(Sep 15, 2009): "Top US Military Officer Says More Troops Likely Needed in Afghanistan" (by Meredith Buel, VOA News)

[CGP]

READ @ VOA NEWS (http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-15-voa59.cfm)


U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Tuesday that the United States probably will need to send more troops to Afghanistan to win the war against Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents.

U.S. military officials say they are in a race against time and mounting opposition from the American public to reverse the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, where violence has reached its highest level since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001.

Mullen discussed the troop levels in testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. "A properly resourced counter-insurgency probably means more forces and without question, more time and more commitment to the protection of the Afghan people and to the development of good governance," he said.

Mullen did not say how many more soldiers would be needed, but he said he expects a request for additional troops in the next two weeks from U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, the top American and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

The United States now has about 62,000 troops in Afghanistan, nearly double the number from last year. The number of American forces in Afghanistan is slated to reach 68,000 by year's end.

Despite President Barack Obama's earlier decision to send an additional 17,000 combat troops and 4,000 trainers for Afghan forces, U.S. officials say the security in areas infiltrated by the Taliban continues to worsen.

Admiral Mullen says that if the Taliban retake control of Afghanistan, the country will again be a safe haven for terrorist groups like al-Qaida. "It is the epicenter of terrorism right now. It is very clear that in fact al-Qaida is diminished while it is living in Pakistan, and this is a Pakistan-Afghanistan issue. They are by no means dead. It is a very serious threat," he said.

Mullen called for patience with U.S. and NATO efforts in Afghanistan as the American public and some members of Congress are becoming increasingly uneasy about the conflict.

A recent CNN survey shows that 58 percent of Americans oppose the war, while 39 percent support it.


Continues at the link...

[agatha]

I was in the car at an odd time for me today and caught a bit of Michael Savage. He predicted strong opposition for the war soon. He said it would actually be coming from the Right. :thinking: I'm not sure about the Right part but I do agree that war opposition will only hold out so long.

[Valin]

I was in the car at an odd time for me today and caught a bit of Michael Savage. He predicted strong opposition for the war soon. He said it would actually be coming from the Right. :thinking: I'm not sure about the Right part but I do agree that war opposition will only hold out so long.

See George Will. Also I would recomend the Paleo-Cons...Pat Buchanan, Jason Lewis (Talk show Host) and a host of others, [url=http://www.amconmag.com/]The American Conservative.

Michael Savage? What can I say about him....Abraham Lincoln talked about appealing to the better angels of out nature, Savage does just the opposite.

If I wanted to make a movie/TV show and do a hitjob on talk radio, I'd use Savage as my model.

[Ikasu]

Michael Savage? What can I say about him....Abraham Lincoln talked about appealing to the better angels of out nature, Savage does just the opposite.

If I wanted to make a movie/TV show and do a hitjob on talk radio, I'd use Savage as my model.

His base station in SF dropped him.

[agatha]

See George Will. Also I would recomend the Paleo-Cons...Pat Buchanan, Jason Lewis (Talk show Host) and a host of others, [url=http://www.amconmag.com/]The American Conservative.

Michael Savage? What can I say about him....Abraham Lincoln talked about appealing to the better angels of out nature, Savage does just the opposite.

If I wanted to make a movie/TV show and do a hitjob on talk radio, I'd use Savage as my model.




Savage actually talked about Pat Buchanan today too. Something about how he was defending Nazis and condeming Churchill at some conference recently.

[Valin]

His base station in SF dropped him.


LIFE...IS...GOOD!
I imagine he'll rant and rave about that for the next year.
I don't like shouters...he's a shouter. I don't like that he attacks other talk show hosts, As far as I know (and I'm a talk show junkie) he's the only one who does it. It's long ago gotten to the point where he comes on, I turn the channel.

[Ikasu]

Savage actually talked about Pat Buchanan today too. Something about how he was defending Nazis and condeming Churchill at some conference recently.

Buchanan has a bizarre view of Hitler and WWII. His revisionist history of the war is nothing new for him. It reminds me of arguments made by Holocaust denier and historian David Irving.

[Ikasu]

LIFE...IS...GOOD!
I imagine he'll rant and rave about that for the next year.
I don't like shouters...he's a shouter. I don't like that he attacks other talk show hosts, As far as I know (and I'm a talk show junkie) he's the only one who does it. It's long ago gotten to the point where he comes on, I turn the channel.

You're an intellectual conservative. Who do you listen to?

[CGP]

YouTube - Mullen: More Forces Needed to Win Afghan War

[agatha]

So does anyone think the dam holding back the antiwar groups will burst soon? I don't go to moveon for fear they will smell a Conservative and send me all sorts of nasty viruses. :laughing: Has anyone checked them out lately?

[cindyb]

Cindy Sheehan is still out protesting I thought, they just won't give her any publicity anymore. Just like they won't with ACORN.

They should do a surge in Afghanistan, it worked wonders in Iraq but I am no expert. I have read where they need a MINIMUM of 10,000 more troops but really more than that.

[Valin]

You're an intellectual conservative. Who do you listen to?

I R gots hole grat big bunches of mor edumakashuns :D

I like (in no particular order) Hugh Hewitt (http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog) (IMO the best talk show going), Sean Hannity (,http://www.hannity.com/) Dennis Prager (http://www.dennisprager.com/), Bill Bennet (http://www.billbennett.com/), NARN (http://townhall.com/talkradio/show.aspx?radioshowid=7&contentguid=fde394cb-5e9d-48f2-99a2-b48f04ca2b6d) (Northern Alliance Radio Network) John Hinderaker of Power Line Blog
King Banaian of SCSU Scholars Blog
Mitch Berg of the blog Shot In The Dark
Brian "Saint Paul" Ward and Chad "The Elder" of the blog Fraters Libertas
"Captain" Ed Morrissey of Hot Air
Michael Brodkorb of the blog Minnesota Democrats Exposed
James Lileks is also a frequent guest host.
I also listen to (cue the ominious music) Glenn Beck, although he's more of a doom and gloomer than I am. And of course Rush.

[Kbentleyis]

U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen should get a couple of flags and stand on the tarmac in front of Air Force 1 to get BHO's attention. BHO is too busy selling health insurance to his base to care about world events. Especially the war in Afghanistan.

[Valin]

Cindy Sheehan is still out protesting I thought, they just won't give her any publicity anymore. Just like they won't with ACORN.

They should do a surge in Afghanistan, it worked wonders in Iraq but I am no expert. I have read where they need a MINIMUM of 10,000 more troops but really more than that.

If you are interested...
Books
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam
John Nagl

The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
David Kilcullen

Blogs
Long Wars Journal (http://billroggio.com/)

Michael Yon (http://michaelyon-online.com/)

Small Wars Journal (http://www.smallwarsjournal.com/)
And their forum Small War Council (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php)

Just a couple of places to start.

[Alces95]

Cindy Sheehan is still out protesting I thought, they just won't give her any publicity anymore. Just like they won't with ACORN.

They should do a surge in Afghanistan, it worked wonders in Iraq but I am no expert. I have read where they need a MINIMUM of 10,000 more troops but really more than that.

I have a new SAT question for this site.

Sarah Palin is to Spang as

______ is to Conservatives.

A: Hillary
B: Carter
C: Rush
D: Acorn

The correct answer is D!

(Sorry, couldn't help it. Even an Afganistan thread had Acorn in it!):rotfl:

Ok, no more hijacking...

[Kbentleyis]

I have a new SAT question for this site.

Sarah Palin is to Spang as

______ is to Conservatives.

A: Hillary
B: Carter
C: Rush
D: Acorn

The correct answer is D!

(Sorry, couldn't help it. Even an Afganistan thread had Acorn in it!):rotfl:

Ok, no more hijacking...

:laughing: Good one! I love it. Yes, I guess we're kind of over the top on ACORN. But it's a good fight and if we don't keep it going, who will?

[foxyladi]

U.S. Navy Admiral Michael Mullen should get a couple of flags and stand on the tarmac in front of Air Force 1 to get BHO's attention. BHO is too busy selling health insurance to his base to care about world events. Especially the war in Afghanistan.

hillarystamp!