Politicians dawdle, soldiers soldier

Now that Obama has finally made up his mind to continue the fight in Afghanistan, Now he has to fight his own party according to the Washington Post;

Top Democrats have made it clear to Obama that he will not receive a friendly reception should he announce what is considered the leading option: sending 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The legislators have indicated that a request for more money to finance a beefed-up war effort will be met with frustration and, perhaps, a demand to raise taxes.

Yeah, they’ll line up to raise taxes for the war – the one thing they’re spending money on that is actually a function of government (that whole “provide for the common defense” thing). And because Obama took so long to decide what he was going to do about Afghanistan, our so-called allies have decide to begin their dithering according to the New York Times;

The administration confronts several hurdles to garnering more allied contributions. In Britain, which has pledged an additional 500 troops, Defense Minister Bob Ainsworth said Tuesday that Mr. Obama had taken too long to decide on a new strategy, harming the British government’s ability to rally public support for the war.

The British government is facing opinion polls showing that around 70 percent of the public favors an early withdrawal. That figure has nearly doubled in the past six months, as the country has sustained its worst casualties — 97 killed so far this year — since it first deployed troops to Afghanistan after the Taliban were toppled in 2001.

Germany and France have balked at committing any more forces to a war that has so little public support that they can barely maintain current troop levels.

Yeah, 3 months of deliberations over the number of troops he’d deploy hasn’t exactly inspired confidence in Obama’s final decisions. Funny how that works.

To his credit, the President did make phone calls to 10 service members yesterday.

Meantime, JD Johannes of Outside the Wire sends us pictures of one Thanksgiving meal in Iraq at Tikrit. Stars and Stripes reports on the meal at COP Charkh in Afghanistan;

“That was good as (expletive),” one soldier said to another after eating.

And despite the rough conditions, the soldiers said they had a lot to be thankful for. Mainly each other, and that they were all going home. Though there have been many injuries, the company has only lost one soldier in Charkh.

“I’m thankful that all my buddies are still alive and that I get to spend (Thanksgiving) with the guys to the left and right of me who watch my back every day,” said 1st Platoon’s Spc. William Brown of Milwaukee. “And I’m thankful I’m leaving in two weeks.”

“I’m thankful I didn’t get shot at today,” said Pfc. Don Garab of Walkerton, Ind., of 3rd Platoon. “And for a good cigar.”

“I’m thankful I’m not digging that foxhole anymore,” said Spc. John McDermott, one of the unfortunate 2nd Platoon guys tasked with that most un-festive of duties.

“I’m thankful for ‘A cog’ scopes, M203’s and HEDP,” 2nd Platoon’s Sgt. David Lloyd said, military-speak for his rifle scope, grenade launcher and ammunition. “They’ve saved our ass a lot.”

Another Stars and Stripes article reports on yet another Thanksgiving celebration in Barak-Baracki;

Others let sentiment seep through their matter-of-fact, stoic shells.

“We’re with our family just like we would be at Thanksgiving back home,” said Staff Sgt. Ben McKinnon, of New Haven, Connecticut, nodding toward the soldiers around him that have daily shared hardship, suffering and some elation over the past year.

It makes you wonder how politicians can continue to allow the troops to hang their asses out without giving them the support they deserve, doesn’t it?

Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Military issues, Terror War