Graham Questions Afghanistan Commanders

[AGB]

Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen, nominated to replace Gen. David Petraeus as head of coalition forces in Afghanistan, acknowledged Tuesday that President Obama's decision to draw down 10,000 troops by the end of this year and the rest of the surge forces by September 2012 was not one of the options proposed to the president by Gen. Petraeus.

The admission came during questioning from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during Allen's nomination hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services committee.

GRAHAM: The option that the country has chosen through President Obama is to withdraw 10,000 this year, all surge forces gone by September. Is it fair to say, General Allen, that was not one of the options presented to the president by General Petraeus?

ALLEN: It is a more aggressive option than that which was presented.

GRAHAM: My question is, was that a option?

ALLEN: It was not.

GRAHAM: So I just want the country to understand that this is not the Petraeus strategy any longer. The commander in chief has the perfect right to do what he did. I just hope that it hasn't undercut what I think could be a very successful outcome.

Like Allen -- General Petraeus and Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both testified to Congress last week that the President's plan was "more aggressive" than they had anticipated, but were very careful not to reveal the personal advice they offered the president leading up to his decision.

Senator Graham and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., both of whom sit on the armed services committee, were critical of the new timeline announced by the White House last week. McCain told Gen. Allen his job in Afghanistan will be more challenging based on this drawdown.

"I hope I'm wrong," McCain said, but "I'm very concerned the President's decision poses unnecessary risk."

Graham said it's important to make sure the politicians who make decisions that affect the war are held accountable. "If it turns out well, we get the credit. If we've done some things to undermine the effort, then people will notice where the blame lies."

politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/06/28/obama-troop-cuts-went-beyond-largest-withdrawal-offered-top-general#ixzz1QdD9BqMq

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...call me tainted, but the minute I heard his words, I figured it was a campaign stump decision rather than a military strategy... so Graham's "exposing it" comes as no real surprise...

[deziloooooo]

We have been there for 10 years...untold billions spent..that the military is going to cover their butts, naturally so by protecting themselves is understandable however, that's why we do not have the military in final charge of the military, always have to answer to civilians..POTUS actually , and he is deciding , enough is enough as far as more troops..time to start winding it down..unless any one here want a further increase of troops, more $ spent and a open ended war with no light at the end of the tunnel..

Graham is playing politics..thats all he is doing...election coming up in 2012...

"I just hope that it hasn't undercut what I think could be a very successful outcome." ;D he has to be kidding...

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Jun 28, 2011 22:38:52 GMT -5 deziloooooo said:

Graham is playing politics..thats all he is doing...election coming up in 2012...

"I just hope that it hasn't undercut what I think could be a very successful outcome." ;D he has to be kidding...

...true enough... but I wouldn't give POTUS any credit for thinking militarily here, either... do you?

[AGB]

"Graham Obama is playing politics..thats all he is doing...election coming up in 2012..."

Fixed that for you...

[billisonboard]

Gee, the bureaucrats in uniform say don't cut our budget.

[AGB]

Jun 28, 2011 22:49:13 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Gee, the bureaucrats in uniform say don't cut our budget.

What do you think will happen under Obama's plan?

[billisonboard]

Jun 28, 2011 22:53:42 GMT -5 AGB said:

Jun 28, 2011 22:49:13 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Gee, the bureaucrats in uniform say don't cut our budget.

What do you think will happen under Obama's plan?

Not much. The situation in Afghanistan will continue much as it has for the past five hundred (give or take a couple thousand) years.

[AGB]

Not much. The situation in Afghanistan will continue much as it has for the past five hundred (give or take a couple thousand) years.

What do you think will happen to our troops still in Afghanistan? I am all for bringing them home... but I wonder what will happen to those left behind with such a reduction of force.

[billisonboard]

Jun 28, 2011 23:20:57 GMT -5 AGB said:

Not much. The situation in Afghanistan will continue much as it has for the past five hundred (give or take a couple thousand) years.

What do you think will happen to our troops still in Afghanistan? I am all for bringing them home... but I wonder what will happen to those left behind with such a reduction of force.

They will continue to be killed and wounded as they are now.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Jun 28, 2011 23:35:10 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jun 28, 2011 23:20:57 GMT -5 AGB said:

What do you think will happen to our troops still in Afghanistan? I am all for bringing them home... but I wonder what will happen to those left behind with such a reduction of force.

They will continue to be killed and wounded as they are now.

...wow... just wow...

[AGB]

Jun 28, 2011 23:35:10 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jun 28, 2011 23:20:57 GMT -5 AGB said:

What do you think will happen to our troops still in Afghanistan? I am all for bringing them home... but I wonder what will happen to those left behind with such a reduction of force.

They will continue to be killed and wounded as they are now.

With our forces weakened, insurgent attacks will increase. And so will the killing and the wounding of our troops. Trust me, I want to be wrong on this one... and I pray that I am.

[billisonboard]

Jun 28, 2011 23:55:40 GMT -5 AGB said:

Jun 28, 2011 23:35:10 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

They will continue to be killed and wounded as they are now.

With our forces weakened, insurgent attacks will increase. And so will the killing and the wounding of our troops. Trust me, I want to be wrong on this one... and I pray that I am.

Unless the plan is to forever have 100,000 troops in that country, at some point this process of removing our troops must take place. I just wish we were on a much shorter timetable for the removal of all our troops.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

[AGB]

Unless the plan is to forever have 100,000 troops in that country, at some point this process of removing our troops must take place. I just wish we were on a much shorter timetable for the removal of all our troops.

I have no problem admitting that I don't want the job of planning the withdrawal. I do question the President's wisdom in making a decision outside the range of options he was given by people with much more experience in the area than he has. But... bringing the troops home more aggressively sounds good for 2012, and he is running with it. I hope his campaigning does not put our men and women over there in harms way. I do believe we have some common ground with that one?

[AGB]

Molly... what are your thoughts on the chart you posted?

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

I am thinking that a lot of people are still over there, fighting an unwinnable war ... even with proposed draw downs.

I am thinking that a lot more people will be injured and killed, fighting an unwinnable war ... even with proposed draw downs.

I am thinking that ten years is long enough to be fighting a war / occupying a nation.... and that drawing things out for another 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 years .... seems pointless and a colossal waste of money and lives.

I am thinking that many Americans and the U.S. media seem to just be apathetic about this situation, and they aren't demanding a change the way that was done in years gone by.... and that's sad.

I am thinking that the tens of thousands of troops who are still in IRAQ know that these so-called withdrawals and drawdowns have just increased their risk and danger .... and that there's no practical end in sight to our involvement in that war, either.

Disclaimer: I've grown weary of war. I've grown weary of deployments. I've grown wear of people not even caring about whether or not our government does anything to end these wars and to bring these troops home. It's been a long ten years. And, even as I write this, I am waiting for my wonderful DH to deploy later this summer back to Iraq ... for the EIGHTH time.

[AGB]

Disclaimer: I've grown weary of war. I've grown weary of deployments. I've grown wear of people not even caring about whether or not our government does anything to end these wars and to bring these troops home. It's been a long ten years. And, even as I write this, I am waiting for my wonderful DH to deploy later this summer back to Iraq ... for the EIGHTH time.

Not that karma will make up for it... but I gave it to you anyway. May your wonderful dh return as safely from his eighth deployment as he has from his previous ones.

What change should Americans be demanding? What is the answer?