NYT: Is the Pentagon Telling the Truth About Afghanistan?
The New York Times editorial board charges that the Pentagon isn’t giving the President good information on the conduct and successes in Afghanistan based on a report from the United Nations that claims there is a resurgence of the Taliban.
The fall of Kunduz two weeks ago was a startling sign of how the Taliban has reasserted itself, wresting a northern city from the control of the NATO-trained Afghan Security Forces, who are not doing a great job of showing they are up to defending their country. The United Nations data, reported by The Times on Monday and backed up by interviews with local officials, paint an even bleaker picture of an expanding insurgency that has spread through more of Afghanistan than at any point since the Taliban government was deposed at the end of 2001.
Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure that the Pentagon is only giving the President the information that he wants to hear. The Pentagon gave him unbiased information when he was considering how many troops he was sending in the Afghanistan “surge” and he discounted the numbers that he was given by the Pentagon and the CIA. He disregarded their advice that not fully staffing the surge would have the results that we’ve been seeing for the last six years. So, the message from the White House, after Stan McCrystal was fired, was that the Pentagon should just tell the White House what they want to hear, that facts had no place in the daily briefings.
Looking at the way the war against ISIS is being prosecuted, the truth doesn’t matter any-damn-way.
When ISIS was at the gates of Ramadi earlier this year, the White House, weeks before the city fell to ISIS, discounted the city’s importance and let it go. So, really, what’s the point of telling the truth? the President is going to do what the President is going to do, regardless of the way the war is going.
Category: Terror War
Things go poorly for Bush in Iraq = his fault.
Things go poorly for Obama in Afghanistan = someone else’s fault.
Got it. Nice cover job, NYT.
You forgot:
Things go poorly for Obama in Iraq = Still Bush’s fault
That’s pretty rich from a President that gets his intel from watching the news.
I linked to sources yesterday:
2 districts up north in Taliban Control, Garziwan and Pashtun Kot.
Part of Helmand in Taliban Control. Lashkar Gah and/or Kandahar city might be next.
Ghazni under attack and Rt. 1 blocked by the Taliban.
As I pointed out about 10 days ago, SE Paktika, Waza Khwa District is now under Taliban Control.
The Taliban op tempo seems to always increase on or around 01OCT of each year until winter asserts itself.
If a cave man like me knows about this shit, I find it hard to believe that President Mom Jeans didn’t get the memo.
The Officer bearing his Presidential Daily Briefing sat outside the Oval Office, and got a glimpse of Buh-rock, as he trudged to Marine One, his caddy and security detail in tow. He can’t be bothered with stuff like that, gotta get in another 18.
The memo went back to Langley, still tucked away in his briefing folder.
“NYT: Is the Pentagon Telling the Truth About Afghanistan?”
Let’s rephrase that to: “NYT: Is the NYT Telling the Truth About ANYTHING?”
They haven’t told the truth about Walter Duranty for almost 80 years-why start now?
Good comprehensive article about Obama’s adversary in the ME. It is easy to see outclassed Obama is.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-12/meet-ghostly-iranian-spymaster-running-every-mid-east-proxy-war-he-everywhere-nowher
Dude was behind enemy lines stealing goats while Obama was asking “one scoop or two?”.
Good BBC video about the same man. It’s a pity we elected such a moron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZOXyOAymh8
I rather suspect the truth is in the Presidential Daily Brief prepared for the POTUS. I’m guessing all he has to do is attend the briefing and listen (or read the briefing book) daily to know the score.
His call whether he does either.
He only pays attention to the PDB if it has the weather report for the next golf course he’s playing. Other than that, nope.
He only finds out what’s happening in the world when he reads the newspaper and given how in the bag they are for him, he doesn’t even get a reasonable take on what’s really happening.
You don’t learn much only reading the comics…
Obama is rather like a Mel Brooks character. “I only wanna hear good news. No bad news you got it. Gentlemen, we gotta protect our phony baloney jobs!”
Good Blazing Saddles reference. Mel brooks “leaders” would be better as President right now.
The Taliban is resurgent? Who knew? Wow, sure with the Pentagon had let someone know….
But POTUS explicitly told us the other day that he has strengthened America’s allies around the world! (Let’s not quibble over who is an ally…)
Jonn, you said, “The New York Times editorial board charges that the Pentagon isn’t giving the President good information on the conduct and successes in Afghanistan based on a report from the United Nations that claims there is a resurgence of the Taliban.”
Here is what I think. I think that it doesn’t matter what anyone tells the Occupant, he does what he wants. The NYT is trying to slander the Pentagon because it is the Pentagon and, in their world, it is important for everyone to remember that the Pentagon lies because it is just frikken impossible that the Occupant ignored good advice.
“I’m pretty sure that the Pentagon is only giving the President the information that he wants to hear.”
Ding! ding! ding! Winner winner chicken dinner!
Beleaving anything else is delusion. Saying anything else is spin and collusion.