http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE2JCSH5p9r2GBkQWS9TWAMzmuvQD91UE2E80

Quote :

"McCain calls for Iraq strategies in Afghanistan By DEVLIN BARRETT – 3 days ago ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Republican John McCain said Tuesday he knows "how to win wars" and that the strategy of increasing troop levels in Iraq should also be applied to Afghanistan. Moments earlier, his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, said in a speech in Washington that the U.S. must end the war in Iraq and that Afghanistan, by contrast, is "a war that we have to win." McCain has described Obama's call for withdrawal from Iraq as tantamount to declaring defeat and points to the lower levels of violence in Iraq as evidence that sending additional U.S. troops there has been a successful strategy. "Sen. Obama will tell you we can't win in Afghanistan without losing in Iraq. In fact, he has it exactly backwards," McCain told a town hall meeting. "It is precisely the success of the surge in Iraq that shows us the way to succeed in Afghanistan." McCain added: "I know how to win wars. And if I'm elected president, I will turn around the war in Afghanistan, just as we have turned around the war in Iraq, with a comprehensive strategy for victory." McCain laid out a blueprint for intensified military efforts in Afghanistan, where nine U.S. soldiers were killed and 14 injured in a militant attack Sunday, the U.S. military's highest death toll there in three years. "The status quo is not acceptable. Security in Afghanistan has deteriorated, and our enemies are on the offensive," he said. "From the moment the next president walks into the Oval Office, he will face critical decisions and crucial decisions about Afghanistan." Three more brigades should be sent to Afghanistan, McCain said, as well as a presidential envoy to deal with countries vying for power in the region. But more foreign troops won't be enough to bring security to Afghanistan, he argued. The Afghan army must be doubled to about 160,000 troops, he said, and he called on foreign countries to help pay for the cost of the increase. The increase in security problems has come even with more NATO troops in Afghanistan. McCain said the area needs a supreme unified military commander in charge of all the forces in the region to mount an effective counterinsurgency program. The border with Pakistan is particularly troublesome for U.S. anti-terrorism efforts in the region. McCain faulted Obama for saying that he would consider unilateral military action in Pakistan to strike at al-Qaida leadership. "In trying to sound tough, he has made it harder for the people whose support we most need to provide it. I won't bluster and I won't make idle threats. But understand this, when I am commander in chief, there will be nowhere the terrorists can run and nowhere they can hide," he said. McCain also proposed appointing a White House czar on the Afghanistan war. President Bush has already appointed a so-called "war czar" for both Iraq and Afghanistan, but McCain said he wanted someone reporting to him with direct responsibility for Afghanistan. Obama said Monday he would send at least two more brigades to Afghanistan. "I will get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice," McCain said of the al-Qaida leader the U.S. has pursued futilely since the group's Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "

Oh great, now McCain thinks that Afghanistan is identical to Iraq. Sorry, John, but the two campaigns are drastically different in every respect. The Iraq conflict started as an actual attack against a nation and its military, while Afghanistan has never been that way. In Iraq, we have people who are shooting not only at US troops, but also at fellow civilians. On the whole, only US troops are the targets in Afghanistan. In Iraq, we are actually fighting against insurgents who want us gone, while in Afghanistan we are fighting against terrorists who just want us dead.

To approach Afghanistan in the same manner as Iraq is stupid, frankly. If we did that, then we'd be fucking paying the Taliban fighters not shoot at us like we are doing w/ the militias in Iraq. Really. Who the fuck would get behind that idea?

No, the fact is that the thing to do in Afghanistan is what we were bloody doing there before we decided that Saddam was a bad guy, namely pay some fucking attention there. Yes, simply increasing troops isn't an answer. But the answer is to actually give a damn about that place.

I think this shows a fundamental flaw in McCain's view of Iraq. He sees Iraq as part of "the war against terror," when it never has been. There may be some overlap between TWAT and Iraq, but the two are not the same. And treating the two as the same will lead to failure. In both.

7/18/2008 6:40:24 PM

Obama wants to send at least an additional 2 combat brigades to Afghanistan. How is that different?

7/19/2008 1:17:14 PM

Wow....who knew that aaronburro knows so much about military strategy....

7/19/2008 2:26:21 PM

^^ Because he doesn't link Afghanistan with the Iraq asshattery.

I do think though considering the significantly less organized infrastructure, society, and gov., that a strong military solution is needed with afghanistan. Plus considering both Al Qaeda and the Taliban's presence there, it should have been taken care of a long time ago.

Iraq has always had a semblance of organization, and its problems are much more amenable to a diplomatic solution.

7/19/2008 3:10:12 PM

McCain will first need to stop Iran from arming all the Sunni terrorists in Afghanistan.

7/19/2008 3:42:53 PM

Afghanistan should have been the sole priority and we should have never gotten involved in iraq.

U think we would have learned from hitler about spreading your forces to thin

7/19/2008 7:43:37 PM

or Napoleon.

or that gotdam Risk game. seriously. didnt any of those idiots ever play Risk?

7/20/2008 3:36:28 AM

Quote :

"Oh great, now McCain thinks that Afghanistan is identical to Iraq. "

except he said nothing to indicate that.

7/20/2008 5:02:28 AM

come on people...everyone and their mom knows we are going to iran if mccain gets elected...this is not surprising in the least


but just like in 2000, dumbfuck republican will probably win

7/20/2008 5:17:14 AM

who cares what McCain thinks, he's not the president

7/20/2008 5:33:51 AM

and won't ever be, to be sure.

7/20/2008 1:19:02 PM

^ dude, look what happened that last TWO times...


/carlface

7/20/2008 4:07:41 PM

joe_schmoe,

Quote :

"McCain will first need to stop Iran from arming all the Sunni terrorists in Afghanistan."

I know you're being sarcastic, but I just wanted to correct the Democrat talking point that your sarcasm is based on--the idea that McCain is too ignorant to understand that Shiites would never assist Sunnis. If that is true, a bunch of folks on the Washington Post editorial page are less ignorant than US military intelligence.

In April of 2007, the US presented evidence of Iran potentially arming and supporting sunni militans in Iran.

Quote :

"Arms that American military officials say appear to have been manufactured in Iran as recently as last year have turned up in the past week in a Sunni-majority area, the chief spokesman for the American military command in Iraq said Wednesday in a news conference. ... “We have in fact found some cases recently where Iranian intelligence sources have provided to Sunni insurgent groups some support,” said General Caldwell, who sat near a table crowded with weapons that he said the military contended were largely of Iranian manufacture. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/world/middleeast/12iraq.html

It is still possible that the arms did not come directly from Iran, but it is clear that Iran has no problem providing other means of support to Sunni militants. So when McCain misspoke, it was not as big a deal as a bunch of short-sighted journalists thought.

7/21/2008 9:58:28 AM

Quote :

"I know you're being sarcastic, but I just wanted to correct the Democrat talking point that your sarcasm is based on--the idea that McCain is too ignorant to understand that Shiites would never assist Sunnis."

haha

7/21/2008 11:08:30 AM

Quote :

"We have in fact found some cases recently where Iranian intelligence sources have provided to Sunni insurgent groups some support,”"

what, exactly, does this vague bullshit even mean

this is an example of "blowing smoke up your ass". the guy hasn't said a goddamned thing.

OH NOES!! TEH TALEBAN HAS SOME AMERICAN-MADE WEAPONS.

THEREFORE AMERICA IS ARMING TEH TALEBAN AND OSAMA BEEN HIDIN'



really, Socks``, is this 1-1/2 year old tidbit of some pentagon lackey saying absolutely nothing, the best you can find to support your doddering old senile warmonger GOP candidate?

7/21/2008 3:32:49 PM

i must admit i agree with joe. i am tired of the fear-mongering us versus them attitude.

I do not exactly see Iran invading the east coast. Nor do i think they are stupid enough to try and sneak a nuke into our country in order to commit a terrorist attack.

So let us do what we have to in Afghanistan and stop this bullshit sabre rattling at iran.

[Edited on July 21, 2008 at 3:40 PM. Reason : l]

7/21/2008 3:36:16 PM