I don’t know what else to make of it:
“We cannot win a war against the terrorists if we’re on the wrong battlefield,” Obama said. “America must urgently begin deploying from Iraq and take the fight more effectively to the enemy’s home by destroying al-Qaida’s leadership along the Afghan-Pakistan border, eliminating their command and control networks and disrupting their funding.”
AQ’s home is not on the Afghan side of that border, that is for certain.
More likely he’s advocating doing what our national strategy for terrorism says to do, which is to restrict their ability to cross borders. Let Pakistan deal with them by keeping them from crossing into Afghanistan and then on from there.
He is pretty poorly informed then, because this spring we have been letting them cross the border so we can kill them.
That much vaunted spring offensive hasn’t quite worked out the way they wanted.
Also, Pakistan cut a deal in 2005 to not bother those areas, though it looks like he has just reevaluated it after the mosque action and its aftermath. He has deployed his army again.
I am hoping he is authorizing more attacks into the Pakistan side of the border by our troops given all the attempts to kill him. Stay tuned.
Despite his four years in the IL State Senate, Obama seems pretty clueless.
Are you saying that he is wrong? One the one hand you criticize Obama for this view and then you compliment Musharaff for implmenting a similar position. Is this the same Art that wanted to destroy an Iranian refinery after 8 British soldiers were captured by Iran? It seems to me Obama is being very reasonable, although I am sure it is only for political reasons. I don’t think he would actually do it as president.
" Are you saying that he is wrong?"
Yes.
“One the one hand you criticize Obama for this view and then you compliment Musharaff for implimenting a similar position.”
Yes. That has something to do with the fact that Musharaff runs Pakistan and its Army and he can do as he sees appropriate inside Pakistan. I believe Obama actually wants to run the American Army.
“It seems to me Obama is being very reasonable.”
Now I am confused. Do you think we should invade Pakistan? Do you think Obama wants us to invade Pakistan?
These are very simple questions. Please don’t give me a story, just an answer.
Art, the one thing that is consistent in all of your posts is that you base your opinions on what is published in the mainstream press. This is understandable because you lack real world experience from military or government service. Not a criticism, simply a fact. In the real world, we have already taken action in Pakistan. We don’t have to “invade” to deal with the problem, we have other methods. Musharaff wants to maintain his position and he depends on us for his very survival. How do you think he avoided the roadside bombs that were intended to take him out? By US supplied counter measures. So, the reality is we already have a foot print in Pakistan, you just don’t know about it. Musharaff is our puppet. He depends on us for his very survival. But, if this became apparent he would lose face and that same power so it’s in our interest, and his, to perpetuate the myth that he is his own man.
No surprise, no answers but a long story.
Yawn.
Well I tried, why I don’t know.
Don’t worry about our mate Slowguy. He ignorantly or else accidentally on purpose missed the facts again.
Obama … Osama … there’s only an alteration of one consonant. In fact it is very apt considering how similar the tune quite a few Democrats like to sing, parallel with that of the terrorists themselves.
"“Please don’t give me a story, just an answer.” - ajfranke
Looks like no answer only story today.
Hey roo, point out where I am wrong.
" Hey roo, point out where I am wrong."
" Art, the one thing that is consistent in all of your posts is that you base your opinions on what is published in the mainstream press."
Wrong. If I had to rely on CNN I wouldn’t know squat. Blogs are much better on such matters. Though CNN reports on the Red Mosque and the like, they are clueless about how important that event was.
“you lack real world experience from military or government service.”
You got me there.
“Musharaff is our puppet.”
Wrong. He is not our puppet, and he is only our ally on a good day. We haven’t had many good days lately, though maybe more are on tap. Perhaps his deployment of his army in the last couple days is intended to cut off the retreat of the radicals in response to a soon to be approved action by the US across his border. I can hope at least.
“Musharaff wants to maintain his position and he depends on us for his very survival.”
To be fair, the first point is correct and the second part is at least somewhat correct.
“So, the reality is we already have a foot print in Pakistan, you just don’t know about it.”
The first point is correct, the second point wrong. $5,000,000,000 just doesn’t buy very much of a footprint these days, but it is not nothing either.
“But, if this became apparent he would lose face and that same power.”
Such a perception would be very damaging whether it were true or not, so I guess you have that right too.
“We don’t have to “invade” to deal with the problem”
Well, it is not an invasion if you are invited, but we do need boots on the ground. Musharaff is in a tough position if he allows such actions since then he does look like a puppet bringing the concerns you outline into play.
So maybe now you will answer my two very simple questions above.
Now I am confused. Do you think we should invade Pakistan? Do you think Obama wants us to invade Pakistan?
If by invade you mean dropping the 82nd and 101st on their heads then I would say no. If you mean spec ops, dia, cia, drones, satellite coverage and listening posts covering their entire country then I would say yes, we are already doing that.
As I said, I think Obama is just trying to stake out political cover so that when the next attack occurs here before the election he can say that he was in favor of rooting AQ wherever they may be hiding, including Pakistan. I don’t think he would ever advocate this if he was sitting in the Oval Office. No one in their right mind would be in favor of invading Pakistan.
Blogs??? This is where the A Franke pearls of wisdom come from??? It’s all becoming more clear to me.
"If by invade you mean dropping the 82nd and 101st on their heads then I would say no. If you mean spec ops, dia, cia, drones, satellite coverage and listening posts covering their entire country then I would say yes, we are already doing that. "
Then why would we need to “redeploy from Iraq” in order to do this?
So what you are saying is that you support GWB and want to keep doing more and more of the same thing regarding Pakistan? Do I have that right.
Thanks for at least answering the questions, even if you did have to add in a couple of snarky comments.
**So what you are saying is that you support GWB and want to keep doing more and more of the same thing regarding Pakistan? Do I have that right. **
Yes, that’s right.
Knock me over with a feather.
Off to reevaluate my reasoning. I have obviously overlooked something.
"Don’t worry about our mate Slowguy. He ignorantly or else accidentally on purpose missed the facts again. "
What the Hell are you blabbering about? Are you that desparate to argue with someone? Please go bother someone more close to your intellectual level. There should be an elementary school near you somewhere.
“Hey roo, point out where I am wrong.” - too.tall
OK you’re wrong … Hang on, AJ beat me to it.
But …
“Musharaff is our puppet. He depends on us for his very survival.” - too.tall
Yeah he’s not the USA’s puppet. He could chose to go all radical Islam and be another Ahmadinejad and be a whole lot more popular at home, just like Bush could choose to go all Liberal for the same reasons, but instead they both choose to go with what’s right in principle and try and do what’s best for their countries’ and their people as well as for the general good of the world at large, … in context of the big picture.
Although Musharaaf has to play a little bit of a balancing act and try to gradually coerce his fanatical countrymen along the right path for their own sakes … both leaders alike will go down in modern history as leaders who stuck to their guns for the betterment of their countries.
“What the Hell are you blabbering about?” - Slowguy
Ditto! -