[Peace] AOTA on Afghanistan and Somalia

[C. G. Estabrook]

	"It’s their country. They know how to fight.”
	
	--Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff on why his massive army
	is unable to destroy the resistance of the Afghan people, despite
	their having no tanks or aircraft


"AWARE on the Air" tonight at 10pm on cable channel 6 (Urbana Public Television) 
takes up the hidden decisions that the Obama administration is taking in regard 
to killing people from Afghanistan to Somalia -- considered as one region by 
American planners, "Central Command."

American troops (perhaps disguised as French) stated a lethal attack in Somalia 
this week while intense but secret discussion seems to continue within the 
administration on how to manage the killing.  More troops for AfPak?  Attack 
Iran?  These and other mad plans seem to be on the table, as part of the 
American invasion and occupation of the Middle East.

As panelist Ron Szoke puts it on tonight's program, "The Unease Spreads."

	From The Times
	September 16, 2009
	Afghan rift bared as US military chief challenges Barack Obama

Deep rifts at the heart of Western policy on Afghanistan were laid bare 
yesterday when President Obama’s top military adviser challenged him to 
authorise a troop surge that his most senior congressional allies have said they 
will oppose.

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that more US 
troops as well as a rapid increase in the size and capability of the Afghan army 
were needed to carry out the President’s own strategy for prevailing in 
Afghanistan as the eighth anniversary of a debilitating war approaches.

His remarks to a Senate hearing came as Bob Ainsworth, the British Defence 
Secretary, said that the Taleban had proven a resilient enemy. “We’re far from 
succeeding against them yet but I reject that we’re not making progress,” he 
said at King’s College London.

Mr Obama also rejected claims that Afghanistan was turning into a quagmire akin 
to Vietnam, but his immediate dilemma is political: approving a surge could 
trigger a high-level mutiny within his own party. Making matters worse, a new 
poll showed that public support for the war has slumped since April.

“Each historical moment is different,” Mr Obama said in an interview published 
yesterday. “You never step into the same river twice, and so Afghanistan is not 
Vietnam.”

The call for more troops is supported by military commanders and Senate 
Republicans, including Senator John McCain, who warned yesterday that a “wait 
and see” approach to a surge risked repeating the “nearly catastrophic mistakes” 
that the US made in Iraq.

General Stanley McChrystal, in charge of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, is 
expected to make specific troop requests to add to the 68,000 already committed 
to Afghanistan within the next fortnight.

A central plank of his strategy, led by General Graham Lamb, of Britain, would 
be to try to induce low and middle-ranking Taleban fighters to fight for the 
Government, repeating tactics pioneered by General Lamb in Iraq two years ago, 
Admiral Mullen said. Britain has about 9,000 troops in the country. If he 
accepts his commanders’ recommendations, Mr Obama will have to remake the case 
for a war that had overwhelming public support until this year. He has a tough 
fight to persuade fellow Democrats that new troops are needed.

Democratic senators lined up yesterday to reject calls for more US combat 
troops. Senator Russ Feingold warned that he and “a growing chorus” of Democrats 
would refuse to back sending more reinforcements.

Calling for a flexible timetable for withdrawal, he insisted that “continuing to 
build up troops in Afghanistan is the exact formula to increase support for the 
Taleban”.

The argument was echoed in London by the International Institute for Strategic 
Studies, which warned that the continued presence of foreign troops in 
Afghanistan could be more destabilising than withdrawal.

Admiral Mullen’s appearance before the Senate Armed Forces Committee was 
ostensibly an uncontroversial renomination for two more years as America’s most 
senior uniformed officer. In practice, he had to walk a tightrope, defending 
General McChrystal’s recent assessment of the Afghan security situation while 
explaining his failure so far to state the number of extra troops he needs, and 
making the case for a surge without prejudging the decisions of his 
Commander-in-Chief.

“I support a properly resourced, classically pursued counter-insurgency 
strategy,” he told the committee. “You can’t do that from offshore and you can’t 
do that just by killing the bad guys. You have to be there.”

Asked by Mr McCain if the preferred Democratic solution of leaving security to a 
strengthened Afghan army would suffice, Admiral Mullen said: “No, sir.” Mr 
McCain then referred to speculation that Mr Obama had delayed tackling the issue 
of specific troop numbers because of the drain on his time and political capital 
caused by the healthcare debate. “I believe the President can do both,” his 
former opponent in the White House race said.

Yesterday the debate was decorous. It is likely to turn acrimonious in the weeks 
ahead as Republicans train their fire on delays that they will argue have put 
American lives at risk.

When Admiral Mullen revealed that General Lamb had initiated an effort to win 
over Taleban fighters, he was asked why it had taken so long. “It has not been 
an area of focus,” he said.

Asked how the Taleban could have the initiative against the world’s most 
powerful military despite having no tanks or aircraft, the admiral replied: 
“They’re very good at it. It’s their country. They know how to fight.”

Senator Lindsey Graham, one of an influential cross-party trio likely to frame 
the congressional response to Mr Obama’s next move on Afghanistan, alluded to a 
new CNN poll showing a 14 per cent drop in public backing for the war. He asked 
Admiral Mullen: “Do you understand that you’ve got one more shot back home?” The 
admiral said that he did.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6836205.ece