Open Thread: Obama Announces Plans for Troop Withdrawal
President Obama announced last night that he will withdraw his entire 30,000 troop surge from 2009, bringing home 10,000 troops from Afghanistan this year, and an additional 20,000 troops by the end of next summer.
The plan is a much more aggressive withdrawal than recommended by the Gen. David Petraeus and other Pentagon officials, who recommended one more fighting season against the Taliban to maintain the recent gains American troops have made.
Check out a video of his speech after the break, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Obama will keep around 70,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan once his surge troops are brought home, which places him in a pragmatic position to pacify his anti-war supporters without appearing too rash, even in the face of Pentagon criticism.
How do you think Republicans will respond, especially with their disdain for Obama's actions in Libya? What are your thoughts on the plan for troop withdrawal?
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Comments
Another day, another speech... yawn!
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 9:51am.
This policy will change or be forgotten by next week.
a Death Lottery.
Submitted by Newsbubba on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 9:52am.
Well, Rocky the Flying Squirrel, has decided that the best chance he has to get reelected is to "draw down the troops in " Alf-can't-it-stand.
How many of the unlucky troops left behind during this retreat will have to die for this rat bastard Fascist SOB to get reelected?
Lead, follow, or get the flock out of the way, Bambi!
The Tollybon/Jihadists have been waiting 1400 years.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 9:58am.
Another two ain't gonna kill em.
I just hope Supreme Commander Obama keeps them in the loop as to the details and timetable.
"In the loop?"
Submitted by Newsbubba on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 10:04am.
They'll probably get right of first refusal and have a veto if the plans don't fit their schedule.
There is an upside, though, Sick. The bastards can go back to killing each other, as usual. Maybe we can give them some better weapons so they can get that job done faster?
I'll be more interested in
Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 10:01am.
I'll be more interested in seeing how Democrats respond, in light of all their calls for Bush to "listen to the generals."
oil release
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 10:34am.
So was there any word on replacing what's being released from the strategic reserve?
Talk about ridiculous ideas, that's supposed to be used in case of emergency and economic problems don't constitute one unless there's talk about replacing it. That's like taking gas out of a vehicle and then not putting it back in because you don't want to, but you expect it to keep going.
So we get this illegal moratorium on drilling, we get this ethanol crap being shoved down our throats, we get the EPA taking illegal actions, and now we're using our reserve for something other than its intended purposes?? ANd it's more for helping Europe than it is for us because of Libya??
What next? Shut the power plants down? I bet they considered that!
-Jon
Right. It must have been an emergency
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 10:58am.
-- A re-election emergency, that is. Oil has been declining in prove for the past month (down 15%). Oil inventories have been rising. Demand has been falling. Refineries are at lower capacity. So why the release?
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
TnT
Submitted by Blonde on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 11:06am.
It's HURRICANE season.
Probability is good that we'll lose some refining capacity this summer, even if we only have "near misses".
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
I could stand a good tropical
Submitted by ricklail on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 3:38pm.
I could stand a good tropical storm now. The fires down in Pender and Onslow counties are blowing smoke up this way. The air quality index is purple, next to the highest. We haven't had much rain either. My grass is brown. Corn show be head high but it is only knee high. We are in a severe drought.
Gulf of Mexico
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 3:42pm.
It looks like there might be something developing in the Gulf, we might get lucky and get some rain. Texas is in its third worst drought.
That's pretty bad.
-Jon
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey: Very 'Proud' Of The Anti Israel
Submitted by im41 on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 10:42am.
Activist's Antisemitic Rant
An historic moment
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 10:55am.
When will Obama be signing the Terms Of Surrender?
If you are going to fart around at war, don't bother.
Submitted by Red Jeep on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 11:18am.
Bring all the troops home now....from everywhere in the world. Put them on the Mexico border.
More jobs lost
Submitted by ThisnThat on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 11:21am.
Welcome to the land of unemployment. Brought to you by obama and his incompetent fools. How incompetent? This incompetent, all in the past two years:
$30B??? In two years? How much of this money has simply been siphoned, vs. lost to incompetancy? Either way, it's a hell of a lot of money. Why is no one screaming about this?
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Maybe he is an idiot?
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 11:29am.
Apparently the Fed Chairman doesn't understand why the economy hasn't been improving(despite them saying over and over that it's getting better). Like other subjects, many of us knew that his actions were going to have repercussions for the worse.
But is he really that puzzled or that much of an idiot?
Fed puzzled
I always thought it was deliberate, at least on the part of the Chairman, but for the Fed to say he's puzzled doesn't sound right.
-Jon
jon_*
Submitted by cajun2 on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 11:46am.
For Bernanke to admit that this administration's economic policies are a total failure would mean that he would have to confess to being partly responsible. And you know of course, that liberals don't understand consequences nor believe in being responsibile for ones own actions.
Legalizing weed
Submitted by ricklail on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 1:33pm.
Ron Paul and Barney, that is one hell of an alliance, are going to introduce a bill that will allow states that have legal weed for medicinal purposes to make it legal to grown and sell. Yet the FDA is telling Tony the Tiger to get lost along with his other friends. In Boston you can't buy a sugary drink in at state building but I bet they will figure out how to tax the heck out of weed. What is happening? Texas is looking at a law that will allow any type light bulb made in the state to be sold in the state. Look for some plants making incandescent bulbs being built and thus lowering their unemployment.
I say bring all the troops home from Ashcanistan now
Submitted by Dave. on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 2:11pm.
There is no point in sending our soldiers into harm's way with both hands and one leg tied behind their backs, as the stupid ROE they are currently operating under do.
Better to wait until we get a for-real CIC in place that will let them do what it takes to actually win a war, and that is to kill the enemy, and keep killing them early and often until they either quit, or no-longer exist in sufficient numbers to keep up the fight.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Dave
Submitted by ricklail on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 3:48pm.
You know I would have argued with you about a month ago but I too am ready to get out of that crap hole of a country. Pull out the troops and bomb them back to the 6th century. That's the way they want to live so let's help them out.
It wasn't until the death of Lt Col Palmer, a Marine pilot at Cherry Point, that made me change my mind. He was shot and killed by a camel washing cop in a relatively safe area. This is like Nam all over again. You don't know who your enemy is. Kill 'em all let God sort them out.
Yes, the ROE are stupid. Worst than they were in Nam.
New cigarette warning labels.
Submitted by ricklail on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 2:52pm.
New cigarette warning labels.
Little sports news
Submitted by ricklail on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 3:41pm.
Vandy beat my Heels last night in the College World Series. That win ensures the SEC will have at least one team in the finals. If South Carolina should happen to win their side of the bracket it would be an all SEC finals. We already know the SEC rules college football. Now it looks like they rule college baseball too. Gators and Game Hens are both in good shape. They would have to lose 2 games to be ousted.
If it's any consolation, rick...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 4:53pm.
I do note the ACC boasts four of the top ten teams in college lacrosse.
Jer
President
Submitted by UpNorth on Thu, 06/23/2011 - 7:25pm.
Present went to visit the 10th Mountain Division, at Ft. Drum, N.Y. and shamed himself with a "minor" screw up over Medal of Honor recipients, see the story at Blackfive.
He needs to go on TV and apologize, both to SSG Giunta, and to the family of SFC Jared Monti, and to all of the military. Then he needs to resign.
His spokesman said he
Submitted by ricklail on Fri, 06/24/2011 - 6:47am.
His spokesman said he mispoke. He was winging it without the telepromter.
Why do we read this in BLACKFIVE
Submitted by ThisnThat on Fri, 06/24/2011 - 12:41pm.
and not from the NYT, CNN, MSNBC, WaPo, etc? Is it because the great MSM History Police are still fact-checking Palin's accurate remarks about Paul Revere, and have no time for trivial pursuit of obama lies? Here's the conclusion regarding Palin's remarks, BTW, from NPR:
Professor ROBERT ALLISON (Chairman, History Department, Suffolk University): Sarah Palin got her history right.
But here's what non-believing liberal nut jobs are saying about her: The matter is more one of a basic respect for knowledge. For without intellectual engagement (and working at getting facts straight), you're not qualified to tell TV viewers that you have a vision for America's future.
Will anyone say that about obama's obvious incorrect statements of history -- that he participated in, for crying out loud? NO. Not a chance. We're all to remain blissfully ignorant of how blatently stupid this guy is, because the MSM has been bought and paid off.
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court