Afghanistan News: Obama says NO to everything!

[Admiral Yi]

Well my philosophy is we are the United States we shouldn't need to take risks.  Put together your plan deliberately if you need to and execute it professionally.  Don't screw around leaving things to chance.  If he needs some time to put together the winning plan then no problem here, especially in a eight year old war.

Is that honestly what you think he's doing?  Spending his time putting together the winning plan?

[Valmy]

Is that honestly what you think he's doing?  Spending his time putting together the winning plan?

Well I certainly do not think he is spending his time putting together a plan he hopes will fail.*  Why else would he want to wait a few weeks to announce his revamped strategy if he didn't feel like it could be improved?

* Or would he?

[Admiral Yi]

Well I certainly do not think he is spending his time putting together a plan he hopes will fail.  Why else would he want to wait a few weeks to announce his revamped strategy if he didn't feel like it could be improved?

I haven't heard or read anything about a revamped strategy.  I thought the issue on the table was McChrystal's request for more troops.  And there are plenty of political reasons to hold off on that question.

[Berkut]

He may be taking his time to figure out how to put together a plan to bail. Or he may have no idea what to do, so is electing to do nothing.

I get the feeling he doesn't really want anything to do with Afghanistan, and just wishes it would go away. He has no clue how to deal with anything outside his rather limited expertise, and is in way over his head when it comes to military matters - but at the same time is not really willing to accept that, and let the pros handle things, because the pros are asking for more troops, and he has no clue how to evaluate that.

I am *very* worried. Maybe I am wrong, I certainly hope I am wrong, but he does not come across like someone who has an idea about what he wants, but just needs a little more time to formalize it.

[Razgovory]

Everyone wishes Afghanistan would go away.  People have wanted that for centuries.

[Barrister]

Everyone wishes Afghanistan would go away.  People have wanted that for centuries.

That is a valid point - I kind of wish it would go away as well.

Of course I know damn well it isn't.

[Valmy]

Well I certainly do not think he is spending his time putting together a plan he hopes will fail.  Why else would he want to wait a few weeks to announce his revamped strategy if he didn't feel like it could be improved?

I haven't heard or read anything about a revamped strategy.  I thought the issue on the table was McChrystal's request for more troops.  And there are plenty of political reasons to hold off on that question.

Ok first of all I was speaking generally, that I prefer Presidents take their time and be cautious and deliberate and I made that statement in response to Tamas' general assesment.  If Obama is taking his time because he wants to be careful then I think that is awesome.  But that sorta depends on that is in fact what he is doing.

Having said that "But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama's thinking."  Sounds exactly like he wants something revamped or why would his questions alter anything?

[DGuller]

Everyone wishes Afghanistan would go away.  People have wanted that for centuries.

[Admiral Yi]

Ok first of all I was speaking generally, that I prefer Presidents take their time and be cautious and deliberate and I made that statement in response to Tamas' general assesment.  If Obama is taking his time because he wants to be careful then I think that is awesome.  But that sorta depends on that is in fact what he is doing.

Having said that "But the president raised questions at a war council meeting Wednesday that could alter the dynamic of both how many additional troops are sent to Afghanistan and what the timeline would be for their presence in the war zone, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Obama's thinking."  Sounds exactly like he wants something revamped or why would his questions alter anything?

I think that's a signal for cutting and running.  I suppose you could apply the description of "strategy" to that choice, sort of like Congress' strategy of cutting of aid to South Vietnam, or the Confederacy's strategy of surrendering.

[Valmy]

Well...yes it could be.  My false optimism sustains me.

I mean I think we probably should at least have a plan on how to leave and what leaving would look like but it should be done in such a way we can regard the enterprise as successful.

[Admiral Yi]

Heard on CNN that the first question asked at his China press conference (by a US pool reporter) was "what peice of information he was waiting for before making a decision."

[DGuller]

Heard on CNN that the first question asked at his China press conference (by a US pool reporter) was "what peice of information he was waiting for before making a decision."

Poll numbers?

[Admiral Yi]

Poll numbers?

Poll numbers are already in and I doubt they'll change much.  He might be doing some focus group stuff to measure intensity of feeling, but I think the biggest factor is health care reform.

[Hansmeister]

Heard on CNN that the first question asked at his China press conference (by a US pool reporter) was "what peice of information he was waiting for before making a decision."

The obamateur wants to be the opposite of Bush.  Bush was 'the Decider", so Obama is "the Indecisive".

This is simply the Obamateurs lack of competence showing.  He has to be the Commander in Chief and suddenly realizes that he has to make a decision but doesn't have an obviously good one to pick from, so he dithers and postpones making the decision, asking for increasingly irrelevant information that only increases the confusion and seeking the advise from people who have no competence on the matter (Biden, Kerry, Axelrod, Rahm, etc.)

An experience executive knows how to make tough decisions even with incomplete information because he knows that the worst decision one can make is no decision at all.  Who knew the presidency of the united States isn't a suitable entry-level executive job.

[Sheilbh]

Also, sidenote, the English healthcare system sounds awful.  "Oh yes you have healthcare and yes there is a drug that could help treat your condition but you're going to have to wait until someone else comes off of it because there are only so many slots."

That's not a description of the NHS though