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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Obama on Afghanistan: "Weak, Weak, Weak."

Via Powerline:

Kristofer Harrison served as the Chief of Staff to the Counselor of the Secretary of State during the Bush administration:

I was involved in the the Bush administration's 2008 Afghanistan review and it was every bit as in depth and serious as the one several years earlier for Iraq. It involved many of the same people who helped conduct Gen. McChrystal's recent review and included Democrats, Republicans, our British allies, Afghans, etc. The strategy put forward was sound and competent, and carbon-copy similar to the one that President Obama announced in March.

It is also true that team Obama was briefed on this review before assuming office. In fact, we began briefing both campaigns even before the election. I don't remember the dates, but well before the election we began bringing together the national security teams from both campaigns for in-depth briefing sessions under the auspices of the Aspen Institute. These were long events where Bush administration cabinet-level officials spent days -- yes, days -- briefing the two candidates' advisers. After the election we began spending hours with the transition team on the details of the plan and the situation on the ground.

It is also true that Obama's transition team asked us to hold the Afghanistan review findings, a request to which President Bush acquiesced because (as it was relayed to me) he did not want to box the new president into a narrow set of options. In March, when Obama announced his new Afghanistan strategy, I did not notice a single change from the new plan that we had given him...only Obama did not resource it with enough troops.

The Chicago mob's behavior is unbelievably unseemly. Here they were given an immense amount of material, a complete strategic review and plan with the author's heading left blank. President Bush felt it was his duty to do so. And all Obama can do is smear president Bush, even after he filled his own name into the author's column.

Obama seems not to understand that it is not President Bush who is suffering here. Rather, it is our under-resourced soldiers in Afghanistan who are suffering. Obama has had his hands on this plan for a full year now, and he's done virtually nothing except play politics. He needs to give our soldiers the resources to succeed, and then help create the political atmosphere so that they have time to succeed. It seems he has the intestinal fortitude to do neither. Weak, weak, weak.

1 comment:

J. Tyler Ballance said...

Bike to Obama – Deeds
October 27, 2009
(Please cut and paste this info to share at other sites)

Tickets for the event may be obtained via the website: http://www.deedsforvirginia.com/events/obama1027
Unfortunately, there will be no tickets distributed at the door. All rides will be self-led and will depart about 2:00 PM. Riders should obey all traffic laws and ride in single file. Riders of all capabilities are welcome to participate. Ride at your own pace.

Event activities will begin at about 3:50 PM at Old Dominion University
Ted Constant Convocation Center, 4320 Hampton Blvd. Norfolk, VA 23529

1. From Ghent:

2:00 PM
Meet at Contes Bike Shop, 314 W. 21st Street, Norfolk. Park across 22nd Street in the gravel lot.
West on 21st Street, turn right onto Colley Avenue, under railroad overpass, then down to 43rd Street. Left on 43rd Street, then down to the Ted Constant Center on Hampton Blvd.

2. From Ward’s Corner:

2:00 PM
Meet at Wards Corner Shopping Center (corner of Little Creek Road and Granby St.), Take Little Creek Road West to Hampton Blvd. Turn Left on Hampton Blvd. Follow Hampton Blvd. over the Lafayette Bridge and toward ODU/downtown, until you reach the Ted Constant Center at 4320 Hampton Blvd.

3. From Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia:

2:00 PM
Meet at the Naval Exchange Parking lot, head West to Hampton Blvd. Turn Left on Hampton Blvd. Follow Hampton Blvd. over the Lafayette Bridge and toward ODU/downtown, until you reach the Ted Constant Center at 4320 Hampton Blvd.