Comments on: Removing Combat Brigades from Iraq

By: Drew

Drew — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:49:00 +0000

Timing is everything. Just this AM I read that Karzai has called for (for Obama to) an end to the air strikes and their attendant civilian casualties.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:39:10 +0000

I think that President Obama is likely to be as good as his word and increase the commitment of combat brigades to Afghanistan (as President McCain would have).

However, I'm a dissenter. I think that we need to change our strategic objectives in Afghanistan away from apprehension to containment. Basically, we need to raise Al Qaeda's cost of operations to unmanageable levels.

By: Drew

Drew — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:16:22 +0000

Thanks for the link. Isn't it a shame that our media can't report these issues in a level headed manner? "Make sure you report 7 as 70".

Our opposition certainly knows how to pull the levers.

So what is your view - do you believe that Obama will make a proper re-allocation of resources? I am not confident in any way.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:25:43 +0000

Sure. How about a quote from Brig. Gen. Mike Tucker?

By: Drew

Drew — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:11:36 +0000

Thanks. An air strike crutch is indeed a ham-fisted approach.

Do you have a specific citation?

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:29:15 +0000

Actually, there is, Drew. Air strikes are being overused in Afghanistan because we don't have the troops to conduct land operations at the scale necessary. That in turn results in more civilian casualties which undermines our strategic objectives in Afghanistan.

The problem I have with that line of thinking is that I can't imagine the American people getting behind the size of the army we'd need in Afghanistan to accomplish our tactical objectives with substantially reduced air strikes and I can't imagine the Afghans accepting so large a force in their country peaceably.

By: Drew

Drew — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:04:55 +0000

I have always thought that Bush's critics were making a false assertion by claiming the Iraq War diverted necessary resources from Afghanistan.

I have never seen a reliable account of targets or initiatives gone wanting in Afghanistan, and have always assumed that the reality is that we are fully resourced.

Is there evidence to the contrary?