27 January 2010

state of the war

This is an addition to the state of the union post.
In his speech, fearful leader said that the troops "will" start to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2011. Yep, according to the "plan" he mentioned just before the latest "surge".
Funny, but every Pentagon "plan" has troops in that country until 2015/2016 at a minimum. The Air Force has plans that call for them to be there until 2015 for training and maintenance. 
The Army is there at least until that same time or longer. Again, for training and building up the Afghan Army.
No doubt this administration just might actually "pull" some troops out of Afghanistan and bring them home by 2011. Yep, they'll do just what old Nixon did back in 1971.  I was with 5th Marines in Vietnam 1970-71. We had a radio link with an Army until a few kilometers from our regimental base. Every so often we'd drive over to drop off mail and check on our guys who kept up the radio link with the Army.
One day, we enter the Army base and saw they had a different unit insignia on the main gate. When we asked about it we were told that the "old" unit we had known went home. Now, all the Army troops we had been working with were still there. They were now in a new unit. All that had "gone home" were the regimental flag, some paper work and maybe a few men. It was all smoke and mirrors, but it made the news back in the states as the unit coming home.
IF our troops come out of Afghanistan in 2011, I would be willing to bet this is how they will be "coming home".
I just do not, in any way, trust the government. So, I guess you can call me a doubter in fearful leader and his ability to get things done. 
But, damn, he sure used lots of pretty words in that speech. Didn't he?
semper fi



4 comments:

Tao Dao Man said...

Total lip service. There is still chatter of keeping 50k troops in Iraq for eternity.
Conditions on the ground, will be the major loophole in all of this.
You are correct my friend. They will just play the old shuffle game.
Why doesn't some one ask the Prez. about the stop loss orders. He is now a President with an ongoing, endless wars without borders.
Nam was the [domino principal]. Now the West's military [NATO], is playing invasion hop-scotch.

William Blake said...

Younger brothers like me owe people like you more than a lot. I found your site through Joe Bageant and now others can find you through me: http://wilblake.com/#blogs. Thank you.

messianicdruid said...

I listened to the speech about three minutes, and when I saw those twits behind him jumping up and clapping I had to turn it off.

I apprecieated Ron Paul's "State of the Republic" a lot more:

http://cryptogon.com/?p=13253#respond

Anonymous said...

I also found your site through Joe Bageant. Keep up the good work.