[Peace-discuss] From the right: Obama attacks Bush on war

[C. G. Estabrook]

[Bush actually used the word "theaters" in his speech today, and Obama speaks of 
"fronts" -- both admitting that Iraq and Afghanistan are parts of the same war, 
altho' neither is candid about the goal of that war: they pretend that it's to 
"stop terrorism," for which purpose it is manifestly counterproductive.  Every 
Pakistani family savaged by US ground troops, every Afghan bride killed with her 
family by a US drone or airstrike, produces more "terrorists." The US goal is 
that of the Germans in France in WWII: crush the resistance to military control 
of the region. And Obama here condemns Bush (and McCain) for not being 
belligerent enough in AfPAK (altho' Gates has been working strenuously to insure 
more deaths in each country: Obama may keep him on).  --CGE]


	The Caucus - A New York Times Blog
	September 9, 2008, 1:47 pm
	War at Home
	By Kate Phillips

...Mr. Bush announced his decision on future force levels in Iraq, which 
includes withdrawing a full brigade of combat troops in the first few weeks of 
2009, in an address on Tuesday to the National Defense University here. The text 
of his speech was released late Monday by the White House.

Neither the Marine battalion nor the Army brigade will be replaced, leaving the 
American combat force in Iraq at 14 brigades. After other support and logistics 
units are withdrawn under the new orders, the American troop levels in Iraq 
would drop to about 138,000 by March, still several thousand more than were 
there in January 2007, when Mr. Bush announced the “surge” that brought the 
total over 160,000.

...the president also said that troop levels in Afghanistan would be increased 
by 4,500 ... Bush’s announcement of a modest change was based on the guidance 
and recommendations of military commanders on the ground, including General 
David Petraeus, as well as from Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the joint 
chiefs, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, was the first of the 
candidates to discuss Mr. Bush’s announcement earlier today:

"...President Bush also announced additional troops for Afghanistan. I am glad 
that the President is moving in the direction of the policy that I’ve advocated 
for years [sic]. But the most substantial increase will come when an additional 
Army brigade is deployed five months from now – in February, after the President 
has left office. His plan comes up short – it is not enough troops, and not 
enough resources, with not enough urgency.

"What President Bush and Senator McCain don’t understand is that the central 
front in the war on terror is not in Iraq, and it never was – the central front 
is in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the terrorists who hit us on 9/11 are 
still plotting attacks seven years later. Today, the Taliban is on the 
offensive, al Qaeda has a new sanctuary, and its leaders are putting out 
videotapes [We certainly have the stop THAT! --CGE]. Yet under President Bush’s 
plan, we still have nearly four times the number of troops in Iraq than 
Afghanistan, and we have no comprehensive plan to deal with the al Qaeda 
sanctuary in northwest Pakistan..."