Posts about Obama Surrenders Afghanistan as of October 29, 2009

Barack Obama woke up early this morning to welcome home the bodies of 18 fallen U.S. soldiers who were killed fighting the war in Afghanistan. The photo shows Obama standing on a tarmac just before dawn and saluting as servicemen carry their fallen comrades off a transport plane. More soldiers are dying as Obama continues to drag [...]

Afghan provinces to be analyzed Details should help president determine need President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle. Obama made the request in a meeting Monday with Vice President Biden and a small group of senior advisers helping him decide whether to expand the war.

Via Spencer Ackerman , I just read John Nagl and Richard Fontaine’s op-ed from two weeks ago: As the Obama administration debates whether to stick with the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan, opponents point to that nation’s flawed presidential election as a reason why this approach cannot work… This argument is badly flawed. Electoral fraud will render our task in Afghanistan more difficult, but it does not make counterinsurgency impossible.

As the serial seminars continue, the front-page headline yesterday on the New York Times was “Brother of Afghan Leader Said to Be Paid by CIA.” The article did not waste any time getting to its point: the news “raises significant questions about America’s war strategy.” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry issued a press release stating it was news to him and raised “serious questions”: “After reading press accounts which allege that Mr.

admin 29 October 2009Bizzare and Offbeat No CommentObama visits Dover AFB to honor fallen U.S. soldiers from Afghanistan.

I had some concerns that a recent Los Angeles Times op-ed from Richard Fontaine and John Nagl of the Center for a New American Security treated the fraudulent Afghan presidential election too blithely, proposing to simply work around Kabul and deal directly with the provinces. But if this Washington Post story is correct , the Obama administration really seems to have taken it to heart.

Yes, yes, to fight the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. But eight years later, American blood and treasure are still being poured into a country of dirt-poor, illiterate people who support themselves by growing poppy for opium and heroin under one of the most corrupt governments in the world. As Barack Obama makes a midnight visit to honor the incoming dead and console their families, critics may sneer at his theatricality, but the President seems to be trying to clear his head and heart

This post was written by News Guy on October 29, 2009 Posted Under: Local News, News, World NewsUS president makes overnight trip to Delaware military air base to meet plane carrying bodies of 18 US soldiers, civilian personnel

(Actually, there are more rapporteurs than czars, but we’ll get back to that later)If you thought the US had tzuris from the UN about its drones, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet.From The New York Post:Looks like the notorious UN Human Rights Council has taken a break from its constant bashing of Israel and is focusing on (ready for this?) housing violations in US cities, including New York. You didn’t know that “adequate housing” (whether you pay for it or not) was a universal human birthright? Neither did we.

Europe is rediscovering the truth of that old adage. In an editorial entitled “We’re waiting, Mr. President” , Der Spiegel decries the lack of leadership from Obama. Some choice quotes: Afghanistan and Pakistan are being shaken by attacks, and the Taliban is dictating the course of the war. US President Obama has been silent about the situation for far too long and European countries like Germany and France are correct to demand better American leadership on the issue of Afghanistan.

By Naween A. Mangi and Farhan SharifOct. 23 (Bloomberg) — Pakistani talk show host Waheed Hussain interrupted a guest discussing the U.S.-led Friends of Democratic Pakistan, which had pledged $5.3 billion in aid to the nation. “You mean foes of Pakistan,” Hussain said.In the same Oct. 8 Waqt News program, Hussain stopped another guest who was talking about a bill by U.S. Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar to triple non-military aid, subject to curbs including an end to army support for terrorists.“It’s ‘looter,’ not Lugar,” Hussain said.

Quote: Clinton puzzled at Pakistan failure to find al Qaeda By Andrew Quinn Andrew Quinn – Thu Oct 29, 10:10 am ET LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s said on Thursday it was “hard to believe” that no one in Pakistan’s government knew where al Qaeda leaders were hiding , striking a new tone on a trip where Washington’s credibility has come under attack.

Oh yeah, I see this turning out well. There is a well-known saying in Afghanistan: “You can rent an Afghan, but you can’t buy him.” Some experts on the region believe a U.S. program to pay Taliban fighters to quit the organization is buying temporary loyalty. President Obama on Wednesday signed a $680 billion defense appropriations bill, which [...]

From the pool reports on the president’s midnight trip to Dover : POTUS’ final scheduled event was a 6:05 p.m. reception commemorating the enactment of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. When it was over, the in-town pool was asked to stick around. Only late in the night did the reason become clear. Actually, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.

President Obama is deeply troubled He has changed the 18 year old policy of George Bush  and allowed the media to film the arrival home of America’s dead from Afghanistan. …

I reported earlier this week that Republicans were holding up a vote to confirm Surgeon General nominee Regina Benjamin because, basically, of arguments over health care reform. In the context of Democrats buckling to Republican demands and holding two hearings on the constitutionality of “czars,” it seemed especially strange. Today, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made what I think is the hardest-edged, most direct and sustained criticism of the Republican minority’s campaign of holds and filibusters on Obama administration and judicial nominees.

  On this day in 1929 “Black Tuesday,” Stock Market crashes, triggers Great Depression Quote of the week: “Change begins within us. We can swing to the left, we can swing back to the right but until we can get beyond the savage mentality of  ‘this or that’ there is only pain.” Scott K Smith CLIPBOARD INCLUDES : Latest Blog Updates    Updated 10/21/09 Earth Watch/Global Consciousness    Updated 10/29/09

Under great pressure from the United States to attack Taliban and tribal fighters in the border regions with Afghanistan, Pakistan has launched a large-scale assault on the tribal region in the northwest of the country. Embroiled in a deep civil crisis, the military campaign is likely to further strain the stability of the U.S.-client state. According to the New York Times, the Obama administration rushed hundreds of millions of dollars of arms to Pakistan in the last month, including transport helicopters, spare parts for attack helicopters and night-vision equipment for F15 pilots.

Pentagon officials won’t confirm Bush propaganda program endedBrad JacobsonRaw Story Thursday, October 29, 2009 [Read Part I and Part II of this series.]The covert Bush administration program that used retired military analysts to generate favorable wartime news coverage may not have been terminated, Raw Story has found.In interviews, Pentagon officials in charge of the press and community relations offices — which worked in partnership on the military analyst program — equivocated on the

Pentagon officials won’t confirm Bush propaganda program ended Brad Jacobson Raw Story Thursday, October 29, 2009 [Read Part I and Part II of this series.] The covert Bush administration program that used retired military analysts to generate favorable wartime news coverage may not have been terminated, Raw Story has found. In interviews, Pentagon officials in charge of the press and community relations offices — which worked in partnership on the military analyst program — equivocated on the subject of whether the program has ended.

Kevin Coombs/ReutersAre Democrats and Republicans struggling with who they are and what they represent?David Brooks: Bob, what do you think about the state of our political parties? Is it possible for both parties to lose at the same time? If conservatives won’t accept moderate candidates in the Northeast, then they are sentencing themselves to permanent minority status.On the one hand, the Republicans are in bad shape politically. Only 20 percent of voters identify themselves as registered members of the party.

Why do all of Obama’s solution seem suspiciously alike?  Car sales slow? Pay people to buy cars.  Lending slow?  Pay people to take out loans.  Business not hiring?  Pay them to do government make-work jobs. Terrorists in Afghanistan won’t back down?  Pay them to stop fighting . The defence Bill due to be signed by US president Barack Obama yesterday contains a new provision that would pay Taliban fighters who renounce the insurgency, Senate armed services committee chairman Carl Levin has said.

President Obama salutes during the dignified transfer of Sergeant Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Indiana, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, October 29, 2009. Obama traveled to the base to meet the plane carrying the bodies of 18 US personnel killed in Afghanistan on October 26, including Griffin. (Via daylife & apsies .) Remember when the man who actually SENT soldiers off to fight this capricious war wouldn’t even let their caskets be photographed?

“Obama Makes Surprise Overnight Visit To Dover To Honor Troops Killed In Afghanistan” and related postsRead The Full Article…“Obama Makes Surprise Overnight Visit To Dover To Honor Troops Killed In Afghanistan” and related postsTPM Election CentralPresident Obama before dawn this morning paid tribute to the 18 US military personnel killed in Afghanistan Monday, making a surprise trip to Dover Air Force Base as their bodies returned home to the United States.President Obama On Hand For Return of Fallen - The World NewserObama meets caskets of fallen troops - The SwampTom Matzzie: Obama’s Dover Salute Is an Iconic Image of His Presidency - The BlogSee all 35 blogs.No tags for this post.

There is a photo, apparently taken yesterday, maybe a couple of days ago, showing Barack Hussein Obama at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. He is standing, his right hand flat, extended, snapped into a salute against his forehead, an expression of pained bitterness wrinkling his face. He is the picture of a President in mourning. For who? For 18 U.S. soldiers, come home from serving their country after having made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.

This story got a huge reaction from listeners to the BBC’s Newshour. President Obama flew to Delaware to pay his respects to 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan. This month has been the dealiest in Afghanistan since US forces began operations in 2001. It’s the first time he’s done this, and President Bush visited the families of dead troops but never received the bodies at the base.

Lahore, Pakistan:- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Pakistan and the US are facing challenges of terrorism as Peshawar blast shows that Pakistan is in the midst of terrorism. She said that Pakistan will certainly win war against terrorism. She said that trust deficit between both the countries should have to be curtailed. She said that we have to build a relation based on mutual respect and shared responsibilities.

When was the last time you heard of any president greeting America’s fallen soldiers as they returned home in their new home, a flag-draped casket? I’ve never know a president to do anything of the sort. In fact, until Bush, part duh, left office, the American media wasn’t allowed to photograph their return at all. Makes you wonder if he, too, is tired of every other month being declared the “deadliest month” of fighting in Afghanistan. U.S.

US President Barack Obama saw first hand the human cost of the Afghanistan war on Thursday as he saluted the flag-draped caskets of 18 soldiers and Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed in Afghanistan this week. After a midnight flight in his Marine One presidential helicopter, Obama landed in Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, home of the largest US military mortuary and main point of entry for service members killed abroad.

Does it ever end? And the first time the Obamas have lived under the same roof since 1996? Who knew? Apparently, we are in for a big charm offensive this weekend, with Michelle on the cover of Glamor and a cover story in the New York Times magazine. As I’ve thought over Obama’s photo op at Dover AFB last night, I’m more inclined to the cynical thoughts I wanted to suppress.  Though I’d like to give Obama the benefit of a doubt, the message we continually get is that these two truly believe

*The president — who is wrestling with the question of whether to send more U.S. military personnel to Afghanistan — made an unannounced visit to Dover Air Force Base this morning to be present for the arrival of the remains of 18 troops killed there this week. As you may have read already, this has been the deadliest month yet for U.S. forces in the eight-year-old war in Afghanistan. In the picture above, President Obama is saluting as an Army team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Sgt.

Save New Jersey Initiative It is only fitting that Barack Obama campaign for New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. They have so much in common. Especially when it comes to connections to crime and corruption  and wasting taxpayer’s money on their own agenda. From the New York Post, October 24, 2009. “Corzine, cash & corruption” “New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine really has no shame.

The US government recently finished evaluating and wargaming its plans for troop deployments in Afghanistan. This seems to be a part of the reassessment of the war that president Obama ordered before he commits more troops to the region. It seems that both strategies were reviewed step by step against what we know to see [...] ShareThis

Sergeant Dale R. Griffin returns homeDaylife/Getty Images used by permissionPresident Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base early this morning, where he met with family members and paid his respects as the bodies of 18 Americans killed this week in Afghanistan were returned to the United States.It was the president’s first trip to the Delaware air base, the main point of entry for the nation’s war dead to return home. The trip was a symbolic one for Mr.

Jennifer Rubin has two posts this morning, both of which illustrate my point about the dangerous relationship between our CIC and the military he’s supposed to be leading.  In the first, she talks about the insane decision-making process in D.C. , which seems to have little to do with either victory or troop safety: The White House seminars on the Afghanistan war are continuing.

soupsoup : Photo: Susan Walsh (AP) Daniel Nasaw at Guardian.uk Barack Obama last night came face to face with the true cost of the war in Afghanistan , as the remains of 18 US soldiers and drug enforcement agents were unloaded from a military aircraft and returned to US soil. Under George Bush, who launched the conflict in retaliation for the terrorist 9/11 attacks, news media were barred from observing the return of fallen troops through Dover airbase.

Last night’s game was ugly, but still provided plenty of star power at the opener of the World Series. No, we’re not talking about A-Rod and Kate Hudson . First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, took the field during pre-game ceremonies to a big ovation, along with a Yankee legend. Major League Baseball dedicated Game One of the Yankees-Phillies series, won by the NL champion visitors, 6-1, to the charity Welcome Back Veterans. Mrs. Obama and Mrs.

Last night’s game was ugly, but still provided plenty of star power at the opener of the World Series. No, we’re not talking about A-Rod and Kate Hudson . First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, took the field during pre-game ceremonies to a big ovation, along with a Yankee legend. Major League Baseball dedicated Game One of the Yankees-Phillies series, won by the NL champion visitors, 6-1, to the charity Welcome Back Veterans. Mrs. Obama and Mrs.

Eliza Browning AC360° Associate Producer Could the recession be nearing an end? New signs indicate that we may be pulling out of the deep recession that started in December 2007. The U.S. economy grew at a 3.5 percent annual rate in the third quarter, ending a year-long string of declines and beating economic forecasts. The positive GDP report is one more sign that the economy is improving, but analysts warn the reading itself doesn’t mark the end of the recession.

Swine Flu Panic in Perspective American Thinker ^ | October 29, 2009 | Frank S. Rosenbloom, M.D. Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2009 2:49:51 AM by neverdemI usually see about twenty patients in my office, and at least a few patients in the hospital, daily. Over the past several months, my patient load has increased by one third. Almost all of the increase is due to fears about H1N1 influenza. Patients are coming to the office fearful of “Swine Flu,” with symptoms ranging from a slight sniffle to overt pneumonia.

Taken by itself, our commander-in-chief showing respect to the fallen is heart warming. That being said, it’s hard not to see it as so much political theater intended to cover up the fact that Obama continues to be something less than a leader on Afghanistan choosing to dither on making a decision in the war while our troops fight and die and suffer from disillusionment in a mission they’re not even sure will ever matter.

Last night’s game was ugly, but still provided plenty of star power at the opener of the World Series. No, we’re not talking about A-Rod and Kate Hudson . First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, took the field during pre-game ceremonies to a big ovation, along with a Yankee legend. Major League Baseball dedicated Game One of the Yankees-Phillies series, won by the NL champion visitors, 6-1, to the charity Welcome Back Veterans. Mrs. Obama and Mrs.

In a statement directed to the U.S. House of Representatives, President Obama and its membership, Veterans For Peace urged its chapters to demonstrate opposition to the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan by doing two things

Obama Greets Caskets of Returning Americans Following Heavy Afghanistan Casualties

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Photo: Susan Walsh (AP) Daniel Nasaw at Guardian.uk Barack Obama last night came face to face with the true cost of the war in Afghanistan , as the remains of 18 US soldiers and drug enforcement agents were unloaded from a military aircraft and returned to US soil. Under George Bush, who launched the conflict in retaliation for the terrorist 9/11 attacks, news media were barred from observing the return of fallen troops through Dover airbase.

Thursday, October 29, 2009 Brother of Afghan Leader Said to Be Paid by C.I.A. By DEXTER FILKINS, MARK MAZZETTI and JAMES RISEN Published: October 27, 2009 KABUL, Afghanistan — Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former American officials.

A desperate bid at the expense of America and her troops in Afghanistan, both of whom are the big losers in Obama’s sick attempt to please the left…. The Independent: If there was a degree of déjà vu for fans of Barack Obama crammed inside a university athletic arena in Hackensack, New Jersey, the other evening, it was entirely deliberate. They only had to close their eyes and listen to the deafening chants of “Yes We Can” to imagine they had been transported back to the heady days of a year ago when their candidate was on the verge of seizing the White House and making history.

US President Barack Obama has paid his respects to 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan, the first time he has honoured the fallen in this way. The bodies of 15 US soldiers and three Drug Enforcement Agency agents were transferred to a mortuary on the base. The president also met their families privately. His predecessor, George W Bush, visited [...]

Barack Obama Signs Military Budget Bill , US President Barack Obama has signed into law a 680 billion dollar defense budget for the 2010 fiscal year. The measure includes funds to increase troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. The 2010 defense authorization bill also terminates a number of costly projects. “I have always rejected the notion that we have to waste billions of dollars of taxpayer money to keep this nation secure,” Obama said, before signing the defense authorization act at the White House.

AFGHAN PROVINCES TO BE ANALYZED Details should help president determine need President Obama has asked senior officials for a province-by-province analysis of Afghanistan to determine which regions are being managed effectively by local leaders and which require international help, information that his advisers say will guide his decision on how many additional U.S. troops to send to the battle. Obama made the request in a meeting Monday with Vice President Biden and a small group of senior advisers helping him decide whether to expand the war.

This is DISGUSTING. Jeff Zeleny at the NYSlimes: Obama Visits Returning War Dead Bite me, Nelville Hussein.  I admire Just A Grunt but his piece on Nelville Hussein pisses me off. [...] In what may be the first example, I am going to give President Obama credit for doing something classy. I am not going to question his motives. You may even notice that for probably the first time I also included the name of the office which he holds.

Where Is The Mourning, Mr. Zardari? To Our Elite And Not Just The President: Was a reception for a foreign guest more important than sharing the grief of your people?   More than one hundred innocent Pakistanis killed in one day, more than two hundred in less than a month.  Attacks linked to our own and America’s failed Afghan policy.  Attacks supported by anti-Pakistan forces in the region and not just unknown ‘extremists’.  Children left without parents, a nation terrorized.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer: An Historic and Emotional Moment Today, after too many years of delay, President Obama signed into law a bill that makes it a federal hate crime to assault people based on sexual orientation. Obama Visits To Dover Air Force Base To Honor Fallen Soldiers DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del.

By Ross Colvin Reuters DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware (Reuters) – President Barack Obama saw first hand the human cost of the Afghanistan war as he welcomed home on Thursday 18 soldiers and Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed in Afghanistan this week. Obama, flying in his Marine One presidential helicopter, landed shortly after midnight in Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, home of the United States’ largest military mortuary and main point of entry for U.S.

There is no victory in leaving the countryside to the Taliban. Taliban under pressure in Pakistan will use the “free zones” in Afghanistan as haven. Obama does not want to make a decision before the upcoming November elections, and this whole delay, as well as his neutering of McChrystal’s request, is designed to appease the left, and keep their votes next year, instead of being designed to do what is in America’s best interests. It is politically-motivated treason, and it is an impeachable offense.

Economic Freedom Fighters Must Unite Larry Kudlow, RealClearMarkets It must be something in the water. The ruling Democrats know their tax-hiking, re-regulating, and big-spending policies have failed to rejuvenate job-creation or reduce the unemployment rate. And yet they persist in trying more of the same.A recent New York Times editorial acknowledges that the economy is weak, but it pleads for yet another federal stimulus package.

Image via Wikipedia ” Warrior-Diplomat Asks of Afghan War: “Why and to What End? #” is by John Nichols at The Nation vis Yahoo! News (10/28/09). Jon says, We should have learned from the Soviet Union that Afghanistan would be a quagmire. Their rusting weapons are still there to see. War without end will surely bankrupt this country. But the rethugs would have war more than universal health care . ” OBAMA’S REAL DEATH PANELS #,” is from Yahoo! News (10/27/09).

President Barack Obama saw first hand the human cost of the Afghanistan war as he saluted the flag-draped caskets of 18 soldiers and DEA agents killed in Afghanistan.

Islamabad, Oct 29(ANI): US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the advance of extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan is a threat to America’s security. Addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Clinton said Al-Qaeda and their extremist allies were not only attacking friends and allies of US like Pakistan and Afghanistan, but are also bent upon attacking American citizens and their interests around the world.  “And, as the President Obama has said, our goal is to defeat, disrupt and dismantle the Al-Qaeda network,” The Nation quoted Clinton, as saying.

By BEN FELLER Associated Press Writer Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP) – President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. Read more » Original post blogged on b2evolution .

WASHINGTON – The White House has said that it has no plans to quit its operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan inspite of Wednesday’s blast in a Peshawar bazaar. Recent reports had suggested that a rapid increase in attacks on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan might force the Obama administration to leave the country, but the [...]

“Former Vice President Dick Cheney has accused the White House of ‘dithering’ over the strategy for the war in Afghanistan. The White House said they’re thinking it over, and they should have an answer for him in six to eight weeks.” — Jay Leno“President Obama just declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency. A couple of weeks ago, it was like, ‘Calm down, it’s going to be fine.’ . . . Make up your mind.

It’s bad enough they sing the praises of Mao and Chavez and Castro (all murdering tyrants, dictators and despots) but now they want to honor Confucious. Here we are faced with massive unemployment, a sinking economy, the promise of a huge debt load with health care reform plus soldiers in Afghanistan not supported and Democrats have time to honor this clown? The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly but not without some complaints Wednesday to honor the 2,650th anniversary of the birth of the Chinese philosopher Confucius.

….Obama’s predecessor, President George W. Bush, visited the families of hundreds of fallen soldiers but did not attend any military funerals or go to Dover to receive the coffins. In a 2006 interview with the military newspaper “Stars and Stripes,” Bush said he felt the appropriate way to show his respect was to meet with family members in private….     With U.S.

  The guests were still sleeping when the gunmen, dressed in police uniforms, arrived early Wednesday. In the dark, they shot the guards, scaled the front gate of the guesthouse and began firing grenades, the beginning of a terrifying two-hour siege that showed just how little it takes for the Taliban to trap foreigners in central Kabul.   By the end of the siege, at least five United Nations employees, two Afghan security officials and the brother-in-law of a prominent Afghan politician were dead, as were their three attackers.

Oct29 News Anchor Reuters – President Barack Obama saw first hand the human cost of the Afghanistan war as he welcomed home on Thursday 18 soldiers and Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed in Afghanistan this week.Read the Full StoryObama honors slain soldiers killed in Afghanistan (Reuters) Share and Enjoy:Related News PostsOctober 15, 2009 — Obama and aides debate options for Afghanistan (Reuters) – 1685th Top News ItemOctober 15, 2009 — Obama and aides debate options for

Malou Innocent, cato-at-liberty.com , Oct 28, 2009 Former Marine captain Matthew Hoh became the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war. His letter of resignation echoes some arguments I have made earlier this year, namely, that what we are witnessing is a local and regional ethnic Pashtun population fighting against what they perceive to be a foreign occupation of their region ; that our current strategy does not answer why and to what end we are pursuing  this war ; and that Afghanistan holds little intrinsic strategic value to the security of the United States.

First up is Bill-O, who for some reason thinks that the 4ok troops requested will magically fix everything, just like it did in Vietnam.  And it is somewhat fascinating that Afghanistan will be Obama’s Waterloo, as if the previous administration did everything just fine in that country.  Though since it is now President Obama’s problem (along with all the rest), no matter what decision he makes, it will of course be the wrong decision to many Fox viewers.

From the Wall Street Journal : The Obama administration launched a clean-energy blitz Tuesday, with President Barack Obama sweeping into this Central Florida hamlet to unveil .4 billion in stimulus grants for advanced electricity-grid projects and Vice President Joe Biden traveling to his home state of Delaware to open an electric-automobile plant. The administration Tuesday released a list of about 100 companies and communities in 45 states and territories that will receive federal subsidies to modernize the electric grid.

First Lady Michelle Obama has made advocating on behalf of US military families a top priority since she entered the East Wing. To honor that commitment today she spoke 200 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. According to the New York Daily News the veterans, about a dozen in wheelchairs, crowded into a conference room at the  James J. Peters Veterans Administration Medical Center in New York City. Joined by the Second Lady, Dr Jill Biden, Mrs Obama called on US citizen to honor veterans with service.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Thursday said there is an impression that the Kerry-Luger bill is aimed towards compromising Pakistan’s national security but, in reality, it is meant to improve economic conditions in the country. Clinton also conceded that the US did not properly communicate its objectives to Pakistan with respect to the Kerry-Lugar bill. Hillary was speaking to a gathering of students at the Government College University in Lahore.

Meet Ahmed Wali Karzai, who happens to be Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai’ brother – CIA payroll is the word, apparently for years stretching back into the early days of the Bush Administration and continuing to this day under Barack Obama. This is an open talk thread where you can comment about this topic of anything else. Although he is not technically classified as a CIA agent, Karzai’s brother has been paid for a variety of “services” according to reports.

  If there was a degree of déjà vu for fans of Barack Obama crammed inside a university athletic arena in Hackensack, New Jersey, the other evening, it was entirely deliberate. They only had to close their eyes and listen to the deafening chants of “Yes We Can” to imagine they had been transported back to the heady days of a year ago when their candidate was on the verge of seizing the White House and making history. Even with open eyes they could have felt some of that old frisson.

The coffins of Americans killed in Afghanistan will arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early Thursday, officials said. President Obama, arriving on Marine One, will be there.

Every time I hear about Joe Lieberman’s latest apostasy, I think, Oy vey! There he goes again. More Joementum. Remind me why we still call this guy a Democrat? Sure, Lieberman caucuses with Democrats in the Senate–Joe is nothing if not opportunistic and who wants to be part of a lowly Republican minority?–but I think he forfeited his right to call himself one when he almost became John McCain’s VP and campaigned stridently against an Obama presidencyRelated Posts:McCain to endorse California’s Meg Whitman Friday; Romney already has endorsedParkinson making a name for himself: Capital-JournalToo Much Gained in Afghanistan To Exit Now — Debra J.

AP – President Barack Obama is considering a scaled-down version of the war plan advanced by his top Afghanistan commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, U.S. officials say. Go to Source

World. President Obama took an overnight trip to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to view the returning bodies of 18 American soldiers killed in Afghanistan on Monday.

Web chat Thursday: Get advice on your credit card problems – WTOL-TV Marcia OConnor from Consumer Credit Counseling Services will be here to answer your questions on anything credit card related. Topics shell cover include, but are not limited to, debt management and consolidation, negotiating with your credit card … Always blow on the pie advice a hit for Kiwi cop – News.com.au A DEADPAN joke about the safety of eating overheated meat pies has catapulted a New Zealand cop into internet super-stardom.

AP – President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. Go to Source

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) — President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign….

President Obama has attended 25 Democratic party fundraisers in his first nine months in office. Comparatively, George W. Bush attended six political fundraisers and Bill Clinton went to five during their first year in office. Mark Knoller reported that Obama has also played 24 rounds of golf since taking office. It took ‘W’ two years and ten months to play the same number of rounds. Gen Stanley McChrystal submitted his report on Afghanistan , requested by the president on Aug 31st.

President Obama signs the National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2010, which includes the ‘Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr.’ Hate Crimes Prevention Act. BY ANDREW KESSINGER The Washington Post When President Obama signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law Wednesday, human rights advocates across the country won a decent, but insufficient, victory. At face value, the bill is but a reluctant acknowledgment that Americans assaulted because of their sexual orientation are indeed victims of bigotry.

more images more images Obama at Dover AFB to honor fallen soldiers DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. ? President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. On a clear fall [...]

Barack Obama Signs Military Budget Bill , US President Barack Obama has signed into law a 680 billion dollar defense budget for the 2010 fiscal year. The measure includes funds to increase troop deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. The 2010 defense authorization bill also terminates a number of costly projects. “I have always rejected the notion that we have to waste billions of dollars of taxpayer money to keep this nation secure,” Obama said, before signing the defense authorization act at the White House.

AP – President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. Go to Source

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware – President Barack Obama landed at a U.S. military base early on Thursday to meet the plane bringing home the bodies of 18 American soldiers and Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed in Afghanistan this week. …

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama’’s administration should brief Congress on any “entanglements” between Afghan President Hamid Karzai’’s brother and the CIA or drug traffickers, Senator John Kerry said Wednesday. “The appropriate congressional committees must be immediately provided with the most comprehensive and untainted information about his alleged entanglements,” said Democratic Senator John Kerry, a key Obama ally.

Here’s what I’ll be studying, with pleasure, tomorrow morning, from the Watcher’s Council : Council Submissions Mere Rhetoric – Lefty Meme Congeals: The Real War Is In Pakistan Not Afghanistan Joshuapundit – J Street – A Particularly Nasty Dead End To Be Avoided Bookworm Room – The march of the thought police The Provocateur – My Interview with Wade Rathke The Glittering Eye – Are We Promoting Our Grand Strategy?

(No Ratings Yet) Loading … Too early to send more troops to Afghanistan: Kerry – AFPIs Obama Dithering on Afghanistan? – Washington PostLockerbie Authorities Seek Leads – Wall Street JournalUK report: Plane crash deaths were preventable – The Associated PressUN reviews security after Kabul attack – CNN InternationalKabul attack: Your stories – BBC News MiamiHerald.com Obama seeks study on local leaders for troop decision Washington Post Ahmed Wali Karzai, left, a brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, speaks to tribal leaders.

(No Ratings Yet) Loading … UN rattled by fatal Kabul attack – BBC NewsBaghdad provincial Council demands resign two top security officials – XinhuaHelicopter Crashes Kill 14 Americans in Afghanistan – Wall Street JournalIs Obama Dithering on Afghanistan? – Washington PostPolice on high alert at disputed Jerusalem shrine – The Associated PressMinisters warn of poll boost for BNP after Question Time – guardian.co.uk ABC News un’s Ban says undeterred by deadly Kabul UN attack Reuters India UNITED

(No Ratings Yet) Loading … Helicopter Crashes Kill 14 Americans in Afghanistan – Wall Street JournalIs Obama Dithering on Afghanistan? – Washington Postun’s Ban says undeterred by deadly Kabul UN attack – Reuters IndiaUN rattled by fatal Kabul attack – BBC NewsKabul attack: Your stories – BBC NewsBaghdad provincial Council demands resign two top security officials – Xinhua Washington Post Pakistan mourns Peshawar bomb dead Aljazeera.net The first funerals have been held for some of the nearly 100 victims of a massive car bomb attack that tore through a crowded market in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Bethesda, Maryland (CaymanMama.com) — As President Barack Obama moves forward in this forward-minded approach to government business affairs, he indicated signing a $680 billion defense policy into law proves it is possible to change traditional business practices in Washington. Obama said this move is “an affront to the American people and to our troops.” On Wednesday in an East Room ceremony conducted at the White House, Obama signed the bill that he says will put an end to wasteful weapons projects that American legislators have worked tirelessly to eradicate.

more images more images Obama visits Dover AFB to honor fallen soldiers DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. ? President Barack Obama made a midnight dash to this air base Wednesday to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. On a clear fall [...]

AP – President Barack Obama made an overnight dash Wednesday to Dover Air Force Base to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. Go to Source

AP – President Barack Obama made an overnight dash Wednesday to Dover Air Force Base to honor the return of fallen soldiers, absorbing the ultimate cost of war as the United States endures its deadliest month of the Afghanistan campaign. Go to Source

“A key U.S. official in Afghanistan has resigned in protest over U.S. policy in the war-torn region, as the Obama administration deliberates its future strategy there. Matthew Hoh, a political officer in the foreign service and a senior civilian officer in Zabul, Afghanistan, wrote a four-page letter to Ambassador Nancy Powell, director general of the foreign service at the State Department, to express his ‘doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy,’ as first

WASHINGTON — President Obama is considering sending large numbers of additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan next year but fewer than his war commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, prefers, U.S. officials said.Share This

When Barack Obama completed his long march on the White House, liberal pundits promised us that he would completely transform US foreign policy from the dark days of the Bush Administration through soft power. Now thanks to all that squelching soft power we have gone from a foreign policy in which few liked us but we could get things done unilaterally… to a foreign policy in which everyone supposedly likes us but are actually less willing to help the new multilateral us, and as a result what we are left with is a foreign policy approach that can’t get anything done at all anymore.

An unquiet ghost stalks the White House Situation Room as Barack Obama, increasingly Hamlet-like, ponders what to do in Afghanistan: it is the spectre of the Vietnam War, America’s enduring historical hang-up. Some Other Articles You May Enjoy Future of feminism an issue in NOW leadership vote Barack Obama brings new art in at the White House (Daily Telegraph) Trade rep: Stronger NAFTA without renegotiation Obama wins fight to limit fighter jets Analysis: Nation still wrestling