Levin: Obama shouldn’t be flexible on the withdrawal date
Armed services chairman Carl Levin, who has never spent a day of his life in the military, is pressuring the president to stand fast on the withdrawal date for Afghanistan set for July irrespective of the conditions on the ground;
“The president is now under pressure from inside and outside the military to build flexibility into that July 2011 date,” Levin said in prepared remarks he’s set to deliver to the Council on Foreign Relations. “I want to tell you why I believe sticking to that date is essential to success, and why President Obama should not, and I believe will not, modify the July 2011 date.”
Levin, an opponent of the original surge of troops into Afghanistan that Obama ordered last fall, said that sticking to the date was critical to “strengthen Afghan resolve” to build its own internal military and policing systems to fend off Taliban-led insurgents once the U.S. leaves the country.
Of course we’ve all seen the deterioration of the relationship we’ve had with the Pakistan government in the last few years – burning of 27 fuel trucks yesterday and another deadly attack today is a good example. The withdrawal won’t happen overnight, so some troops will be left behind and vulnerable if the Afghanis don’t have enough “resolve” as Levin hopes.
Odds are that Levin’s statement will only strengthen the resolve of the Taliban and improve their recruiting efforts – especially if they institute a delayed entry program. Everything has a political solution to these people. They stopped us from finishing the job in Iraq in 1991, they stopped us from finishing what they started in Somalia, the future of Iraq is in question. Haven’t they learned the lessons of the last generation?
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Congress sucks, Terror War
How in the living hell does a guy who pisses on the military almost as badly as Senator (Did you know he was in Vietnam?) Kerry does, or goes almost as far as Senator Durbin does in calling our troops Nazis ever get on this committee?
Oh, wait–it’s not really Armed Services Committee…it’s the Armed Services DISMANTLING Committee. Got it. Thanks for the clarification.
Either the Dismantling Committee, or the Armed Services Communist Oversight Committee.
But, it’s all cool, Karl, we know what you are. “Progressive”, indeed.
Levin gave away the stupidity of his idea of a withdrawl date by admitting the Afghans do not have an internal military and policing systems to fend off the Taliban. Resolve without ability is what he is suggesting.
In fairness he is doing what he knows, giving victory to the enemy. And satisfying his lunitic base of supporters.
Yes, it’s just a numbers and date game for the politicians. Even my own congressman, a Republican was talking this game.
Supposedly certain intel agencies have heard “Taliban chatter” about just laying low until we’re gone. “FIGHT TO WIN or bring Em HOME.” I’m sick to DEATH of GUTLESS POS POLITICIANS. On the other hand who wants to be the last to die for a Lost Cause (due to said politicians). GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS! And by all means watch each others SIXES. I knew going into this that eventually our POS POLS and certain people in our country would not have the POLITICAL WILL i.e. Intestinal Fortitude to FIGHT TO WIN. FUCK EM ALL!