U.S. military balks at promised Afghan drawdown
Military leaders and President Obama’s civilian advisers are girding for battle over the size and pace of the planned pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this summer, with the military seeking to limit a reduction in combat forces and the White House pressing for a withdrawal substantial enough to placate a war-weary electorate.
Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top allied commander in Afghanistan, has not presented a recommendation on the withdrawal to his superiors at the Pentagon, but some senior officers and military planning documents have described the July pullout as small to insignificant, prompting deep concern within the White House.
At a meeting of his war cabinet this month, Obama expressed displeasure with such characterizations of the withdrawal, according to three senior officials with direct knowledge of the session. “The president made it clear that he wants a meaningful drawdown to start in July,” said one of the officials, who, like the others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions….
Two senior military officials said one set of options being developed by staff officers in Kabul involves three choices: the removal of almost no forces; the withdrawal of a few thousand support personnel, including headquarters staff, engineers and logisticians; and the pullout of a brigade’s worth of troops — about 5,000 personnel— by culling a battalion of Marines in Helmand province that was added after the surge, a contingent of soldiers training Afghan security forces and an Army infantry battalion in either the country’s east or far west.
I don’t blame Petraeus and other military leaders for trying to keep as much manpower as possible in Afghanistan. They’ve fought hard and sacrificed a lot for whatever progress they’ve been able to make, and they naturally don’t want to see it all evaporate.
But in the end, it’s not their decision, and it shouldn’t be. I don’t know how much time is enough time, but I do know the tenth anniversary of our invasion of Afghanistan is coming up. I don’t know how much money is enough money, but at this point it’s costing us $120 billion a year. And I don’t know how many American lives this is all worth, especially given the dismal performance of the Afghan government that we’re trying to defend. But last year we lost 499 soldiers and Marines, in that cause, and another 73 have been killed so far this year, with the spring fighting season yet to begin.
It’s time to start drawing down. It’s time to start handing Afghanistan’s fate back to its people.
– Jay Bookman
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937 comments Add your comment
George W
March 31st, 2011
11:57 am
@@….it was actually her father…..
getalife
March 31st, 2011
11:57 am
“And which repub is going to beat him, bachman? newt? marco rubio?”
That is hilarious Mick.
The adults will remain in charge.
Normal
March 31st, 2011
11:59 am
The Washington Examiner…hah, and you yell at me for watching Maddow. WOW, you are truly a trip, just sayin’…
jm
March 31st, 2011
11:59 am
March 31 (Bloomberg) — Bill Gross, who runs the world’s biggest bond fund at Pacific Investment Management Co., said Treasuries “have little value” because of the growing U.S. debt burden.
The U.S. has unrecorded debt of $75 trillion, or close to 500 percent of gross domestic product, counting what it owes on its bonds plus obligations for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Gross wrote in his monthly investment outlook. The U.S. will experience inflation, currency devaluation and low-to- negative interest rates after accounting for consumer-price gains if it doesn’t reform its entitlement programs, he said.
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601010&sid=aYS81nue3e3s
Paul
March 31st, 2011
12:00 pm
SoCom
Weather’s very cool, heading for the driest March on record.
Legislature-proposed budget cuts in healthcare and for schools has people up in arms. What they don’t realize (or won’t admit) is they voted for and returned to office the same Republicans who gave us our $21 billion deficit and told us they were going to cut these programs.
Meanwhile, our governor continues his book tour, getting warm receptions at conservative conventions with his “I hate Washington but I’ll take their stim money to win reelection” speech.
Some voters never learn -
Finn McCool
March 31st, 2011
12:00 pm
Let’s get one more poppy harvest in the bag and then clear out.
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:00 pm
jm
Romney will be eaten alive by his own party, Huntsman better start now and get his pr going. It will probably be huckabee, a very close election looms. The dems will turnout in record numbers most likely because of all the loony repub governors shenanigans…
WOW
March 31st, 2011
12:00 pm
Ok Normal, how’s about this one?
Poll: Obama’s approval hits new low
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/52208.html
Dave R.
March 31st, 2011
12:01 pm
“The adults will remain in charge.”
You mean the GOP House?
Because that’s who actually has most of the power in this version of government right now.
WOW
March 31st, 2011
12:02 pm
“And which repub is going to beat him, bachman? newt? marco rubio?”
Whichever candidate is chosen, Mick. But please, mock, laugh etc because like 2010, 2012 is gonna be fun to watch all the dead beat welfare baby mamas cry in their welfare envelopes as their cult leader exits the White House door.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:03 pm
daffy’s son dealt with many companies here and acorn er acon gave him an internship.
Now he is ki lling his own people.
corporate is out of control.
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:03 pm
Mick 12:00 – no doubt it will be a hard slog for anyone. There’s so many contenders (and pretenders) that the field is too crowded to get a sense of what’s going on right now. I’d say we won’t have much idea of what’s going on until at least 1/2 way through the primaries.
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:04 pm
Dave R 12:01 – I wish, but not the case. Obama has the veto pen and that is worth a ton.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:05 pm
Getalife:
I chose how to live my life.
As long as I don’t have to pay for the consequences of those mistakes…feel free.
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:05 pm
**Some voters never learn**
My god, ain’t that the friggin truth? Cut, cut, cut and by the way let’s make sure the wealthy still have their tax cuts, who cares about the schools, police or fire those gov’t slouchers…those wealthy folk deserve it all, leave them alone!!!
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:06 pm
Dave,
What has the gop house done?
Passed stupid laws that will never make it past the senate or President.
You voted for failure and think you are right.
You are sick dude.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:06 pm
‘Scuse me, Getalife.
As long as I don’t have to pay for the consequence of your CHOICES…feel free.
Kamchak
March 31st, 2011
12:07 pm
Careful Mick, your wealth envy is showing.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:07 pm
Mick….the top 1 percent earn 19% of the income in this country yet they pay 41% of the taxes……care to explain that “evil rich” comment?
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:08 pm
Getalife….”Passed stupid laws that will never make it past the senate or President.”
And who is at fault here?
Normal
March 31st, 2011
12:08 pm
WOW, Nope. Politico is a Rubublican biased newspaper as stated in its own mission statement.
I read Politico as I read Huff puff. Usually the truth lies between the two. I have learned in my old age never to look at just one side of a disagreement. You avoid being blindsided that way…you should try it too. It WILL educate you, just sayin’
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:08 pm
“As long as I don’t have to pay for the consequences of those mistakes…feel free.”
No, I take personal responsibility for my choices.
You cons should try that sometime.
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:08 pm
wow
Don’t count your eggs before they hatch, this will be a presidential election year and the dems will turn out in force, mostly thanks to all these repub governors idiocy. Since you like polls so much, one poll has rick scott losing to his challenger alex sink by 19 points if there were a do over. He has lost the people…
TaxPayer
March 31st, 2011
12:09 pm
The U.S. has unrecorded debt of $75 trillion
Keeping all that off the books! How do they do it. And where does all the unrecorded interest on that unrecorded debt come from, undocumented workers with faux social security numbers.
USMC dawg
March 31st, 2011
12:09 pm
Jay Bookman is slowly turning me over to the “Dark Side”:-)
It all started when I attended his “The real State of the Union” a couple of months ago at the Horizon Theatre in Little 5.
My Liberal Spidey senses are tingling when I see an article like this…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704530204576233170859101198.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_RIGHTTopCarousel_1
Who needs a home this big with all of the “CRAP” and gadgets, etc.?
I know I sound like a good little Bolshevic… What’s wrong with me?
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:09 pm
w,
In your sick mind, never your party.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
getalife…..yep you are right the repubs are not the party of self control and personal responsiblity…..that is why we just love medicare, welfare, food stamps, WIC and other programs that promote self responsibility……hahahahah great post!
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:10 pm
** “evil rich**
Your words, not mine. Simply, they can afford to pay 3 or 4% more and still have their rolls roycer corniche parked out front..
Left wing management
March 31st, 2011
12:12 pm
jm: “authoritarian personality” / one of those residing in the WH right now actually
Nope. He’s about as opposed to that as you can get, to a fault in fact. As I said above, he’s not only willing to entertain and include the views of those with opposed views, he seems to downright relish it.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:12 pm
Getalife…..you actually make me laugh outloud…..you remind me of “Elmer Fud”…..”Those wrasckly repubs cons….imma gonna get that wraskley wabbit!!!”
hahahaha
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:12 pm
Mick….why should they/we pay more if there are people in this country who either dont contribute or actually get refunds when they dont pay at all?
Dave R.
March 31st, 2011
12:12 pm
A sick dude, getalife, is someone who thinks that they are entitled to a portion of my hard work because they think I have too much.
A sick dude is someone who thinks that what anyone makes is any of their business.
A sick dude is someone who tries to treat anyone differently because of the color of their skin, their sexual orientation or their gender.
A sick dude is someone who thinks that a government knows better than I do about how to live my life and protect my family.
I am many things you can never, ever hope to achieve, getalife, but a “sick dude” is not one of them.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
Getalife:
No, I take personal responsibility for my choices.
Perhaps you do. Me too!
The problems begins when government begins to tell us we should share responsibility.
My take? It depends…if somebody’s making bad choices, they’re on their own. What better way to learn, I say?
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
usmc
Nice shack for a family the size of a platoon..other than that, opulent overkill….
WOW
March 31st, 2011
12:13 pm
“Don’t count your eggs before they hatch, this will be a presidential election year and the dems will turn out in force, mostly thanks to all these repub governors idiocy.”
Those governors aren’t up for re-election, Mick and neither are the senators from the House. I’m sure the Dems will turn out in force but so will the independents who left the democrat party and a whole slew of Republican voters.
“Since you like polls so much, one poll has rick scott losing to his challenger alex sink by 19 points if there were a do over. He has lost the people…”
LOL!!!!! A do over???????? LOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s all you got, Mick? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:16 pm
georg
Why are you so hung up about the poor and what they don’t pay? Here’s a clue, they don’t have any money!!!! The rich on the other hand can probably stand to spare an extra nickel – get it?
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:16 pm
Poor George, even when he did something right, he couldn’t help but f it up.
He goes into Afghanistan and smokes a whole boatload of Taliban ass. And I cheered him on. But then the toy soldier made the ultimate mistake – he stayed! In the Graveyard of Empires, he dicked around halfheartedly for years on end, botched getting OBL, lost interest and created an even bigger clusterf&ck in the wrong country.
And what is it with all the blogging cons here?
By an overwhelming percentage they are little Dick Cheneys. They talk real warrior tough, but they never found an AFEES station they couldn’t avoid.
And just for my obsessed little free-speech fraud…
And the crowd goes crazy!
Mick
March 31st, 2011
12:17 pm
**LOL!!!!! A do over???????? LOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s all you got, Mick? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL**
Good enough for me, here you can take rick scott, nobody else seems to want him….
I Yam What I Yam
March 31st, 2011
12:17 pm
I am many things you can never, ever hope to achieve, getalife, but a “sick dude” is not one of them.
I’ve read that a couple of times and I have to wonder if it came out as originally intended. Who am I to judge though.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:18 pm
I know you are sick in the head because after your hero w destroyed our economy and country, the only thing you admitted he did wrong was spending too much.
@@,
But corporate gaming our system is fine with you cons.
You love corporate welfare.
That makes you a hypocrite @@.
Can you see that ?
Can you admit it?
Are you sick too @@?
Dave R.
March 31st, 2011
12:18 pm
“They talk real warrior tough, but they never found an AFEES station they couldn’t avoid.”
Thanks for reminding me about an AFEES station, AmVet. You are such a downer.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:19 pm
USMCDawg:
Who needs a home this big with all of the “CRAP” and gadgets, etc.?
Truett Cathy of Chic-fil-a has a modest brick ranch near where I live. Lots of land but a modest home. Thank goodness he doesn’t raise chickens on the land. He’s in the cattle business.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:20 pm
Mick….why are you SO consumed with the Rich and the fact that they pay too much???
Dave R.
March 31st, 2011
12:20 pm
“I know you are sick in the head because after 30 years of failed liberal Congressional policies destroyed our economy and country”
Fixed your typo again, getalife. Pay attention, please.
Paulo977
March 31st, 2011
12:21 pm
Jay
“It’s time to start drawing down. It’s time to start handing Afghanistan’s fate back to its people” Of course … we have paid in lives for what we did by creating alqaeda there .
I Yam What I Yam
March 31st, 2011
12:21 pm
When I go out to buy insurance, I am always confronted with the task of determining how much to buy and as it turns out, the more you insure, the more it costs. So, if I wanted to insure a billion dollars worth of stuff, money or stocks or bonds or paintings or even my ass, then I am going to pay more for that insurance than someone else would pay for their net worth of say five thousand dollars. I know it’s wrong but it is just the way it is.
I Yam What I Yam
March 31st, 2011
12:22 pm
George W has poor envy.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:22 pm
Dave ,
Make no mistake, you are sick.
I can see it from my house like palin..
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:23 pm
Mick 12:16 – don’t worry. Soon enough we’ll all be millionaires
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
I Yam….you are right I long to be a poor welching thug on our society!
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
Dave, it’s just a talent I have!
I remember as a 17 year old, standing in that place in Denver, raising my right hand and taking that sacred oath, and wondering, “Oh lord, what have I got myself into?!”
And then the fun really began.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
getalife…..you have yet to make a valid point. Just more name calling.
Paul
March 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
I noticed there was very, very, very little talk of the rich paying too much until AFTER the top-tier rates were reduced by a couple of points -
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
Getalife:
Corporations? I’m for eliminating some subsidies and tax breaks but let’s face it….I’d hate to be beholden to government for a job.
Business and consumers is the way to go. There’s nothing entrepreneurial about government. All they do is rotate the same old inventory.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
AmVet…..as a 17 year old? You have to be 18 to be sworn in.
WOW
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
“And just for my obsessed little free-speech fraud…”
It’s interesting that Jay allows you to name call and spew bigoted remarks towards white people yet he’s limited me to 15 posts/column because I angered the left wingers.
Funny how that whole “free speech” works for one side but not the other.
Southern Comfort (aka The Man)
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
Some voters never learn
Paul
I think you just penned the bumper sticker for all of 2012!!!! I think what you’re seeing in Texas and pretty much everywhere is the fruit ripening from the “starve the beast” philosophy from the 1980’s. By continuously cutting the money coming in to government coffers, there is now a serious fiscal crisis brewing. It probably could have been averted by simply not cutting income, but it’s too late to argue that now. We have to deal with the present, and hope that it positively affects the future. We can’t change the past.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
w,
“poor welching thug on our society!”
You are.
You don’t have a job unless it is trolling on lib blogs.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
@@….trust me he will never get it.
Deep Throat
March 31st, 2011
12:28 pm
George W , I like your analogy, but I find most Liberals like Wiley E. Coyote.
Paul
March 31st, 2011
12:28 pm
SoCom
Hold that for Bosch, please. He can have the t-shirt proceeds.
Kinda gets me, people pay less fed rates but feel as if they’re at historical highs. A good part of the blame, though, I think goes to what N-GA and AmVet have pointed out – the great rise in state and local taxes.
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:29 pm
Deep….agreed.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:30 pm
@@,
“Corporations? I’m for eliminating some subsidies and tax breaks”
So, you would keep some welfare for the people since you want to cut some corporate welfare.
M. Zelenz
March 31st, 2011
12:30 pm
Of course bring them home…with a little layover at Libya.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:32 pm
Paul:
…the great rise in state and local taxes.
And I can more easily live with that ’cause it’s closer to where I live. I have more influence there.
Paul
March 31st, 2011
12:32 pm
SoCom
“Some voters never learn”
Our gov’s going into his third term. Next election, I think we Texans need a bumper sticker or t-shirt with his smiling face on it and underneath the caption “Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on me”
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:32 pm
“You have to be 18 to be sworn in.”
Unbelievable.
But your streak is still intact…
Del
March 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
With parental permission you can enlist in the military. I presume it’s still that way.
Paul
March 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
@@
And even at the local level, it’s amazing how many do not vote.
AmVet 12:32
Don’tcha’ just love consistency?
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
Getalife:
So, you would keep some welfare for the people since you want to cut some corporate welfare.
Corporations strive for success. Not all individuals do. If they’re happy with what they have, fine. If not, I can’t help ‘em.
Real Scooter
March 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:24 pm
Same for me,except I was here in Atlanta!
Del
March 31st, 2011
12:34 pm
Correction my last…at 17 you can enlist
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:35 pm
Paul, I cannot figure out if it is a curse or a blessing.
Help! Help!
The Con Cult of Victimhood is being repressed!
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:36 pm
glad he’s so optimistic. I wonder if ATL is on that list
CEO Jamie Dimon said Wednesday that about 100 municipalities won’t “make it” out of debt. But don’t panic, Jamie advised, it’s not “going to shatter America.”
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:36 pm
“Don’tcha’ just love consistency?”
Yup.
Like welfare.
If you don’t want it for the people then you should not want it for corporate.
Right cons?
Paul
March 31st, 2011
12:37 pm
Del
We knew what you meant.
Not everyone thinks they ‘win’ by pointing out unimportant typos when the meaning is clear.
Deep Throat
March 31st, 2011
12:37 pm
Anyone hear from Amvet today? Oh well his rants are so insignificant and so far out there, it’s really nice not seeing his dribble.
Real Scooter
March 31st, 2011
12:38 pm
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:25 pm
I’m not AmVet but I was sworn in when I was 17 like he was. Just sayin…..
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:40 pm
Also, Obama’s home state.
The state most likely to default? Not California, say swaps
Cost of insuring bonds from the Land of Lincoln surging; budget gap the size of Lake Michigan
http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20101228/FREE/101229951
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:41 pm
Yoo hoo! Deep Doo Doo!
I’m over here!
Do you walk into glass doors a lot?
Thulsa Doom
March 31st, 2011
12:41 pm
George W,
You can enlist at 17 with your parent’s written approval.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:41 pm
Paul:
My husband takes every opportunity to encourage people to vote…
Conservative.
My job? I zip off e-mails threatening revolt against our representatives. I’ve no doubt, our (mine and my husband’s) opponents counteract with their own. If our state gets too weighted down, we’re mobile.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:43 pm
w will never admit he was wrong.
Left wing management
March 31st, 2011
12:45 pm
jm: Cost of insuring bonds from the Land of Lincoln surging; budget gap the size of Lake Michigan
Your link appears to be subscription only. Give us a passage perhaps?
No, Illinois is in better shape than many other suffering states after recently passing tax hikes. I would certainly bet on it faring better in overcoming its budget woes than some of its anti-tax-at-all-cost states like Texas.
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:45 pm
GA bond ratings AAA. Awesome.
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:46 pm
LWM 12:45 – weird. When I pulled it up through google I got to it free (I don’t have a subscription). Maybe search for it through google and get to it free?
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:46 pm
I actually did not know that. I stand corrected.
Real Scooter
March 31st, 2011
12:46 pm
Thulsa Doom
March 31st, 2011
12:41 pm
Only 1 parent needs to sign a form to enlist at 17.
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:47 pm
LWM 12:45 – RE TX. TX has plenty of room to increase taxes as necessary and have a lower debt load I believe. Meaning, sucks to close the budget gap with tax increases, but it won’t make them uncompetitive. IL on the other hand….
George W
March 31st, 2011
12:47 pm
Real…..thank you for your service.
Deep Throat
March 31st, 2011
12:48 pm
Whistle———whistle whistle, who was that democrat going around boasting about his military service to drum up votes and it was all false, reminds me of some people on this blog. In the famous words of the Libs on this blog, show me the proof you serve.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:49 pm
What you think you know is always wrong w.
Good to see you finally admit it.
Did it hurt you to admit you are always wrong?
It was very obvious too us sane folks.
AmVet
March 31st, 2011
12:49 pm
Famous people born on this day:
1596, Rene Descartes, he thought, therefore he was.
1732, Joseph Haydn, composer, helped develop the Classical style.
1809, Edward FitzGerald, writer, “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.”
And in honor of that first birthday…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1MgCV6uGuc
Thulsa Doom
March 31st, 2011
12:50 pm
I can see both sides of the argument here. On the one hand I can see pulling out for the simple reason that to my knowledge a guerilla movement operating freely from another sovereign nation has never been defeated. They can simply outwait us.
If the Afghan security forces are strong enough to handle their own security then lets start drawing down. If they will be strong enough with a year or 2 or even 3-5 years then we stick around and keep training them until they can fend for themselves. At that point we leave.
My only point on staying is that if they’re not ready now then we need to spend just a few more years rapidly ramping up their security forces to the point that they can handle the taliban. After that we then provide military support such as air support if the Taliban ever trys to retake the country in a conventional type war.
RW-(the original)
March 31st, 2011
12:50 pm
Debating amvet’s military “career” again?
Let me offer a few details. He has said this career was two years in the Air Force that included the summer of 1976. He has said he joined at 17 and he’s said he was born in 1955.
Pretty difficult for all those things to be true, but what do I know. I wasn’t a math major.
/d..b..
And Happy Opening Day!
jm
March 31st, 2011
12:50 pm
Atlanta’s bond rating is only single A. Which explains why Reed is fighting so hard to fix the messy pension problem here. That’s only one step above junk.
LOL LOL LOL
March 31st, 2011
12:50 pm
“I actually did not know that. I stand corrected.”
“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”
Del
March 31st, 2011
12:52 pm
I enlisted at 18 and after my first 24 hours at Parris Island, I had a momentary daydream wandering if I could de-enlist. About at that same time I had a senior drill instructor screaming in my ear and I got my answer.
@@
March 31st, 2011
12:52 pm
Left wing management:
Just about all the leftist run states are seeing a decline in population. Higher taxes, less people?
It’ll be interesting to see how THAT pans out.
getalife
March 31st, 2011
12:52 pm
“And Happy Opening Day!”
Go Braves!