The USA in Afghanistan

The New York Times: Reports on the latest US deaths in Afghanistan; four soldiers died on Tuesday; the NYT writes the following, " making the 2009 death toll for foreign forces in Afghanistan the highest since the war began nearly eight years ago. " Since 2001 as noted by icasualties.org the USA has lost 802 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, this year alone the USA has lost 172 of its soldiers. The Obama Administration has about a year to turn Afghanistan around, if within the next 12 to 18 months the landscape is the same the Liberal Left in Congress will get cold feet, they will want to pull out of Afghanistan, the calls are there already, even the Liberal New York Times has started to build the ground work for pulling out. This is the Just War that Obama wanted to fight in the 2008 Presidential Race, but politics is a hard business, Liberal Members of Congress will start to hear from their Liberal base that Afghanistan like Iraq is a Bush 43 war and that the USA should get out. The Liberal Members of Congress the need the base to get out the vote in the Mid Term Congressional Elections, thus they will start to feel the heat next year to get out of Afghanistan. If Obama folds to Congress he will lose the House in 2012 and his re-election in 2012.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that a British soldier has died in the UK of wounds gained in Afghanistan. News Reports state that the soldier was from the " 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers " Thus in total the UK has now lost 207 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that number it has lost 176 in combat operations, another 31 due to accidents, illness or other incidents. The BBC News notes that the UK has now lost 70 of its Armed Forces Personnel this year alone. Also icasualties.org notes that 2009 has been very bloody for the Armed Forces in Afghanistan, as of today after the above report the Armed Forces in Afghanistan have lost 296 deaths in combat and other incidents. Thus now in at the end of August the there have been more military deaths in Afghanistan than through any year since Western Forces of NATO, the USA went in to Afghanistan in 2001. There will be more deaths, lets hope we achieve something at the end, have my doubts.

Aid for Pakistan

Telegraph: Reports on a five billion aid plan for Pakistan, in essence to win the heart and minds of those that have been effected by the War between the the Army of Pakistan and the Taliban/Terrorists. This is an excellent move, it should be noted that this blog has argued for this kind of aid from the start, winning the War against the Taliban/Terrorists is important but you cant lose the people. Thus lets hope this aid to the civic society of Pakistan can help those that have been directly effected by the War, thus aid spent on schools, hospitals, local democracy, economic aid to those at the bottom of the civic structure of Pakistan. This is a good start, but its the start of a long road, it will be hard and difficult, the West can not lose Pakistan.

Obama's Rendition Policy

The New York Times: Reports that President Obama will carry on with the rendition of terrorist suspects, the NYT writes the following, " .....will continue the Bush administration’s practice of sending terror suspects to third countries for detention and interrogation,.....But human rights advocates condemned the decision,...." The Obama Administration has stated that the suspects will not be tortured but that is spin, that's the point of rendition, its to get information that you might need in a hurry, in less the US will have CIA officials with the suspects for 24/7 there will be torture used on suspects, that is the brutal truth post 9/11. Lets see if the Liberal New York Times follows up this story, or will they cover for Obama.

The Liberal Left on Obama and Reagan

The New York Times: It seems the Liberal New York Times still goes not get it, here is another attack on the Reagan Presidency, the Liberal Mr Paul Krugman writes the following, " Washington, it seems, is still ruled by Reaganism..........the blame also must rest with President Obama, who famously praised Reagan during the Democratic primary, ....." Lets look at the record here, President Reagan left office in 1989, he died in 2004, there must be a few Presidents in between, the age of Reagan as it has become known of late seem to have started on 20th January 1981 and lasted till 20th January 2009. What about Bush 41, Bill Clinton, and Bush 43, didn't they do anything that is worth of age prefix before their name. What really gets the Liberal New York Times is that they could never really throw arrows at Reagan while he was President, it really drives them around the twist to see President Obama give Reagan praise. It simple folks, Reagan left office with a Gallup approval of 63%, in the New York Times poll it was 68%. Also Reagan's VP was his successor, also Bush 43 was the political heir to Reagan. Lets be honest here folks the Democrats on the whole don't have a great political record, thus lets hope the Gipper will drive the Liberal New York Times batty till the end of time.

FBI takes over the War on Terror

Fox News: Reports that the FBI will take over the interrogation of top terrorists, the FBI will report to the National Security Council. As reported by the Liberal LATimes a few months ago the FBI will run the War on Terror. The Obama Administration has a pre 9/11 mind set, if its lucky the Bush Administration will have broken the back of the terrorists, thus this mistake will not have serious consequences for the National Security of the USA and the West, but what if Obama is not lucky, what if he has a ticking clock, a case out of the TV series 24. Lets look in the future, the President is informed that a top-level terrorists has been caught and he wants a lawyer, the FBI believes that a major terrorist attack going to happen within the next 12 hours, you do not have time for tea and biscuits with the terrorist. The question one has to ask what is more important to Obama, the security of the USA or his own arrogance. Lets start building those nuclear bunkers folks!, he has allowed his Attorney General to damage the security of the USA by appointing a Special Prosecutor to investigate past torture claims against the CIA, does he have the morale courage to defend the United States, that is the question folks.

President Karzai WINS in Afghanistan

The Times: Reports that President Karzai has won a second term in Afghanistan. Of those that are kind to read this blog that is not breaking news, the Chicago Fix was in for Karzai, good old Mayor Daley of the 1960 Presidential Election would be proud. Thus far no reports of any one who fought in the 1st and 2nd Afghan Wars of the 19th Century against the UK voting yet but give it time. The result was pre destined, the West needs Karzai, he is our Diem, lets just hope we don't have to give the green light for a coup. The question is can Karzai clean up the Afghan Government, clean up the corruption, build schools, hospitals, give the Afghan people hope. That is the question, my prediction is no, expect the need for a strong man to lead Afghanistan, the USA and the UK can not stay in Afghanistan for 40 years, five years would be pushing the political limit. Thus expect a weak and corrupt government in Kabul, the security situation will get worse, the USA and the UK will come to crossroads, more troops our out, its that simple and brutal. The problem is that the West does not have a choice, you have weak government in Pakistan, more problematic you have a nuclear armed Pakistan, if the West was to leave Afghanistan the Taliban/Terrorists would have a base to attack the secular government of Pakistan. Think of a Pakistan under the Taliban/Terrorists with the bomb, yes India would attack in a heartbeat, NATO would have to fold as it would be seen as weak, this might lead to Russia attacking the Ukraine, yes folks President Obama does not have a choice when it comes to Afghanistan, never had a choice, he has to send in more troops and he can not afford to lose. I wonder does Obama in his dreams see himself not as a great President like Ronald Reagan but LBJ, a man with a great domestic vision who's Presidency was destroyed by a country that he didn't understand but could not afford lose.

The Obama Administration and the CIA

BBC News: Reports that the US Attorney General Eric Holder has appointed a Special Prosecutor to review the alleged tortures cases of the CIA. This could be a costly political bone that President Obama has thrown to his Liberal base. If Obama didn't approve this move then he has an out of control Attorney General, if he did approve the move it shows that he lacks political judgement not seen since President Ford announced to the press that that the CIA had a murky record when it came to Cuba and Castro. The US political world was around before President Obama, even if some of his most ardent supporters think he is the secular second coming, history repeats itself, this is the case with the CIA. After Vietnam and Watergate the CIA in the mid 1970s found itself under Congressional attack for doing what Presidents wanted in Foreign Policy, thus the Church Committee hearings in to the CIA. The actual result was that the Democrats managed to destroy the reputation of President John F. Kennedy, it was through these hearings that it came out that he shared a girlfriend with Mafia Chief, also the Mafia was trying to kill Castor for the CIA. Lets look in the two possible futures here, the Attorney General decides to prosecute the CIA officers, he successful and the Liberal Left wing love Obama. On the other hand there is a prosecution and then the terrorists attack, what are the odds on Obama winning re-election. Think in to the future, the Government has placed CIA officers on trial and on the TV a dirty bomb has gone off in New York or Washington D.C Do you think the voter is going to forgiving of Obama and the Democrats, Obama could be lucky, that the tough methods of the Bush 43 could have broken the back of the terrorists, but what if they are waiting, Obama will lose if he is seen as weak on National Security its that simple, does not matter about the law, CIA officers can be pardoned by Obama's successor, the Deputy Director of the FBI who turned out to be Deep Throat of Watergate fame got a Pardon from President Reagan for allowing illegal acts by the FBI. Thus a Republican successor in 2012 could benefit from this act by Obama, lets hope Obama is lucky, if not lets hope we have another Ronald Reagan.