How to Hand an Election to John McCain on a Silver Platter
Tags: Afghan Campaign, US Military.
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From tonight’s debate:
OBAMA: But it also means using our military wisely. And on what I believe was the single most important foreign policy decision of this generation, whether or not to go to war in Iraq, I believe I showed the judgment of a commander in chief. And I think that Senator Clinton was wrong in her judgments on that.
Now, that has consequences — that has significant consequences, because it has diverted attention from Afghanistan where al Qaeda, that killed 3,000 Americans, are stronger now than at any time since 2001.
You know, I’ve heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon — supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon. Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq.
And as a consequence, they didn’t have enough ammunition, they didn’t have enough humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.
He’s claiming that our troops in Afghanistan have to use weapons captured from the Taliban – I wonder if any of the MilBloggers out there will have anything to say on this absolutely absurd assertion? NRO’s The Corner got this reaction from an Obama advisor:
That was a discussion that a captain in the military had with our staff, and he asked that that be passed along to Senator Obama.
Obama is going to have to prove this assertion beyond a reasonable doubt, or McCain and the GOP will use it to make mince meat out of him in the fall debates. Its a stupid statement clearly made by a man who hasn’t bothered to learn even the basics about the United States military – normally, not such a big problem, but Obama aspires to be Commander in Chief.
UPDATE: Jack Tapper, author of Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency (not exactly a love note to President Bush, in case you hadn’t guessed) and a ABC reporter says he was able to speak to the captain who provided Obama with the story – claims it is all true, but from what I can read in Tapper’s report, the captain isn’t backing up what Obama claimed (that our troops found it easier to obtain enemy weapons than American weapons). Meanwhile, over at Flopping Aces, we have this comment:
What a crock of outright lies and BS!!!! Platoons are not split up along theater level lines. A Platoon is the smallest tactical element commonly employed. Normal Squads, which make up Platoons, do not go out alone unless covered by something big (Tank/Infantry squad teams for example).
Units are not halved for combat!! Units in Afghanistan were not used in Iraq and the two events occurred almost a year apart!! 10th Mountain went into Afghanistan fully manned. 10th Mountain was not used in Iraq. Also, all units have organic vehicles. Divisions are not stripped of vehicles for another theater operation. We have APS fleets to cover this (pre-deployed assets in Kuwait)!!! Obama should know about this as funding for the APS fleets are in the appropriations bills.
So on this aspect: FLAT OUT LIE by Obama!!!!!!
…However, I know a captain who commanded in 10th Mountain in Afghanistan during the most intense fighting there and he NEVER had problems with lack of men, equipment, or ammo. But then, I am an Army officer who, like a VAST, near total majority of us, supports the war so my opinion is unwanted by the left.
UPDATE: Pentagon doubts Obama’s claim…
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63 Responses to “How to Hand an Election to John McCain on a Silver Platter”
Caucus of Corruption
sleepygene, the interesting part is that ABC used the same unnamed captain to verify himself. Where is the independent verification? Does anyone else say the same thing? It’s like when the New Republic verified what Scott Beauchamp was saying by asking…… Scott Beauchamp.
Mark,
The libs want us to withdraw from Iraq…correct?
Well, isn’t the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan proof that even when we “think” we’ve defeated “this” enemy, they’ll continue to rebuild, re-establish in more sparsely populated areas, and cause havic until “we” (the USA) eliminate those threats, or until they become so discouraged they simply quit fighting?
So, what would make the libs believe there won’t be the same resurgence in Iraq? Because Obigears and Hitlery say so? Fat chance. We’ve seen how the Afghan Military stands up…lol!
And why hasn’t NATO been able to defeat or hold Afghanistan without US Military assistance?
The answers to these questions are quite simple: NATO is made up of misfits that couldn’t make it in the real military (and I don’t give a rats ars if anyone is offended…the truth hurts), and as long as there are terrorist-friendly countries in the region, terrorism will continue with no end in sight, and as GWB stated in his SOTU speech, “this will be a long war.”
I’ll place my money on what McCain said. “We could be in Iraq–or the region–for 100 years.” No one wants this, not even most conservatives, but reality is clear, we have no other choice…period.
“Of course, a handful of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are not so lucky. In some, NATO troops have been unable to intimidate the insurgents on the battlefield – Helmand, Kandahar, and Uruzgan. (This should not have been surprising. For instance, the Dutch, who have roughly 500 soldiers in Uruzgan, have only 22,000 troops total in their military and haven’t won a war since, what, the 18th century? )”
Hmmmm, go wonder.
~~~But then, I am an Army officer who, like a VAST, near total majority of us, supports the war so my opinion is unwanted by the left. ~~~
Well no, but since you just told an outright lie, there’s every reason not to believe your opinion.
http://www.militarycity.com/polls/2007activepoll_iraq.php
RE:
48. Freedom1 | February 22nd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Really Mark, how do you continually allow this crap to be spewed out from Freedom1? All he does is bitch about Islam and post links from other wacko blogs that also hate Islam.
Here is the link to the original news story about the incident that Obama spoke of:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/from-the-fact-3.html
“Still won’t come out and give his name”
Uh, for obvious reasons.
Joe,
Do I have to draw you a map?! Guess so. The reason I post information on Islam and Muslim terrorists, etc. is to inform people about the actions of Western Civilization’s ENEMY. You know, Islam which says to non-Muslims convert or DIE.
The only reason you get so hyper about it is because you inherently understand that by pointing out the evil and brutality of the Islamic enemy (-ie. Post #48 Iran’s construction of a NUCLEAR BOMB) it demonstrates how badly America needs a strong President with military experience like John McCain and equally, it points out the inherent weakness, naievity and inexperience of Barack Hussein Obama.
Unfortunately Freedom1…..
The dumbass libs will not be convinced until a mushroom cloud appears over a major city anywhere in the world.
Even with terrorist attacks going on in regions we don’t have a presence in, they are not convinced.
It is really sad.
“Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Friday ordered his Mahdi Army militia to extend a cease-fire for another six months, a decision that U.S. and Iraqi officials believe will strengthen a growing sense of stability in Iraq….
Sadr’s cease-fire, which began last August, is widely credited with helping to reduce levels of violence in Iraq. Other factors in quelling the violence have been the birth of a Sunni volunteer force that turned against radical jihadists and the U.S. military “surge” involving thousands of reinforcements….
Those who honor Sadr’s pledge will be treated with respect and restraint, the U.S. military said, adding that it would welcome any opportunity to participate in dialogue with the Sadrists.”
We are in luck. The ceasefire has been extended. Our soldiers are safer and Republicans can claim the surge is working.
Ooooooohhhh, Tract’s having a tantrum again. Was it something I said? Poor baby.
Yes, I know it just chaps your donkey to hear that some of us have actually seen the light. I hear that the guy who is spilling the beans on the inner secrets of Scientology is getting the same reaction ol’ inTractable is having to me.
But you are safe from suffering the same fate, Tract—the ones who move from left to right have the ability to (finally) start to wonder why, if the Left is so superior to the Right, they can’t ever answer a question directly but have to veer off into trying to anwer with other questions, or to resort to name-calling and silly sneering. They have the intelligence to look into history for themselves, and learn that no Socialist government has ever succeeded, and to wonder why so many are still determined to inlfict this repeated failure of a model on this country.
Yes, there are way too many qualifications for conversion from the wackadoo belief system that charges your battery to the rational world of fact and reason represented by the Right.
Too many words for you?
BTW, I was saying it long before I knew that Ronald Reagan—another former Dem—had said it as well: “I did not leave the Democratic Party: It left me.”
The politics of John F. Kennedy are so far to the right of the Dems of today, it is hard to believe the party still uses the same name. The Democrat Party just slipped out from under me in its death slide to the radical Left. Believe me, nasty pieces of work like we routinely see here, spouting vile and vicious slanders, wallowing in blind hatred and glorying in name-calling, would not have had a place in the Dem party of yore. But they seem to be the very foundation of the new Socialist far left radical movement we see posturing as Democrats today.
#59 TLBS.
Sad but true.
/Wish I was just making a reference to a Metallica song.