Gen. McChrystal: Situation in Afghanistan is no longer deteriorating

By GottaLaff

Boyoboy, Democratic administrations are just the worst at foreign policy and national security. We really need more Rushpublics calling the shots:

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said Thursday that security there is no longer deteriorating, a view that represents his most optimistic assessment yet.

Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, meeting with reporters in advance of NATO talks here, pointed to signs of stability that, while difficult to quantify, indicate that Afghans also see improvements in many areas of commerce and daily life.

That's bad news.

For the GOP.

"I feel differently now," McChrystal said. "I am not prepared to say we have turned the corner. The situation is serious, but we [made] significant progress in setting conditions in 2009 and we will make real progress in 2010."

Think they'll listen to the commander on the ground?

Me neither.

That said, when can we get out of there?

McChrystal: End of war "Sometime before 2013.”

By GottaLaff

Via Spencer Ackerman: Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican congressman from Colorado, asked Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, "At what point will we begin to draw down?”

According to Coffman, McChrystal responded: “Sometime before 2013.”

How long until he either denies or backtracks? And how long until that quote is twisted, turned, convoluted, wrung out, misinterpreted, hung upside down, pulled inside out, and generally parsed to death by all sides?

Whither the dither? McChrystal calls Obama 'thoughtful,' won't criticize delay

By GottaLaff

I finally got around to watching the HBO Obama documentary. It followed then-Senator Obama from 2006-2008, covering the entire presidential campaign.

What struck me was the media-abetted frenzies over various flashpoints (Bill Ayers, for one) and how so many punditiots tore their hair out, frothed, screamed, opined, panicked, predicted doom, failure, the end of the road, and the death of a career.

And then they were proved wrong. Over and over again. Compressing months and months of campaigning into a couple of hours made the breathless media tabloiditude that much more obvious.

It also pointed out the sheer absurdity of our "news" dee jays' inaccuracies in favor of ratings at the expense of facts and an informed public.

And all of that came to mind as I read this:

Gen. Stanley McChrystal told lawmakers that President Obama had engaged in a "thoughtful process" on Afghanistan and refused to criticize the president for delaying his decision to send more troops.

Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.):

Some of the lawmakers pressed McChrystal on Obama's lengthy decision-making, but the general described it as a "thoughtful process and wouldn't go any further," Price said. "I was a little surprised he didn't voice frustration with the delay."

More like disappointed, right Tom? There goes another Rushpublic talking point. Poof. Dither-free.

McChrystal: More Forces or Failure in Afghanistan

This is not working out to be a happy day.

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan "warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict 'will likely result in failure,'" according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by the Washington Post.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal says emphatically: "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible."

"His assessment was sent to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Aug. 30 and is now being reviewed by President Obama and his national security team."

ADDED- But this is interesting.

Afghan Police: More Troops Won't Help, Want More Training, Not More International Troops

U.S. Commander to Seek Expansion of Afghan Forces

By GottaLaff

I smell protests:

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the newly arrived top commander in Afghanistan, has concluded that the Afghan security forces will have to be far larger than currently planned if President Obama's strategy for winning the war is to succeed, according to senior military officials.

Such an expansion would require spending billions more than the $7.5 billion the administration has budgeted annually to build up the Afghan army and police over the next several years, and the likely deployment of thousands more U.S. troops as trainers and advisers, officials said. [...]

Without significant increases, said another U.S. official involved in training Afghan forces, "we will lose the war." Gates would have to agree to any request from McChrystal for additional funding or troops, and recommend it to Obama.

U.S. to limit airstrikes in Afghanistan to help reduce civilian deaths

By GottaLaff

Improving relations with the Afghanistan people is mandatory. Let's hope this helps:

Rules are also changing on search and seizure methods and detainee treatment. Officials hope these changes will reduce tensions between U.S. troops and Afghan citizens.

If only this particular change had come early enough to affect Fayiz al-Kandari. Moving on:

The new U.S. military commander in Afghanistan will limit the use of airstrikes in order to help cut down on civilian casualties, his chief spokesman said Monday.

In a "tactical directive" to be issued in coming days, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal has ordered new operational standards, including refraining from firing on structures where insurgents may have taken refuge among civilians unless Western or allied troops are in imminent danger, said spokesman Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith.

Also under revision are ground search and seizure practices and the treatment of detainees, changes officials hope will reduce tensions between U.S. forces and Afghan citizens, and build a "civilian surge" to improve reconstruction and governance.

The directive is described as the most stringent effort yet to protect the lives of Afghan civilians, which McChrystal has identified as the crucial task of NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan.