Former Marine chief doubts Afghan timetable

[unhappycamper]

Gen. James Conway said troops may be able to be pulled from elsewhere in Afghanistan by the July 2011 deadline.


Former Marine chief doubts Afghan timetable
By Jim Michaels, USA TODAY

The just-retired Marine Corps commandant says he doubts the U.S. military can withdraw from Afghanistan's volatile south by a July 2011 deadline set by President Obama for the start of force reductions.

In an interview before his retirement Friday, Gen. James Conway said troops may be able to be pulled from elsewhere in Afghanistan by the deadline. The majority of U.S. forces engaged in a troop surge ordered by Obama are fighting in the south.

"Counterinsurgencies just take time," Conway said. "I hope the focus is not ... time constraints as much as it is the will to win."

Marines have been spearheading offensive operations in Helmand province, a sprawling region of villages and opium farms in the south. The Army and other coalition forces have been pushing Taliban fighters out of Kandahar province for months.

"There's still significant fighting in both places and both places represent the birthplaces of the Taliban," Conway said.



unhappycamper comment: "Counterinsurgencies just take time...."

You are correct General. The United States has been in Afghanistan now for nine fucking years. Nine very long fucking years.

As far as this camper is concerned as of next July you have been doing this shit for ten fucking years. Enough, already.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

1. You realize this story is from USA Today, owned by Gannett

That's the company that owns Army Times et al.

You keep lying about the Pentagon imposing some sort fascist decree on you demanding that you only use 1 paragraph from their stories but the Pentagon has nothing to do with Army Times.

Now you're quoting all these paragraphs from USA Today and by doing so you may bring down the lawyers from Gannett. I'm pretty sure if they want only 1 paragraph from their military publications being used that probably extends to their flagship publication.

[unhappycamper]

3. I would love for Gannett to send me an email asking that I only post one paragraph of their articles

Then at least, if they are the ones who sent the request, the hypocrisy would be evident.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

4. Gannett was the one that told you to only use 1 paragraph from TAT

Gannett own the Army Times. The Army Times is NOT a government pub.

[unhappycamper]

5. Please note:

I did not directly receive the email! It came from an Admin!

I'm doing what I can with what I have.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. Do you have Google? Google would very quickly point out TAT is privately owned by Gannett

You keep trussing copyright notices from PRIVATE companies as if its a government fascist cover-up.

That's nothing but fear-mongering.

Leave that nonsense to Beck.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Damn Things About Starting A War...

...it's rarely turns out the way you had hoped. The big problem with Afghanistan is there was never an exit strategy during the boooosh years. They were content on endless war that brought in big profits to the GOTB Defense contractor buddies. He and his cronies dug us in deep into a long-running civil war among cultures we had little understanding about. We backed a corrupt tribal chieftain who has alienated most the country and we're still sticking by this loser. The attempts to "Petreus" this war just like we did in Iraq will lead to similar results...ultimate failure.

My hope is there are back channel negotiations going on with the Taliban and other groups to create the charade of a "peace with honor" or whatever moniker the military needs to bug out. There is no "military" solution here...we're stuck in a true quagmire.

[kgnu_fan]

7. Just get out! Stop stealing other country's resources and wasting our tax money