Obama's Afghanistan Contradiction

Mother Jones by David Corn | Sep. 4, 2009 (News Analysis)

With the war in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama faces a contradiction. He says he wants to win the war but he will not commit to fighting for as long as that might take. This tension between policy and rhetoric was on full display in the White House briefing room earlier this week. On Monday, press secretary Robert Gibbs about Afghanistan and the strategic assessment that had just been completed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander there. ... Full Story »

Posted by Kaizar Campwala - via Mother Jones

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Subjects: World, U.S., Politics
Topics: Afghanistan, Obama Administration
Member Tags: obama
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# Tweets: 2 (as of 2009-09-04)
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Posted by: Posted by Kaizar Campwala - Sep 4, 2009 - 4:25 AM PDT
Reviewed by: James Canning (review), Randy Morrow (review)
Content Type: Article
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Kaizar Campwala - Sep 4, 2009 - 7:30 AM PDT
Related Comments: Afghanistan (5) | Obama Administration (3)

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Randy Morrow
4.2
 by Randy Morrow - Sep. 5, 2009
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James Canning
3.1
 by James Canning - Sep. 4, 2009

The author seizes on an obvious contradiction, but does not go further and ask how the US could even think it can impose its will on Afghanistan, when there is every indication that increasing the troop levels only makes the situation worse. Even Karzai says bringing in more US and UK troops will not increase stability in his country.

Obama is failing to ask the obvious question, namely why is the US taking such a huge role in dealing with instability in Afghanistan, when the US is greatly handicapped, probably fatally, by its association with Israel and its encouragement of Israeli oppression of the Palestinians. Squandering hundreds more billions of dollars in Afghanistan (and Iraq) will only inflict further injury on the US.

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