Monday, October 5, 2009

Busy Work – 8 KIA

August 30th General Mc Chrystal delivered a report to the President on the current conditions in the AF. This report, a long and detailed assessment on the strategy, future direction and troop strength within his command took him since June 15th to complete. That is the date he took over in the AF. This report includes a request for additional troops specifically, additional combat infantry and trainers for the AF national army and police. Important for all of us as US citizens is that the this General, specifically appointed by PresBO to command forces in AF, has asked for more troops on the ground to both protect the existing US Forces in place but also to press home the ultimate defeat of the enemy, the ultimate goal of any Army committed to action against a foe.

The President meanwhile, has during this same time has been on 5 different Sunday talk shows, hosted Town Halls meetings in 5 different cities across the country, been on David Letterman and he has had a jaunt to Denmark to pitch for the Olympics games in 2016. The good news is that while in Denmark General Mc Chrystal was able meet up with the President and have his first face-to-face with the CINC since taking command, having only talked to him once in the 70 plus days since his appointment.

On Saturday, 8 US Army soldiers were killed in fighting against the Taliban in the Kamdesh district of Nuristan province. Two remote combat outposts were the center of the attack by the Taliban which was described as a very well coordinated attack by a large force (in excess of 300). The fighting lasted all day and required the use of artillery fire and air strikes to break the will of the enemy and force a withdrawal.

8 brave US Soldiers were killed, 8 men, brothers, husbands and son's were killed while the CINC rested after his strenuous run at getting his home town the Olympics. A mission failure.

"Failure to provide adequate resources also risks a longer conflict, greater casualties, higher overall costs and ultimately, a critical loss of political support. Any of these risks, in turn, are likely to result in mission failure." General Stanley Mc Chrystal from his report to the President on Afghanistan, 30 August 2009.

BT: Jimmy T sends.

2 comments:

Buck said...

The Nero and his fiddle analogy comes to mind, don't it?

Sorta on topic: I "unfollowed" a local newspaper guy on Twitter today after he tweeted this: My boss brings me a photo of George W. Bush w/ the caption "Miss Me Yet?" and without hesitation I answer "NOPE!" Whoops...oh well.

Asshat.

JimmyT said...

Buck, I don't get why the Left is so anti-military. I can see anti-war but the Military is the apparatus that guarantees all of freedoms. I don't get it, they let them down every time. Can you say Vietnam?

BT: Jimmy T sends.