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POPSThe Record is Clear' - Dick Cheney is Not Credible For certain, Cheney is not the only one pressing Obama to hurry his Afghanistan strategy. The Neo-Conservatives have taken to every media outlet that will have them; and, if they're not talking about Afghanistan, they're second guessing the president's diplomacy with Iran, Russia, etc... For reasons I find incomprehensible, media outlets -- and not just Fox News, mind you -- treat them as if their credibility isn't completely lacking when it comes to matters of national security. That ship sailed months, if not years before Obama's election. Consider the scathing rebuke of Cheney issued by Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.), senior adviser for the National Security Network:
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POPSDroves of recruits to ease burden on troops How wonderful is this. We have so many out of work people needing to survive. So they join up in an occupation that may take their lives. Doesn't it just make you proud to be an American. Maybe this was the Bush plan all along. Tank the economy and you will have an endless number of unemployed signing up for your illegal war.
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POPSWeapons failed US troops during Afghan firefight
A week ago, eight U.S. troops were killed at a base near Kamdesh, a town near Wanat. There's no immediate evidence of weapons failures at Kamdesh, but the circumstances were eerily similar to the Wanat battle: insurgents stormed an isolated stronghold manned by American forces stretched thin by the demands of war. Army Col. Wayne Shanks, a military spokesman in Afghanistan, said a review of the battle at Kamdesh is under way. "It is too early to make any assumptions regarding what did or didn't work correctly," he said. Complaints about the weapons the troops carry, especially the M4, aren't new. Army officials say that when properly cleaned and maintained, the M4 is a quality weapon that can pump out more than 3,000 rounds before any failures occur. The M4 is a shorter, lighter version of the M16, which made its debut during the Vietnam war. Roughly 500,000 M4s are in service, making it the rifle troops on the front lines trust with their lives.
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POPSEmbedding with the Taliban A (good, "old-fashioned") journalist ... (4.00 / 2) is never there to examine one side of a story. American journalism has been in a sad state for many years. **Warning: slightly topical tangent alert:** Hell, we never heard more than the one ever-saintly angle on Mother Teresa for crying out loud, whereas so many in the rest of the world at least had the opportunity to examine other info. If you ask your average Indian exposed to her works, she isn't regarded as a saint. Granted, the whole point behind missionary work is conversion to the missionary's faith, but she was held out to be to be the ultimate humanitarian ... and that is simply not the truth. I know, I know -- Mother Teresa?? You can't trust anything. :) If we never had folks like Nir, we'd never see the inside of many worlds or have a single clue whether we're being propagandized by our own media and government. The one thing America needs a lot less of is ignorance.
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POPSPowell Stands Against Smears Colin Powell, though, might be more on point with his observation than he knew. One of things you quickly learn when you're sent to Iraq or Afghanistan is that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in those nations are peace loving people, who just want to be able to raise their families in a decent environment. Essentially, their overall hopes and dreams are not much different than ours. Most of them actually have fond views of America and the west, and are constantly curious about American culture. To the extent there are any anti-American sentiments in Iraq, it's that Iraqis want this war to end, and want to get back to a stable life. But, it's not right to say that most Muslims are "anti-America.
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POPSJohn McCain Forgets about Afghanistan . . . Again More of the same is happening yet McCain pays no mind (0.00 / 0) Defections hit Afghan forces After fighting the Taliban for the past seven years, many working for the Afghan security forces are now switching sides. Sulieman Ameri and his 16 men were until a month ago serving the Afghan government as police patrolling the border with Iran. Now they answer to the Taliban and their goal is to drive all foreign troops out of Afghanistan.
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POPSNew CBS/NYT Polls Asks about Iraq More comments from troops; What I can't believe (0.00 / 0) is that ONLY 53 percent now realize that Iraq has nothing to do with the "GWOT." That's pretty depressing actually. After everything we know now, you would expect that percentage to be closer to 80, at least--well, I would...
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POPSDoes Your Service Matter? There are 4155 families that lost a loved one in Iraq, 584 that have lost a loved one in Afghanistan. There are tens of thousands of injured soldiers like myself, who not only deal with their injuries but have families that deal with the injuries too. Does Meghan McCain think that those 4,739 families that are grieving the loss of their loved ones don't know about war. Does she think that the tens of thousands of us wounded soldiers don't know about war. Yes, she does. This is not a simple mistake or a gaffe, this is a freudian slip and it gives us an insight into how Sen. McCain feels about the service of those of are not him. Sen. McCain has shown us by his voting record that we don't matter. Sen. McCain was publicly against the bi-patisan Webb/Hagel GI Bill. He tried to introduce his own watered down version because the Webb/Hagel bill was "too generous". If you did 3 tours in Iraq and want to get out and go to school...Sen. McCain thinks you don't matter.
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POPSU.S. Commanding General in Afghanistan: We Need More Troops More from this story; Saying that we need more troops in Afghanistan, but we cannot do this without redeploying a significant amount of troops from Iraq isn't news to anyone who reads/writes national security blogs. We've been discussing this for months if not years. Recently, it's become an increasing part of the public debate. This is mostly due to Afghanistan being more dangerous for U.S. troops than Iraq was at the most violent part of the war. As Brandon tells us, this isn't mere hyperbole. It's a statistical fact:
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POPS60 Days To Judge a Commander in Chief? I've been able to watch his thought process in action, and have seen him been proven right on Iraq, right on Afghanistan, right on talking to Iran, and right on the war on terror. He's shown an incredible ability to think in much larger strategic terms than this president, to the point that I'm supremely confident he is ready to lead our Armed Forces.
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POPSTaliban Launches Large Coordinated Assaults The Taliban claimed responsibility for all three attacks in Khost. Their spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahed, reached by telephone at an unknown location, said that 15 suicide bombers, equipped with machine guns and vests packed with explosives, with 30 militants backing them up, attacked the base, one of the largest foreign military bases in Afghanistan. He claimed that some of the bombers had gotten inside the base and had killed a number of American soldiers and destroyed equipment and helicopters. This last claim was denied by General Azimi of the Afghan military.
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POPS10 Weeks of Hell: Afghanistan Death Rate Exceeding Highest of Iraq War in an ambush, with four of them being captured and subsequently executed. Around the same time, Afghan insurgents launched a coordinated attack on a major U.S. base. The fatality rate in Afghanistan during the past 10 weeks would be equivalent to 353 deaths in Iraq at the same time--a rate not even seen during the bloody crescendo of 2007. This is a crisis.
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POPSMcCain Doesn't Disagree that We Might Need a Draft Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org said, "At least Senator McCain is being honest. A vote for him is a vote for the draft. Period. Unless Senator McCain radically changes his worldview, there would be a draft to implement his plans." Soltz added, "When you take into account his indefinite military commitment to Iraq, his desire to send more troops to Afghanistan, record lows in recruiting and retention, and possibly more wars he is looking to get into, like "Bomb Bomb Bomb" Iran, his numbers don't add up without a draft. Whether America likes it or not isn't relevant - a draft is the only way to do everything Senator McCain wants to do. I give him points for being honest and upfront, though, that we're going to need a draft if he is elected." This isn't the first time that Senator McCain has hinted at a reinstitution of the draft if he is elected. Asked on September 29, 2007 in New Hampshire about the draft, McCain said he would "consider it."
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POPSJohn McCain Attempts Spin to VFW Audience You can decide for yourself which version is the "better bill". For what its worth, VFW endorsed the Webb-Hagel version and is even awarding Senator Webb a a gold medal and citation of merit for his work on Veterans' education benefits.
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POPSMcCain's Elitist Response to Military Donor Story But aside from the fact that the McCain campaign lied is confused, does anyone catch a whiff of elitism here? Is support from within the ranks somehow more credible if it comes in the form of a general officer or an admiral? If so, that would be strange. . .since flag officers aren't the ones fighting the insurgencies in Iraq or Afghanistan. This comes as no surprise--and it reinforces the message: It's clear that McCain values the opinions of flashier, high-ranking, inside-the-wire types over the views of the grunts, the medics, and the lieutenants who wade waist-deep through the muck and blood and shrapnel of insurgency, day in and day out. And while he may easily dismiss the actual combatants of these wars in a moment of political self-defense, those same troops will not so easily forget his bellicosity, his foreign policy ignorance, and his general lack of respect for them when it comes time to vote in November.
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POPSAfghan Militants Butcher American Soldiers I didn't say anything about it here or elsewhere because a.) I didn't know what the families knew, and b.) I couldn't confirm it with anyone else. As for the soldiers being alive when captured, I still don't know with certainty whether or not that's true or just battlefield rumor. But everything else my source told me has turned out to be correct. The New York Times explains in more detail: The three were identified as Sgt. First Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37, of Livonia, Mich., of the Michigan Army National Guard; and Sgt. First Class Joseph A. McKay, 51, of Brooklyn; and Specialist Mark C. Palmateer, 38, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., both of them part of a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition unit of the New York Army National Guard, according to a Pentagon news release. Their Afghan interpreter was 21-year-old Muhammad Fahim from Kabul, who had been working with the Americans for the last three years. His body was burned beyond recognition, his family said.
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POPSMcCain: 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq not International Crises Perhaps this is why McCain's ideas on national security are so terrible. Forget about Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden and REAL Al-Qaeda. That isn't a major conflict. Let's not dwell too much on figuring out this Iraq problem. It isn't an international crisis. And maybe he was just having a "senior moment" and completely forgot about the Gulf War, apartheid, and genocide in Darfur, Rwanda and the Balkans. If you are reading this and are currently deployed or about to deploy, which at the current OPTEMPO should include anyone who is active duty, keep that chin up. Its not like this is a crisis or anything. And if you're a loved one of someone who made the ultimate sacrifice, remember that Senator McCain seems to think that your loved one died for something so trivial that it doesn't even break the "crisis" threshold.
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POPSJohn McCain is in New Jersey Today. Half of NJ's National Guard Isn't When John McCain is in New Jersey today, we urge him to address the thousands of families that have been affected by this deployment and describe the relief he would provide them as President. In addition, VFA had been repeatedly contacted by NJ Guard members and other servicemembers from New Jersey who want to know Senator McCain's position on compensating members of our armed forces who have been stop-lossed. Recently, Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced a bill calling for compensation to provided to those who affected by this regrettable policy. VFA calls on Senator McCain to clearly state if he supports Senator Lautenberg's "Stop Loss Compensation Act." Our servicemembers deserve answers, especially after considerable questions were raised regarding Senator McCain's support for our troops' well being when he opposed the successful effort to expand the GI Bill, as called for in a bill that Senator Lautenberg also co-sponsored.
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POPSThe Iraq Chicken Has Come Home to Roost From the story; Churkin (Russia): ". . . The statement made by Ambassador Khalilzad with regard to terror against the civilian population is absolutely unacceptable, particularly from the lips of the Permanent Representative of a country whose actions we are aware of, including with regard to civilian populations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Serbia. So if indeed we would like to find a military solution to this conflict, then let us try to find serious political solutions, and not indulge in propaganda, even if perhaps some politicians would like that. Whatever your policy might be, please do not undertake to engage in propaganda activities in the Security Council. . ." (p. 8) Khalilzad: ". . .I am taking the floor to respond to what Ambassador Churkin said in his earlier statement. We heard Ambassador Churkin's polemics, which did not respond to the call we have made for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the status quo ante. He has acknowledged his Government's r
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POPS"My Guantanamo Diary" Seven years, hundreds of thousands dead, millions displaced from their country, several trillion dollars spent (including estimates of future costs), and all we've really got to show for it is ... (drum-roll) ... a sentence of 5.5 years for Osama's driver. Fracking amazing.
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POPSThe Most Important Story So Far This Month I join you in your anger, disgust and dismay. I'ts the best news corporate can buy! (0.00 / 0) Between this story and the Matthew McConaughey placenta spectacular, I thank God I've lived long enough to remember what journalism used to be. Including the status of our servicemen and women, there are so many issues to be tackled and this...is the best that media can come up with? I'm too flustered to read more than the headlines of this swill. Specifically gave up on network television news 2 years ago...is print next?
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POPSBait and Switch Something is wrong if news like this doesn't anger you. The President has "reduced" tours in Iraq. Never mind that he will not be the President when the time comes to determine whether the situation on the ground allows for redeployment. All the while, the situation in Afghanistan is rapidly deteriorating. Deployment timelines are being pushed to the right repeatedly, much as we saw during the crescendo of violence in Iraq. The sole solution presented is one that the Administration and its endorsed candidate have fought against tooth and nail: redeployment of a significant number of troops from the waste of time, money and American lives that is the occupation of Iraq.
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