The Old Washington D.C Blame Game, After the Music NO chair for Mr Greg Craig

Politico: Reports on the failure to close Guantanamo Bay on time and who in the West Wing is up for the chop. Its is as old as the hills, someone has get the chop when a White House policy goes down the toilet and makes the President looks bad, in this case the promise it close down the Guantanamo Bay Prison for Terrorists. This shows how a the arrogance of a new West Wing team can bite the Administration in the backside down the line, someone has to fall on their sword or be pushed, in this case its Greg Craig, this is the second article that names Mr Craig as the fall guy, there was a hatched chop in the Washington Post a few weeks ago, its time for West Wing Aides to cover their own positions and thus Mr Craig will find that he does not have parking space at the White House in the near future.

Biden's Advice on Pakistan

The New York Times: It has been reported that VP Biden has advised President Obama to draw back in Afghanistan and hit Al Qaeda in Pakistan, the NYT reports on the negative view of the USA at the present in Pakistan, the NYT writes the following, " Even at its current levels, the American presence was fueling a sense of occupation among Pakistani politicians and security officials.." Thus think how the secular government of Pakistan will react if Obama follows the Biden advice, to really hit Al Qaeda hard in Pakistan the US drones would need widen their target range, Obama has already increased drone attacks, this lead to innocent deaths in Pakistan. It should be recalled of late that the Taliban of Pakistan had Islamabad within their grasp, they just has sixty miles to go to take over Pakistan. Imagine this 3am case study, Obama is sleeping and there is call, Islamabad has fallen to a Taliban coup, the nuclear weapons of Pakistan could be in the hands of the Taliban, India wants US troops on the ground in Pakistan now or they will use a nuclear strike to prevent a Taliban Pakistan. It is simple folks, the US can use drone attacks up to a point, but to much force and you could have Afghanistan and Pakistan as basket cases, this would finish the Obama Presidency, and all the blame would belong to Obama for following the advice of Biden.

Not BACKING our Troops = New Labour

BBC News: Reports that General Sir Richard Dannatt, recent head of the UK Army has stated that UK PM Brown would not back up troops on the ground in Afghanistan. This outspoken negative view of PM Gordon Brown does recall the recent statements of General McChrystal and his not to subtle attack on the idea of VP Biden for the US to reduce its footprint in Afghanistan and use drones to attack Al Qaeda in Pakistan. One gets the impression that both US and UK military services are not going to take the fall for their Lords and Masters should Afghanistan fail. In other words its simple, the military is telling the President or PM " Follow Our Advice on Afghanistan or its YOUR Fault if we LOOSE " Lets see what President Obama does, if he does not follow the McChrystal advice its his war, if he is right he gets the applause but if he is wrong he will will not get re-elected and the Democratic Party will be out of Office for more than twelve years this time, Obama makes Carter look tough, he is more Hamlet that Ronald Reagan.

Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards ". Thus since 2001 the UK has lost 220 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan. In that total the UK has lost 189 in combat operations and another 31 due to illness, accidents and other incidents.

Gates to McChrystal = SHUT UP

BBC News: Reports that US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates has stated that President Obama should get honest but private advice on Afghanistan. In other words the US Commander on the ground in Afghanistan, General McChrystal should shut up, the General has been very active on the press circuit, he has been very clear, the plan as suggested by VP Biden will not work, this plan would scale back US troops and use drones to attack Al Qaeda in Pakistan. The McChrystal report calls for a new strategy over Afghanistan, this strategy would move from killing the Taliban/Terrorists to the protection of the Afghan population, to do this General McChrystal would need another forty thousand troops, Obama is being Hamlet, if he is this slow now what will happen if he had a 24 moment, a dirty bomb in a US city, and terrorist in custody, would he be Hamlet or be Jack Bauer.

The US Death Toll in Afghanistan

BBC News: Reports that the US has lost eight soldiers in one day in Afghanistan. The situation in Afghanistan is on knife edge, this year alone according to icasualties.org the USA has lost 238 of its soldiers, since the start of the war in 2001 the USA has lost 868 of its Armed Forces Personnel. While President Obama does his Hamlet bit, the US action in Afghanistan is going down the toilet fast, the US Commander in Afghanistan, General McChrystal has stated that he needs another forty thousand soldiers to change the strategy in Afghanistan, move from killing the Taliban/Terrorists to the protect of the Afghan people. If Obama tries a middle path, more troops but not enough the President is guilty of sending people to their deaths because does not have the guts to take on his Liberal base. It more easy for this blog to be harsh on Obama on this subject due to the fact that while he checked in to and out of the US Senate to run for the Presidency this blog wanted out of Afghanistan. Thus blog is no 60s hippie throw back to Vietnam, but due to UK losses in Afghanistan has changed its viewpoint, to much blood has been left on the ground in Afghanistan for the West to allow the Taliban/Terrorists to win. Its not about vanity, if Afghanistan is take over how long Pakistan, thus the West has to win in Afghanistan, the bloody place.

Iran can MAKE the BOMB

The New York Times: Reports that the UN's IAEA reports that Iran can make a nuclear bomb. Lets hope Israel have birds on the tarmac ready to go, Iran will play Obama, and worse aspect is that Obama wants to be played by Iran. This is not the time for weakness by Israel, Obama will never take tough action, he cant stop himself pandering to the Liberal Democratic base, Israel will have to protect itself, Obama cant be trusted as an Ally.