indicate that any "betrayed his trust," long after he has demonstrated that the meetings were full of hot air.
I'm reminded that in 2008, he decided not to visit the wounded at Landstuhl when the cameras couldn't follow while he jumped at the chance to collect cash from the hundreds of thousands at his Berlin rally.
Some have called Afghanistan "Obama's War" but it is not. His Administration calls it an "Overseas Contingency Operation" and while a loss would go on his record, winning in Afghanistan is solely on the Troops that are fighting there. The POTUS's role is to provide them with the means to win, including convincing the American People of why we must, but he won't even use the term "Victory" in regards to Afghanistan. And he is failing to Support Our Troops needs as well as instill in Our Citizens the reasons why Our Troops are needed there.
Our Troops will do all in their power to win, even if the POTUS shortchanges them on the means to do so, even if on their 6th deployment in 10 years because he refuses to increase the size of the Military. Our Troops will fight with Honor, even if the POTUS forces them to shower with gays. Our Troops will persevere even if a college freshman at Harvard slanders them.
The real disappointments are the political appointee Robert Gates and the JCS Admiral Mullins. When General Pace was fired for publically stating his support of Congressionally mandated DoD policy, a Marine friend asked me my thoughts of a Naval Officer running DoD during a ground war. I thought it not pertinent at the time, because the JCS doesn't do much in the way of combat. He's just a paper-pusher at the top. But Admiral Mullins has proven to be political rather than military oriented. He may be expressing his sincere political opinions, in support of the POTUS, but he is backstabbing the Troops by throwing a military voice to the political policies of the POTUS.
Robert Gates turned out to be just a politician. Nothing else can explain his positions shifting from one office holder to the next. He had fooled me into 2009, but sadly, his replacement will likely be worse.
This President should not be condemned for the loss of Warrior's lives in Afghanistan but for the lack of commitment to ensuring those Troops have everything necessary to win. He should not applauded for a stubborn commitment to retreat, but for lying to the American People in saying that he would make Afghanistan his first priority. He should not be noted for slapping hands with Troops in Bagram but for only being able to do so by reaching into their midst. They shouldn't be noted for showing up on orders in a Brigade sized (thousands) element, but for cheering in a Company sized (hundreds) element, even when he told them what they wanted to hear, that he'd support their efforts.
Our Warriors obey the orders of the POTUS, no matter who they voted for, even if their vote wasn't counted, but they can't be forced to show enthusiasm for a politician that is doing his best to force a retreat from an important mission, critical to keeping Our Citizens safe from terrorism. In the end, Our Nation would have been better served had he photoshopped Air Force One onto the Bagram Air Field as he should have photoshopped Air Force flying over New York City. And Our Troops would have been better served had they been photoshopped into the picture while they slept in a combat zone than photoshopped out as they slept at a mandatory Presidential Address.
They would certainly have been more impressed if he showed up on Christmas, serving ham and turkey, as did his predecessor, than skipping off to Chicago for a party with celebrities on Memorial Day, instead of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as did this one. I've at times been, though rarely, fooled by a politician pretending sincerity, but I've never been wrong when a politician was faking sincerity. This politician in chief may fool some into believing he's sincere, but he hasn't convinced me that he has any agenda other than staying in office no matter what he has to tell any person, and no matter what it takes to do so. Again Our Troops find themselves a victim of and backdrop of politics and politicians, only this time he ordered them to lose sleep to be his photo op.
Stumble It!
