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Ear to the Ground

General Says Obama’s Plan Helps the Enemy

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Posted on Aug 24, 2010
U.S. Marine Corps / Sgt. Joshua Greenfield

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway speaks with Brig. Gen. Larry D. Nicholson, the commanding general of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.

Gen. James Conway, the head Marine in charge, says of the president’s promise to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by next summer: “In some ways, we think right now it’s probably giving our enemy sustenance.”

BBC:

General Conway said that he did not believe that conditions would be right in Helmand and Kandahar to hand over to Afghan forces for a few years. And he suggested the president’s date for the beginning of the withdrawal gave the wrong signal. It’s worth quoting at length:

“In terms of the July ‘11 issue, you know, I think if you—if you follow it closely, and of course we all do, we know the president was talking to several audiences at the same time when he made his comments on July 2011. In some ways, we think right now it’s probably giving our enemy sustenance. We think that he may be saying to himself—in fact we’ve intercepted communications that say, ‘Hey, you know, we only have to hold out for so long.’”

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By ofersince72, August 30, 2010 at 7:06 pm Link to this comment

Well, broken and dysfunctional…

Been that way awhile.  and it is not a liberal or
conservative thing.

all this crap is a side show.

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By call me roy, August 30, 2010 at 6:52 pm Link to this comment

Next, Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, the ranking member on the House intelligence committee, says the resignation of Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair “is the result of the Obama administration’s rampant politicization of national security and outright disregard for congressional intelligence oversight.” Hoekstra, who formerly served as chairman of the intelligence committee, issued a written statement saying that Blair’s readiness to step down, considering his record of service to the country, was “a disturbing sign of the stranglehold the Obama White House has placed on America’s intelligence agencies.” Clearly, and understandably, Director Blair was frustrated by the White House’s micromanagement and sidelining of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on national security issues. “Blair’s resignation is the result of the Obama administration’s rampant politicization of national security and outright disregard for congressional intelligence oversight. Blair’s resignation is disturbing and unfortunate. The concerns I have come from how the Obama administration conducts national security, not over the director of national intelligence, who they never allowed to do it.
“Congressional Republicans we will be watching closely who the president plans to name as a successor. Right now, the Obama administration’s national security apparatus is broken, dysfunctional and in disarray. Dennis Blair was the one person you could count on for rationality among Holder, Napolitano and Brennan—and he’s the one the president let go.”

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By call me roy, August 30, 2010 at 6:49 pm Link to this comment

Oh no! it looks like not too many in the military like Barry Hussein?

The liberals are asking us to give Obama time. We agree, and think 25 to life would be appropriate.
- Leno

Q: What’s the difference between Obama’s cabinet and a penitentiary?
A: One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers and threats to society. The other is for housing prisoners.
– Letterman

Q: What’s the difference between Obama and his dog, Bo?
A: Bo has papers.
– Kimmel

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By ofersince72, August 29, 2010 at 9:26 pm Link to this comment

Shari….....

“Obama is their Commander In Chief”


do you have any proof of this?

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By Shari Norwood, August 27, 2010 at 5:02 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

The military is not in charge of our country.  Obama is their Commander in Chief.  They need to keep their mouth shut.  Maybe some people are tired of continuous wars.

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By richard, August 26, 2010 at 5:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Apparently this guy wasn’t paying attention a couple of months ago when another commanding general spoke his mind to a reporter instead of his commander-in-chief. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. But you’d think that one may have caught his attention. I think this all must be Darwinian strengthening of the military genepool.

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By D Jayne, August 26, 2010 at 5:05 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

What’s America coming to?

Obama, a Pres. that hasn’t served in combat?

How about Bush (the deserter)? Clinton? Roosevelt? Hoover? Coolidge? Harding? 
Wilson? Taft? Cleveland? Van Buren? John Q.  and John Adams?

What’s worse is one who never fought but started one….. or was it two?

It’s time we toned down the militarism and brought our people home.

Speaking of war, I wonder whatever happened to our greatest warrior, D.
Rumsfeld?

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By Johnny Parera, August 26, 2010 at 1:24 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James T. Conway speaks with Brig. Gen. Larry D. Nicholson,

As A Reminder: fellows mentioned above here, are reminding it again worldwide !
In relation to adverse effects, this is even more worse

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By ofersince72, August 25, 2010 at 8:12 pm Link to this comment

“Obama should fire him”

Well, the trouble with that is,  it isn’t Obama’s
military.  If the powers that be decide they want to let
Obama save face and fire him, they might.
  The military belongs to the ones that are profiting
from it.  Just where does anyone get the dumb reasoning
that the military belongs to the public?
We just pay for it
Congress appropiates money for it
and the President is given the lofty title
Commander In Chief…
It has been this way for many years….
I thought everyone knew this !!!

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PatrickHenry's avatar

By PatrickHenry, August 25, 2010 at 6:31 pm Link to this comment

Ask any General anywhere about war and they want it 24/7 all the time.  It is what they live and breath for.

Fire him, there are plenty more where he came from.

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By scotttpot, August 25, 2010 at 2:09 pm Link to this comment

Over 50 killed in attacks in Iraq yesterday .The war is Not over in Iraq.
The ReThugs will be crying and whining that Obama has lost in Iraq and
Afghanistan .A weak Democrat!
There will be a re-deployment to Iraq. It looks like we are only taking a breather
in the “war on Terror’’ as Obama plays whack a mole for one or two terms and
gives it back to a ReThug and an attack on Iran . It*s an Empire,Stupid!

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rico, suave's avatar

By rico, suave, August 25, 2010 at 1:52 pm Link to this comment

Obama should fire him.

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By Marshall, August 25, 2010 at 12:30 pm Link to this comment

Both Patraeus and the Afghans themselves agree with this assessment that the
Taliban is using our withdrawal date to build strength.  This is not surprising and
is another example of Obama trying to have it both ways: committing, but not
really.  He is set to go down in history as the most waffling one term president of
all time - the king of the ineffective compromise.

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By johnwallace, August 25, 2010 at 11:43 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

To yrscrewed, “I sorry does anyone know what war campaigns Obama has been in during his lifetime?”  Clever the way you phrased that—you didn’t ask if Obama had served his country in uniform.

Of course you didn’t, because neither has Conway.  The traitor Conway serves Israel and/or his Swiss bank account for his opium profits and/or his revolving door career that will make him millions when he retires.

Where do they get monsters like this and Mattis?

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By Jim Yell, August 25, 2010 at 9:16 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I should like to remind everyone that we have punished Afghanistan enough. Most of the people getting killed are not military and are the legal residents of the areas they live in. Afghanistan is not part of the USA and we are occupying a country of no strategic value and at great cost, which is only helping the bottomline of the Military-Industrial Complex while destroying the ability of our nation to deal with domestic issues.

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yrscrewed's avatar

By yrscrewed, August 25, 2010 at 7:46 am Link to this comment

I sorry does anyone know what war campaigns Obama has been in during his lifetime?

 

Ans: None

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By avatar, August 25, 2010 at 5:25 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Fire this freak immediately.  What about his oath to the American constitution?

By the way, did they model the psycho killer Marine officer in Avatar on this bozo?

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By dsmith, August 25, 2010 at 4:21 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Yeah..like he is going to need that 45 straped to his leg. My guess is that any area into which the general goes…has been completely swept of any enemy activity. This guy reminds me of Patton who was quoted as saying of war, “God help me but I do love it so.”

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By Lou, August 25, 2010 at 4:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

On a practical military basis, the general is correct but like so many myopic military men, he forgets(or refuses to accept)that there are more important considerations - like how to extricate ourselves from an unwinnable war.  Just keep quiet general and do a you’re told!  If you can’t acept this, find another line of work.

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By ofersince72, August 24, 2010 at 11:27 pm Link to this comment

This is the part of the American Folies that I love.

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By Hammond Eggs, August 24, 2010 at 9:03 pm Link to this comment

Look at Conway swaggering down the street like John Wayne, with the bill of his lid pulled down low over the eyes and the heater strapped to his right leg. Change costumes and what you have is Ike Clanton on his way to the OK Corral.

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By Inherit The Wind, August 24, 2010 at 7:28 pm Link to this comment

When is one of these guys going to get charged with insubordination?

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By faith, August 24, 2010 at 7:26 pm Link to this comment

What a clever way of getting out of duty in Afghanistan.  Just publicly disagree
with the Commander in Chief !

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By gerard, August 24, 2010 at 7:09 pm Link to this comment

Toldja so!  The Pentagon is lofting trial balloons to test the atmosphere for removing the war powers from the Presidency on grounds of “military expertise,” “national security” and “a winning strategy.’  Heil Hitler!  The Constitution is already half gone, and the rest of it is obviously under seige. The war is not in Afghanistan.  It’s right here at home in the form of systemic failure of demccratic institutions due to greed, ignorance and fear.
  The British are NOT coming.  We are shooting ourselves in the foot—and the head.

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skulz fontaine's avatar

By skulz fontaine, August 24, 2010 at 5:49 pm Link to this comment

Wow, herr General waxes “insubordinate.” Given that Gen. ‘jarhead’ Conway is
working the “war zone”, that’s a crime executible by firing squad.
Old ‘jarhead’ says, ““In some ways, we think right now it’s probably giving our
enemy sustenance.” Oh yeah, that’s insubordination alright.

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