Classified briefings led up to today’s announcements. Mind you, some Republicans didn’t bother to show up. All of this was expected, with this key graph telling the tale of how serious President Obama is about his Af-Pak strategy, which is to keep the country from becoming a full on failed state, because one next to Pakistan, where worse challenges persist, would only make the neighbor state even more dangerous.
The extra 4,000 U.S. troops, expected to deploy in early fall, are to fill that gap. In a sign of the new importance the administration is placing on the mission, a brigade of the Army’s vaunted 82nd Airborne Division is being broken up into 10-to-14-member advisory teams, a Pentagon official said. Until now, the military has relied heavily on inexperienced National Guardsmen to fill out the teams.
“The change couldn’t be more dramatic,” said retired Lt. Col. John A. Nagl, president of the Center for a New American Security, a nonpartisan defense think tank. “The 82nd Airborne Division is the nation’s shock force.”
This story in the New York Times reveals the challenges that have morphed into a solid wall since Obama took over the presidency.
The legacy of Bush-Cheney can be summed up easily. It’s about the myriad of unrelenting challenges they have left President Obama and his team to clean up, in which Hillary Clinton plays a role that is slowly developing into a major force. Few presidents have faced so much to do after their predecessor walked away and left the new administration holding the bag. Obama now takes on the commander in chief role with a real mission behind the title.
There will be much resistance on the left regarding Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan. It won’t come from me. As I’ve stated many times, this is a country that is of strategic interest to the United States, as well as the world. Pakistan’s teetering nature required we not allow a failed stated next to it. Then there are the women of this region who would not survive another sharia law state. I stand with them.
mornin’
apropos of the situation is Pakistan in this morning news:
Suicide attack kills 48 at Pakistani mosque
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090327/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan
Morning GeoT. You’ll see more of this in the days ahead.
Obama bringing back the teeth at State, seen through funding. Finally. Clinton’s position is evolving into a position of incredible and indispensable power and influence in Obama’s administration. I have no doubt his wisdom and trust will be well served.
Taylor Marsh says:
27 March 2009 at 9:35 am
You’ll see more of this in the days ahead.
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The instability and uncertainty that mass killings cause help the Taliban and other elements operate with impunity. I think you’re right Taylor, a “failed state” (aka “Taliban Islamic Republic”) in Afghanistan would be a wide ranging disaster. The images of woman being executed for showing an ankle (for example) could return with a vengeance. The entire region in is the balance.
Keep in mind that the Taliban is not a monolith either.
Taylor Marsh says:
27 March 2009 at 9:57 am
Clinton’s position is evolving into a position of incredible and indispensable power and influence in Obama’s administration
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agree a zillion percent, and that’s allot
There’s been a side discussion the last couple of days to the effect that somehow Hillary has become “irrelevant” and her “career is over” because she took the SoS job… I know, consider the source… but the point needed to be made: she is anything but irrelevant She is the heart and soul at State, and we’re all damn lucky she’s there for us.
Taylor Marsh says:
27 March 2009 at 10:09 am
Keep in mind that the Taliban is not a monolith either.
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they could do with a name change, for PR purposes
heh-heh..
I’m sure some of you know that I wasn’t a big fan of Hillary in the past. When she was announced as SoS (iSoS for Ann) I thought “hmm, this might work.”
Between the economy, Iran, Afghanistan, the Jewish Taliban taking power in Israel, Mexico, China and Russia, these days I’m pretty damned happy we’ve got both on the ground running. Obama’s got his hands full with the economy and I am very thankful we’ve got someone with cajones to handle State.
I would love to see Bin Laden captured (killed) on Pres Obama’s watch. It would make the heads of many on the right explode and show that success is best attained by a combo of diplomacy and military force.
GeoT says:
27 March 2009 at 10:11 am
I’ve read it, as well as followed all of the comments here about it as well. Justlen sums her presence beside Obama well today.
There is a lot invested on tearing HRC down, but also making sure Obama is neutered. It’s just not working, because he’s performing at much too high a level and isn’t standing still so his adversaries can get a clear rhetorical shot.
Just got this from Feingold’s office, but expect more of it from other Dem quarters:
Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold on President Obama’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategy Review
Friday, March 27, 2009
“I am pleased that the administration is focused on al Qaeda, which is our top national security threat. I particularly appreciated the President’s remarks, which addressed the role of Pakistan in these problems first. A new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy has been sorely lacking for years. I am pleased that the plan includes specific benchmarks for progress in Afghanistan, with a strong emphasis on fighting corruption in the Afghan government, and an increase in civilian assistance. I am also pleased with the beginnings of the necessary emphasis on the even greater problems in Pakistan.
“However, I am concerned that the new strategy may still be overly Afghan-centric when it needs to be even more regional. As the bombing near the Khyber pass this morning highlights, we need to fully address the inextricable links between the crisis in Afghanistan and the instability and terrorist threats in Pakistan.
“Unfortunately, the legacy of the Bush administration in this region can best be compared to a comment the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made in 2007: ‘In Iraq, we do what we must and in Afghanistan, we do what we can.’ This new administration must ensure that we do what we must not only in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan.”
“In other words, the proposed military escalation in Afghanistan, without an adequate strategy in Pakistan, could make the situation worse, not better.”
One of the most interesting comments I’ve heard from the ‘experts’ (which I am certainly not one) in recent months is that the “border” between Afghanistan and Pakistan was designated by England – and has nothing to do with the people and the reality of that area.
I tust that they are working on an adequate Pakistan strategy. Holbrook calls it AFPAC.
Incredible what Obama has on his plate. His choice of Hillary was so wise. He must have seen it all along during their battles. Says a lot about him to me.
pmichael …isn’t that true all over the region like Iran and Iraq?
Lake Lady, I believe he actually said during a debate that he “looked forward to” Hillary advising him in the future. Talk about being a ‘prophet’ *LOL*
Lake Lady says: 27 March 2009 at 10:40 am
pmichael …isn’t that true all over the region like Iran and Iraq?
Certainly seems to be true of southern Iraq.
Really!
justlen says:
27 March 2009 at 10:17 am
I am very thankful we’ve got someone with cajones to handle State.
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Those are NOT cajones
pmichael, I think you nailed it.
Between my travels, genealogical research into my family’s Eastern European roots and general love of history I’ve long had a theory that most conflict results from “imposed” boundaries that conflict with natural cultural ones.
Taylor Marsh says:
27 March 2009 at 10:24 am
GeoT says:
27 March 2009 at 10:11 am
Justlen sums her presence beside Obama well today.
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the optics of Hillary and Gates side by side was striking as well… ans kind of fittingly symbolic of the process we’re in resurrecting our foreign policy to compliment the military and vice versa.
justlen says:
27 March 2009 at 10:48 am
pmichael, I think you nailed it.
Between my travels, genealogical research into my family’s Eastern European roots and general love of history I’ve long had a theory that most conflict results from “imposed” boundaries that conflict with natural cultural ones.
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WW1 is a perfect example… in the Balkan’s.
So is the eastern border of Europe.
The debate about Ann’s comment rages on. I don’t think she meant to denigrate Hillary. I read her as saying that foreign policy was no longer the central issue for the Obama administration; and that, as a result, Hillary had been rendered invisible.
Of course, as evidenced by Mexico, AfPak, etc., her comment is demonstrably untrue. And you cannot measure the success of an SOS by google hits or the number of above-the-fold articles: of necessity, there is an element of secrecy and discretion to what the Foggy Bottom folks do. So I would argue that Ann has it exactly wrong: given that Obama has to focus primarily on the economy, it is all the more important to have someone of HRC’s stature and intellect at State. And the less she is the news, perhaps the better.
Follow-up: With that said, there still seems to be an outsize preoccupation with personalities rather than policies. Obama and Clinton are the “stars.” But this administration will rise or fall based on the folks in the trenches: people like Holbrooke, Dennis Ross, Chris Hill, Petraeus, Odierno etc.
We are lucky to have Obama and Clinton. They, in turn, are lucky to have these folks.
ogenec says:
27 March 2009 at 11:56 am
Follow-up: With that said, there still seems to be an outsize preoccupation with personalities rather than policies. Obama and Clinton are the “stars.” But this administration will rise or fall based on the folks in the trenches: people like Holbrooke, Dennis Ross, Chris Hill, Petraeus, Odierno etc.
We are lucky to have Obama and Clinton. They, in turn, are lucky to have these folks.
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You are right on. When are the hearings for Hill, by the way.
I am afraid that it’s very difficult to decide which is more important right now. We have Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and last but certainly not least, Mexico where the AK-47s evidently are flowing in like water. I’m not opposed to AF-47s being legal, but I think they need a stronger hold on the gun shows. My son collects guns and he has an AK-47. He would like to take it target shooting, but hasn’t had the time.
This is off topic, somewhat.
But well worth the read in regards to the Bush secret memos.
http://tinyurl.com/c7tqko
I protested, but I figure I lost that one in the primary and GE election.
So I look forward to learning about Afghanastan. I did love the drone story recently. Very nifty stuff.
ogenec says:
27 March 2009 at 11:54 am
The debate about Ann’s comment rages on.
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they were two days worth of “Hilliary’s Career is over” and Condi Rice is just the swellest SOS ever. The push back was well deserved… I don’t tread lightly on comments like those because the distortion runs so deep.
Oh hi Ann, didn’t see you there
How’s things?
Hiya Geo….
OK, here. The stock rally perked me up, although I’m sure it’s temporary.
Still, I figured we deserved a bit of unreality.
Family is doing good. Ditto for me.
I’m thinking of buying a bike. I want something sensible, but not like some goofy old-fashioned thing…..just not some mountain bike.
There are some bike groups in my area that look rather fun. I’m interested in a group that bikes to brunch. *haha
How bout you?
AnninCA says:
27 March 2009 at 3:02 pm
I’m okay Ann, still trying to wrap my head around your “Hillary’s career is over” line of thinking, I may never get there.
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Ann says:
I’m thinking of buying a bike. I want something sensible, but not like some goofy old-fashioned thing…..just not some mountain bike.
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those one speed beach cruisers are the best, easy to ride and cool.
here: http://justbicycles.org/images/BC106LadiesBabyBlue.jpg
Ann:
or something like this:
http://www.lakewoodconferences.com/direct/dbimage/50107532/Beach_Cruiser_Bicycle.jpg
Geo…OK, maybe I’m more fussy than I suggest.
I want one that has speeds, but I just click.
Also, I one with tires that won’t blow. My friend was telling me there are new tires like that.
(I’m freaked out by the idea of having to change a tire, although he tells me he can teach me to do this easily.)
But I want somthing that is a BIT more than what you showed me.
Anything else?
wow, the debate rages on?
I’m so sorry, Taylor.
I clearly am clueless.
I hope I drove the postings up.
AnninCA says:
27 March 2009 at 3:22 pm
Anything else?
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Those beach cruisers come in 3 and 5 speeds as well, Great for tooling around the neighborhood bike path or the beach but if you’re going into rough terrain you’ll have to bulk up to a heavier frame (the bike not you)
I appreciate it. Beach cruisers sounds perfect.
I am 3 lbs away from my WW goal, and then I get to be a lifetime member. *woohoo!
Biking might push me over those last few lbs.