Feingold: Afghanistan Strategy 'Doesn't Make Any Sense To Me'

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) said on This Week today that President Obama's Afghanistan strategy "doesn't make any sense to me" and "defies common sense."

Why would we build up 100,000 or more troops in parts of Afghanistan included that are not even near the border? You know, this buildup is in Helmand Province. That's not next door to Waziristan. So I'm wondering, what exactly is this strategy, given the fact that we have seen that there is a minimal presence of Al Qaida in Afghanistan, but a significant presence in Pakistan? It just defies common sense that a huge boots on the ground presence in a place where these people are not is the right strategy. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Here's the video.

If anything, Feingold said, the escalation of the Afghanistan war will further embolden the Taliban and push the Afghan population to embrace America's enemies.

"This boots-on-the-ground approach alienates the Afghan population and specifically encourages the Taliban to further coalesce with Al Qaida, which is the complete opposite of our national security interest," Feingold said.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...-me.php?ref=fpb

[DEDixon 39]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

1. bring home all the troops from Afghanistan, tomorrow would be good.

2. Offer to buy all opium grown at 3 x market price, making us the best fiends the Afghanx=s ever had and cutting off the Taliban from their funding

3. Sell a small percentage of the opium to countries withsocialized medicine, cornering the market on medicinal opiates. Sink the rest of it in the Marianas trench.

Leave a few special forces there to track down Taliban and Osama Bin Laden and call in cruise missle strikes as needed.

[Nagishkaw 510]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

Has he ever told the truth about anything?

[NickD 203]

Beginning to dislike Obama myself, yet another BSer. Not only Afghanistan, but his stance on global warming, Russ is asking for an investigation into this global warming fraud going around. And also our huge trade deficit with China, can also toss in the Japanese and South Koreans in this scheme. Obama has helped the banks, but not the working class in bringing jobs back to the USA.

Russ certainly has a lot more experience than Obama and far more knowledgeable, and most important, he tells it like it is. His marriage history isn't the best, so primarily for that reason, didn't run for president, we want a happily married couple in that office like Bill and Hilary.

Perhaps I am prejudiced in that Russ took some of his valuable time to help my wife and me when we were having major problems with the USCIS, not once, but twice. Feel being raised in a small town in Wisconsin where honesty is key is far better than dealing with all the crooks in Chicago. You probably noticed that Russ doesn't bend over to Obama like GWB's cronies did. And it's not because he is a democrat, but because, he is an American.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

[SMR 368]

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) said on This Week today that President Obama's Afghanistan strategy "doesn't make any sense to me" and "defies common sense."

Why would we build up 100,000 or more troops in parts of Afghanistan included that are not even near the border? You know, this buildup is in Helmand Province. That's not next door to Waziristan. So I'm wondering, what exactly is this strategy, given the fact that we have seen that there is a minimal presence of Al Qaida in Afghanistan, but a significant presence in Pakistan? It just defies common sense that a huge boots on the ground presence in a place where these people are not is the right strategy. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Here's the video.

If anything, Feingold said, the escalation of the Afghanistan war will further embolden the Taliban and push the Afghan population to embrace America's enemies.

"This boots-on-the-ground approach alienates the Afghan population and specifically encourages the Taliban to further coalesce with Al Qaida, which is the complete opposite of our national security interest," Feingold said.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...-me.php?ref=fpb

Exactly what makes Senator Russ Feingold an expert in counterinsurgency? One more Harvard law graduate who thinks he knows more about everything than the experts in the field. I'm sure General McChrystal has a strategy and knows what he's doing. He just has more sense than to explain it to Feingold, who would likely blab it on NBC and to everyone that would listen.

[NickD 203]

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) said on This Week today that President Obama's Afghanistan strategy "doesn't make any sense to me" and "defies common sense."

Why would we build up 100,000 or more troops in parts of Afghanistan included that are not even near the border? You know, this buildup is in Helmand Province. That's not next door to Waziristan. So I'm wondering, what exactly is this strategy, given the fact that we have seen that there is a minimal presence of Al Qaida in Afghanistan, but a significant presence in Pakistan? It just defies common sense that a huge boots on the ground presence in a place where these people are not is the right strategy. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Here's the video.

If anything, Feingold said, the escalation of the Afghanistan war will further embolden the Taliban and push the Afghan population to embrace America's enemies.

"This boots-on-the-ground approach alienates the Afghan population and specifically encourages the Taliban to further coalesce with Al Qaida, which is the complete opposite of our national security interest," Feingold said.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...-me.php?ref=fpb

Exactly what makes Senator Russ Feingold an expert in counterinsurgency? One more Harvard law graduate who thinks he knows more about everything than the experts in the field. I'm sure General McChrystal has a strategy and knows what he's doing. He just has more sense than to explain it to Feingold, who would likely blab it on NBC and to everyone that would listen.

Could be a question of motives, could be Obama knows something as president that we nor our senators do not know, or could be motives by those that would profit by this war. 30 billion for 30 thousand troops didn't add up to me, a million bucks per troop, but did hear later on that 964 would also be sent to teach the Afghans how to farm. I didn't record Obama's speech, but from his facial expressions, did not feel he was telling us the truth. Seems far more logical that our presence there is increasing the number of terrorists rather than decreasing them.

So far hundreds of thousands of people have died because of the act of 19 guys with a handful of leaders where the top guy has yet to be caught. And some rather nasty guys are getting super rich off of this, so are motives the reason this war is going on?

On sure how much weight to put on this site.

http://rethinkafghanistan.com/?utm_source=rgemail#petition

Sure a general wants more troops, but exactly what is his mission, still unclear about that. Many like to compare post war Germany with Afghanistan, but with Germany, we were dealing with a far more intelligent class of people that quickly began to realize the lies Hitler was telling them. In regards to those Nazi diehards, the German people did more to get rid of those guys than what we had to do. In Afghanistan, no central leadership to deal with, but thousands of warlords, not exactly the same. Then we have China supplying arms to Iran for oil that is being supplied to the terrorists that is being used to kill our troops. Perhaps the single most important issue that Obama rather very conveniently overlooked.

I am prejudiced because during the VN era, I was on the wrong side of the fence, while CEO's here were making billions because of that war.

[DEDixon 39]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

they are lying about the date of the supposed pull out. the date is july 2011 which given the mission there is not enough time. it will take them 6 months to get there and setup and then they have a measly year to train afghans? he promoted the pull out with the troop increase just to appease leftards - he is trying to have it both ways and in the process telling flat out lies. gates said on TV over the weekend that pull out was to begin 2011 BUT he expects us to have a military presents there longer. so how many do they pull out in 2011? they won't say. is a pull out more than 50 percent? is it 75%? what defines a pull out? they are sending out a vague and a mixed message so they can try to wiggle out of whatever they said later.

this is the jimmy carter in obama - he doesn't want to take a hardcore stand on anything beyond climate control (whoopie). of all things, war is hardcore and he should be taking a hardcore stand, not talking about a troop increase while at the same time talking about a pull out (#######?). in war, you say, we'll be there until we win and he is not saying that. if he can't say we'll be there until we win then he should not be sending additional troops. i've never seen anything more azz backwards in my life other than reading about vietnam.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

DE - read the transcript of Obama's speech. He didn't state a pullout, but a draw down date. That's a huge difference.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

they are lying about the date of the supposed pull out. the date is july 2011 which given the mission there is not enough time.

Is that what your extensive military expertise tells you?

[Dan J 277]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

they are lying about the date of the supposed pull out. the date is july 2011 which given the mission there is not enough time. it will take them 6 months to get there and setup and then they have a measly year to train afghans? he promoted the pull out with the troop increase just to appease leftards - he is trying to have it both ways and in the process telling flat out lies. gates said on TV over the weekend that pull out was to begin 2011 BUT he expects us to have a military presents there longer. so how many do they pull out in 2011? they won't say. is a pull out more than 50 percent? is it 75%? what defines a pull out? they are sending out a vague and a mixed message so they can try to wiggle out of whatever they said later.

this is the jimmy carter in obama - he doesn't want to take a hardcore stand on anything beyond climate control (whoopie). of all things, war is hardcore and he should be taking a hardcore stand, not talking about a troop increase while at the same time talking about a pull out (#######?). in war, you say, we'll be there until we win and he is not saying that. if he can't say we'll be there until we win then he should not be sending additional troops. i've never seen anything more azz backwards in my life other than reading about vietnam.

Things change on the ground every day. If you set to many specifics out too soon, you will find you have to make changes on what you said before. How many more billions do you want to spend in Afghanistan, these new troops add $30 billion per year to the already large bill.

[DEDixon 39]

DE - read the transcript of Obama's speech. He didn't state a pullout, but a draw down date. That's a huge difference.

it is what is implied. average guy on the street, when he hears "draw down" is thinking "we are leaving, getting out of there." yeah, gradual, but still the beginning of a quick end especially in the context of this being "one last try."

please no hair splitting. is this what leftards are going to do with the time comes... he said "draw down" not "pull out." if things aren't any better there, ya think anyone is going to bother to differentiate the two? i don't think so.

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

they are lying about the date of the supposed pull out. the date is july 2011 which given the mission there is not enough time. it will take them 6 months to get there and setup and then they have a measly year to train afghans? he promoted the pull out with the troop increase just to appease leftards - he is trying to have it both ways and in the process telling flat out lies. gates said on TV over the weekend that pull out was to begin 2011 BUT he expects us to have a military presents there longer. so how many do they pull out in 2011? they won't say. is a pull out more than 50 percent? is it 75%? what defines a pull out? they are sending out a vague and a mixed message so they can try to wiggle out of whatever they said later.

this is the jimmy carter in obama - he doesn't want to take a hardcore stand on anything beyond climate control (whoopie). of all things, war is hardcore and he should be taking a hardcore stand, not talking about a troop increase while at the same time talking about a pull out (#######?). in war, you say, we'll be there until we win and he is not saying that. if he can't say we'll be there until we win then he should not be sending additional troops. i've never seen anything more azz backwards in my life other than reading about vietnam.

Things change on the ground every day. If you set to many specifics out too soon, you will find you have to make changes on what you said before. How many more billions do you want to spend in Afghanistan, these new troops add $30 billion per year to the already large bill.

i'm on record for being against this war so whatcha talkin about?

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

they are lying about the date of the supposed pull out. the date is july 2011 which given the mission there is not enough time.

Is that what your extensive military expertise tells you?

yes.

[nowhereman 1]

Lots of people posting totally inaccurate information. The July 2011 date is not a drop dead everyone GTFO date... it is the date that troops will begin redeploying. It could be a BCT every 6 months, 2 BCTs every 4 months or whatever, depending on the conditions on the ground. I hear a lot of criticism from the right but no alternatives, except pull out altogether (and not too long ago the right was blasting the liberals for suggesting this).

The Bush plan of writing a blank check to the Aghan & Iraq government, with no defined measurements of success or end state was a total failure & just pulling out is not an option IMO so tell me if you don't like Obama's plan what would you suggest?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

if there were ever another vietnam, this is surely it. obama and all of his robots lying their azzes off with regard to the troop increase.

i've said that obama will get 4 more years because the economy by election time will have improved (if americans are shopping, they could care less about who is president), but if the lying, the blatant lying continues, he could lose over this especially since his lied about pull out time is near election time and especially if conditions aren't any better as well.

considering the 80 percent illiteracy rate, people who have resorted to killing to resolve any kind of dispute, no discipline at any level in the population, i have very very little hope for any success in afghanistan. afghanistan can't handle success.

obama's biggest mistake will be all the dishonesty around this. even if the repubs agreed with this war, when it comes election time and things aren't as obama said they would be, repubs will capitalize on it. i can also see youtube blazing with obama's and his robot's quotes.... lies... it could do him in. there are people out there now, saving every clip to replay during the election.

as bad as it is to say, the only way to win in afghanistan is to take over. short of taking over, no success would ever be long term. the other option for afghanistan would be a ruler such as saddam (darn i say)... someone to rule with an iron fist and who isn't particularly religious.

What lies in regards to the troop increase are you referring to? I don't agree with the troop build-up and would like to see us out of there sooner rather than later but I don't see what lies the administration is telling on this.

they are lying about the date of the supposed pull out. the date is july 2011 which given the mission there is not enough time.

Is that what your extensive military expertise tells you?

yes.

And, outside of that armchair, what exactly would that expertise be, General Dixon?