Patterico's Pontifications

11/23/2009

Is Tonight the Night?

Filed under: Obama,War — DRJ @ 1:36 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

No, this isn’t a post about Captain Chesley Sullenberger, although the title would fit. Instead, this post involves whether President Obama is finally ready to make a decision on Afghanistan after his 9th war council (*) strategy meeting:

“President Obama may make up his mind about sending more troops to Afghanistan as early as tonight, press secretary Robert Gibbs said today.

Obama will meet with his foreign policy advisers tonight for a Afghanistan strategy meeting. When a reporter asked if Obama might “lock down” his decision tonight, Gibbs said it was possible.

“I don’t know the answer to that. It may be tonight; it may be over the course of the next several days,” he responded.”

The linked article indicates the decision won’t be announced until next week but I’m still betting on a Thanksgiving release. It’s a good time to bury a decision Obama doesn’t want to make.

— DRJ

19 Responses to “Is Tonight the Night?”

  1. They’ll wait until the 28th so that it will be buried by the Black Friday reports.

    AD - RtR/OS! (222944)

  2. Isn’t there another country or dictator Obama has to consult or apologize to before he can make this decision?

    Rochf (ae9c58)

  3. I provided a link several threads ago to the report of Eikenberry conceding five provinces to the Taliban. That is surrender and the Paks found out how well that works.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  4. Mike K,
    Do you suppose the leak of our impending surrender is spurring young Hamlet to action?

    Patricia (b05e7f)

  5. I saw your link and read the article, Mike K. It sounds like conceding behind the scenes, declaring victory in public, and ultimately going home. That sounds very familiar.

    DRJ (dee47d)

  6. My guess would be on Friday as well. He wants to minimize the disapointment amoung his lefty base. My question is how many actual troops will he commit? Certainly not the 40 thousand asked for.

    BT (74cbec)

  7. “…how many actual troops…”

    Whatever the number is, they will probably be divided half combat and half civil-affairs, with the combat half protecting the c-a half; in other words, no net new troops to the efforts combatting AQ/Taliban, and at best, some ramp-up in the training of Afghan army/police forces.

    I wonder if he’ll give a heads-up to the NGO’s as to when they’ll need to get their people out so as not to be unprotected?

    AD - RtR/OS! (fbaa75)

  8. 40,000 including 10,000 from NATO; announcement after 7 pm Eastern time Friday. It may be that he’ll decide to investigate first, though.

    htom (5f7b79)

  9. I, for one, am going to come out against his decision before he’s even made it. Whatever he says, it’s wrong!

    He is a bad president, and none of his policies or acts will ever change that.

    RedPanther (fdb23f)

  10. It’s a good time to bury a decision Obama doesn’t want to make.

    if he announces his resignation instead, he won’t have to worry about getting stuck with the results of the Afghan decision…..

    %-)

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  11. Interesting timing as I pick up some information that certain Tribal groups are taking on the Taliban in what is being referred to as the Anbar Awakening Afganistan style.

    Here is a scenario to consider. Eikenberry backdoors McChrystal by negotiating a retreat with tribal leaders. Tribal leaders turn on the
    Taliban/al qaeda types with showy footage for the media, POTUS commits 25K troops into a fait accompli already negotiated, POTUS begins pulling troops out before 2010 elections to save the democrats hanging out on Healthcare, and finally, a show trial that trots out the hated Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Halliburton bogey man to throw red meat to the progressives.

    Now that’s entertainment!

    vet66 (9d1bb3)

  12. Poor way to do the military on hold for whether or not they will deploy. Happy Thanksgiving troops pack your bags…:(

    voiceofreason2 (09e3a4)

  13. Comment by RedPanther — 11/23/2009 @ 2:57 pm

    Worst.
    Attempt.
    At.
    Sarcasm.
    Ever.

    Comic Book Guy (99ff01)

  14. Well, by all means Obama. Take yer time. It’s only our U.S. troops who are endangered by your lack of experience as a commanding officer and inability to make a freaking decision. It’s only the people who protect you from harm, the people who protect the very liberties you attempt to take from the rest of us. It’s only some poor slob stuck in a foxhole somewhere facing another Thanksgiving away from home and away from family. Don’t worry. Take yer time. As long as you’re safe and comfy.

    You fu**ing communist pussy.

    DaveinPhoenix (988dba)

  15. I provided a link several threads ago to the report of Eikenberry conceding five provinces to the Taliban. That is surrender and the Paks found out how well that works.
    Comment by Mike K — 11/23/2009 @ 2:08 pm

    Mike

    Was this you link?

    http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2009/11/whispers-of-surrender-in-afgha/

    Terry Gain (1664b9)

  16. He better make up his mind because the Afghans and his Generals are starting to laugh at him.
    null

    Sanmon (319c0c)

  17. […] says he hears of movement, Patterico is wondering […]

    Scuttlebutt « Congress Interruptus (565823)

  18. What are the chances Teh Won will go over and share Thanksgiving turkey with the troops? Zip!

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  19. Well maybe the pressure paid off?

    “KABUL —
    Fifteen current and former Afghan ministers are under investigation over allegations of corruption that have plagued the government of President Hamid Karzai, the attorney general’s office said Tuesday.

    In his inaugural address last week for his second term as president, Karzai pledged to arrest those who spread corruption. International leaders, who have threatened to hold back troops and development aid unless Karzai cleans up corruption in his government, are watching closely to see if he keeps his promise.”

    seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010343774_apasafghanistancorruption.html?syndication=rss
    Fools rush in… but that’s what Republicans are for.

    bored again (d80b5a)


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