Obama’s win for losing strategy? What the president might be trying to accomplish

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN—Accepting General Stanley McChrystal's resignation was the right thing for the president to do, technically speaking. But looking past his tepid comment (the explosive comments came from the general's aides) and putting the mission before the man may have been a mistake of historical proportions—as McChrystal was had-picked for his expertise—this is not to say Petraeus isn't up to the challenge, but if he must abide by the same politically correct ROE's, including a hard withdrawal date, failure could be imminent. 

Petraeus is certainly competent and his successful Iraq surge strategy amidst a deteriorating situation on the ground coupled with being told by a senate panel they weren't prepared to believe a single word of his report shows his fortitude as well as stern dedication. Yet with current conditions, including a civilian command with a misguided strategy and an enemy embolden redeployment date could undermine the good general's military mission. 

But there is another consideration here, a larger question about the hard withdrawal date and its consequences—it is possible Mr. Obama is committing to it simply to sabotage the mission and marginalize the military? Think of it this way, if we pull out and utter chaos erupts like in Vietnam, would Obama’s predecessor if he isn’t reelected in 2012 really redeploy troops to an already failed conflict theater? Besides, Obama has perfect scapegoats, the notoriously crooked Hamid Karzai and George Bush, who took us into war in the first place against a country the left says didn’t have anything to do with 9/11.

--Killswitch Politick

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Grim milestone reached in Afghanistan US troop deaths reach 1,000 since the war began in 2001

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN—The United States incurred 1,000 US troop deaths when a suicide car bomber rammed into a NATO convey. Commander of U.S. and NATO forces, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, said about the Afghan war, “nobody is winning” in a Newshour interview on PBS.

In a nutshell, the war is in a stalemate, as the Taliban has been regaining ground since the end of 2008 and counterinsurgency groups have risen with it. More perturbing is Hamid Karzai’s corruption and until just recently, no pressure has been brought to bear by the administration—that has begun to change since the two failed terror bombings in the US—and of course, its poppy production continues.

Afghanistan is a sorted affair, there is no real functioning government, only a post-warlord ruled geography with an uneducated, unskilled, and poverty stricken population that is subject to the whims of the Taliban seesaw—a population that does not seek to be liberated because history has taught them nothing else.

And therein lays the fundamental problem as General McChrystal sees it, “Our success is very dependent upon the [Afghan] people believing in the future. What they have to believe is that the government we are working towards is better than what an alternative would be."

-- Killswitch Politick

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While Obama shrugs: turmoil in Honduras, Afghanistan, China

Honduras is on the threshold of closing stages a four-month political calamity after rival camps cut a deal that could return expelled President Manuel Zelaya to power and earn worldwide support for a November 29 election.

Caving under demands from U.S. diplomats, representatives for Zelaya (whom was toppled in a June 28 coup while the de-facto leader Roberto Micheletti supplanted him) reached an agreement to put an end to Central America's worst political tumult in two decades.

The deal, seen as a too-late diplomatic setback for U.S. President Barack Obama, leaves it up to the Honduran Congress to decide whether Zelaya can be returned to perform the last few months of his term – the very obstacle that caused previous talks to falter – a Congressional vote is expected in the near future, after the Supreme Court gives a non-binding opinion on the matter.

Meanwhile, Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah had already announced he would not boycott the formerly scheduled runoff against incumbent Hamid Karzai, after talks about how to determine the country's ongoing election predicament broke down.

Since that time, Abdullah has conceded and the government has declared Karzai the winner. Karzai replaced Burhanuddin Rabbani in 2001 and has had a tumultuous relationship with the United States and his country is teetering on the verge of civil war and a return to a lawless nation state, ruined by the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The precariousness continues while General Stanley McChrystal awaits a decision for more troop requests.

At the same time, A U.S. Navy admiral articulated new trepidation last week over China's military buildup and insisted Beijing to be clearer about its intent.

Rear Adm. Kevin Donegan, commander of the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group, a key part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told reporters on a visit to the Chinese territory of Hong Kong that China's military growing at an "unprecedented rate". The U.S. wants to guarantee that increase doesn't subvert the rest of the region. Donegan cited China's expanded weaponry and his remarks repeated the apprehension of other U.S. military leaders who have alleged the growth in China's military spending — up nearly 15% in the 2009 budget — raises questions about how Beijing plans on deploying its new power.

These events are not new, nor are they easily fixed, yet while President Obama makes robo-calls to voters in New Jersey and stumps for health care reform, turmoil ensues around a world looking for leadership.

-- Killswitch Politick

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Inching towards chaos

As President Obama continues his public waffling on Afghanistan, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.

With Hamid Karzai’s alleged ballot-box stuffing, the Iranians agitating and little-to-no help from our allies, the United States finds itself in a precarious situation in what Candidate Obama called a war we must win.

The Taliban has reformed and their strategy is clearing causing gains in their direction. A mountainous and lawless country, Afghanistan has long been the ideal breeding ground for the likes of Al Qaeda and warlords, not to mention, public support of the war has been on a steady decline since the war in Iraq began devolving – well before the surge and turn around.

Mr. Obama and Gordon Brown find themselves in un-winnable positions with their respective political bases – each wishes to pull the leaders further to the left and are demanding immediate withdrawal. But both leaders know full well where that will lead: a country left to the wolves, a signal to Islamo-fascists that American and Brittan don’t have the will to see their way through, and an effective surrender to Iranian interloping.

All of which is unacceptable should the two countries wish to remain true to their word and actions. If Messers. Obama and Brown do not head the call of the generals on the ground; the war is all-but-lost and so to will be the standing of their commanders-in-chief.

-- Killswitch Politick

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