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115 Comments

1. ST333:

Sadly I think we are better off without NATO’s “help” in Afghanistan. No offense to the brave soldiers fighting for NATO countries as it’s not their fault their leadership are pansies. Once we draw down from Iraq and train up more Afghan soldiers we should tell the non contributors to take a hike, you are no longer welcome or needed. Also make the UK and other fighting nations get on board with their own air support and other logistics as mentioned above. I hope Obama is committed to Afghanistan and i hope he can inject some pride and testosterone into the Euro’s.

Nov 10, 2008 - 9:45 am 2. deguello:

St: You can not revive a corpse with/without testosterone.Maybe Obamana can send Rodney King as special ambassador to the Taliban and plead:”Can’t we just get along”? The election results have conclusively demonstrated that the USA has entered an extended period of carnival.The farce that will be the Obama administration,together with the impoverishment of the USA will make further bellicose adventures, problematic at best.Besides, if we save the Afghans,they’ll only turn on us like the euros did. BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!

Nov 10, 2008 - 10:05 am 3. J.D.:

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS,
Thanks Michael, Keep America in the know…..
Keep Safe, Watch your six….

Nov 10, 2008 - 10:40 am 4. AnninCA:

Interesting article. I’m no war historian or even very knowledgeable. All I saw was millions of dollars blowing up dust in Afghanistan, with no results.

So, yes, I will be one watching critically as this becomes Barack’s war.

Don’t these guys always have one?

Nov 10, 2008 - 10:44 am 5. Susan:

Dequello: I believe that the part about ‘bringing the troops home’ has been purged from Obama’s new website. Actually, all his specific goals have been purged from his site, but we won’t go there.

Since winning the electrion, he has been uncharacteristically silent about anything relating to Iraq and bringing troops home from anywhere.

We hope that those folks who elected him based on his earlier promises are not too disappointed.

Nov 10, 2008 - 10:58 am 6. Charley 164:

Why do Americans not understand how incredibly influential America is in the World? More so than Britain and her Empire ever was, if for no other reason than America fills our screens and roars out of our collective speakers, 24/7. In a way, your President is the World’s President, a man more likely to be able to persuade, coerce and lead the peoples of the free world than any UN functionary ever will. With all the tools of media at his disposal. But the free World has to trust him and the country he represents. They have to believe (Yes we can?)
In Obama, Europe in particular sees a man and a new government they may begin to trust in, may begin to believe in. And if they do, they will fight. Up to now Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld’s childish and insulting “You’re either with us….or against us!” version of Real Politik has left the rest of the free world largely suspicious and unwilling to directly support the USA. Especially after the obviously illegal and largely pointless war on Iraq (Someone want to give me a victory condition? One issued BEFORE the war? Does anyone truly believe that the seeds of democracy have been planted in Iraq? In an Arabic-Islamic country? Please……! Give it 3 years and there’ll be a civil war followed by another crazy theocracy).
The Anglosphere has faithfully backed the US all the way, bearing in mind that GB, AUS, CAN and NZ have economies collectively less than a ¼ the size of the US’s and there’s bound to be a limit to what they can do militarily (you’re right, we should buy more choppers, but the British people choose to spend more Government money on the National Health Service – that’s democracy (and not bloody Socialism) isn’t it?).
And the rest of the Anglosphere committed themselves to the fight because they believed that in order to influence US policy, they had to. That and the fact that our cultures are by and large identical, our language the same our histories shared. Didn’t really get past that moron Rumsfeld and led to the eventual downfall of Blair and contributed to John Howard’s defeat at the polls. So for God’s sake: Stop whinging about your closest allies and true friends; we’re doing all we can. Let’s now all concentrate on Afghanistan: It’s where it all started for Chrissakes and Iraq has done nothing more than suck in resources and deflect attention.

Nov 10, 2008 - 10:59 am 7. von:

Hussein Obama is the guy in need of a testosterone booster shot.

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:07 am 8. Anthony (Los Angeles):

Sounds like the Anglosphere (and a few other democracies, such as Japan) are really the only ones we can rely on. Continental Europe is mostly useless, and Labour in Britain is gutting its military.

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:20 am 9. Afghan Quicksand Awaits Obama - U.S. Politics Online: A Political Discussion Forum:

[...] troops in Iraq than any other correspondent. Michael Yon has changed his focus to Afghanistan. Pajamas Media » Afghan Quicksand Awaits Obama __________________ 232 years ago, this is who we were. . . "A republic, if you can keep [...]

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:43 am 10. dan:

Charley 164 – I’m pretty sure Americans know, explicitly or instinctively, that we in the Anglosphere are in this together, and the US is by far the largest piece of that pie (economically, militarily).

What I’d like to know is what exactly the causes of this Taliban surge are – the impetus, strategically speaking?

The way I understood it, we’ve known since Tora Bora that many Talibs fled into Pakistan. We’ve understood that the tribal nature of 30 million Pashtun in the FATA poses problems in itself – something we acknowledged explicitly by encouraging and facilitating the Loya Jirga in Berlin which certified Karzai’s rule.

We’ve also understood that the reason we can’t go thrashing about in the FATA has a lot to do with the stability of Pakistan. This the Left-critics have failed to acknowledge all along, no matter that the reasonableness of the concern has been borne out before our eyes especially during the past 2 years. So now we have an arguably *less* stable government in Pakistan than the one we originally engaged in 2001, where the Taliban is stronger, the ISI probably more powerful, and politicians like Nawaz Sharif a heartbeat from the Prime Minister’s post.

But what, for example, of recent news where the Afghan translator of the British high command in Afghanistan was just convicted of spying for Iran? What of the influence of Russia and China? Where are they getting all these weapons? Is the black market sufficient?

We probably have to resign ourselves to the nature of the Pashtunwali. But it strikes me that something more is going on, and I wish there was more reporting on it. Come on, Mr. Yon – you must have at least a few suspicions you could share with us?

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:45 am 11. Войска ПВО:

Charley 164 writes:

“In Obama, Europe in particular sees a man and a new government they may begin to trust in, may begin to believe in. And if they do, they will fight.”

..oh dear, where to start? Lessee..how about a new government that the Euro-Commies can trust in? Well, I wonder how that could be when nobody (even in this country) knows zippety-squat about this Avatar-in-chief, Mr Slogan, who spent the entire campaign wandering all over the landscape and uttering nothing but shibboleths about hoping for change, inflating tires, and tuning up cars. Who now, as we sit and debate this, is backing away from all of his compaign promises.

As far as fighting and trusting, Europe has seen fit to entrust it’s defense against the soviets from 8 May 1945 to somewhere around 1990. You all sure have mounted a stalwart defense against the creeping Muslim intrusion in your societies; London bombings, riots in Paris, murders of prominent artists’ descendants, etc.

At the risk of being disrespectful: you are a typical socialist Euro-Commie wuss.

“You’re all worthless and weak; now drop and give me 20!”

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:50 am 12. Dr. Kenneth Noisewater:

Happy birthday USMC! Stay safe and get some…

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:52 am 13. Terry Gain:

“In Obama, Europe in particular sees a man and a new government they may begin to trust in, may begin to believe in. And if they do, they will fight.”

Poppycock. Pure self delusional fantasy. They can’t even work up the courage to fight the enemies within. And that includes the Brits. Euros decide whether or not to support the United States in Afghanistan based on who the President is? What are they children?

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:58 am 14. David Thomson:

Barack Obama existentially views our country as the proverbial ugly American. Thus, any nation that is friendly towards us must be disgusting and vile. This is actually a core doctrine of leftism. An Obama administration will go out of its way to crap on our allies. May God help them. They will soon realize that to be a true friend to the United States—will result in you eventually getting stabbed in the back. The Democrats will make sure to punish you for your loyalty.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:06 pm 15. AlexinCT:

““In Obama, Europe in particular sees a man and a new government they may begin to trust in, may begin to believe in. And if they do, they will fight.”

I had to laugh at that one, sorry. Please be honest. It is not that the Euros trust Obama more, it is that they feel they can push him around better than they could Bush. President Bush was disliked precisely because his actions reminded the Europeans how impotent their decision to go with “soft power” instead of keeping real power to deal with the world’s trouble makers that do not understand anything else, was. And Europeans want to have more say in what goes on despite not putting up anything to earn that right. As others have already pointed out, you are too afraid to even fight the Islamic invasion and its islamification of your own nations. And don’t be surpised when Obama doesn’t come to your aid someday when you need it either. From what I can tell he doesn’t do anything that doesn’t have something in it for him.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:12 pm 16. Stars and Stripes:

Charley. You know Rumsfeld is not in the mix anymore… move on.

With respect to the 28 UN Sanctions violations, the use of biological weapons on their own people, exploiting the food for fuel program, and the additional funding of terrorism, why were we wrong about going into Iraq?

You see the bad thing about being a great country is that when you fight for freedom people condemn you and say it’s not a valid fight. Let say we were to put a significant number of boots on the ground in Sudan, to save the people, would that be a bad choice too? (Maybe it will be a good one until a soldier dies, and then it will be bad)

You see as a superpower with “tremendous influence” with “the world’s president” your damned if you do, damned if you don’t. That is what makes us great. Our skin is thick enough that we can say “you’re either with us or against us”. Someone has to do something and if we waited on NATO, or the French, what would the world be like? That’s assuming the NATO folks are not to busy siphoning money into their own bank accounts. Now we can’t do it all alone, or we would. I’m sure the rest of the world would love us to and then reap the rewards of our blood. Fortunately we have staunch allies on the Brits, Aussies, Dutch, and Canadians (where are the French again?) who understand how significant this fight is.

With respect to the Anglosphere, how big is Israel? Yet they are surrounded by enemies and continue to kick the snot out of anyone who threatens their existence. Democracy?? does the voting that is taking place not count toward democracy. What about the women who can now vote as well? You can’t be this blind?

As far as trusting Obama, what do you know about him? You see us American are still trying to figure that out. I guess you would trust fixing the breaks on your car or open heart surgery to someone with no experience. That’s exactly what American did voting him into office. Yes he will be relying on his advisors (heavily) and your talking about Rumsfeld and Cheney? You just wait and see…

One last note, who cares what the world thinks, last time I checked we were the ones that lost those people at the WTC. We were also the ones that did something to make sure it will never happen again.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:17 pm 17. Ed from Canada:

If you find and read a copy of “Contact Charlie” by Chris Wattie you’ll get a pretty good idea what’s going wrong in Afghanistan. Too few troops, too many rules. The final battle covered in the book is 18 Canadian soldiers (the ANA supporting troops fled) assaulting a building filled with a couple hundred Taliban. And no artillery support, because NATO rules don’t allow artillery to be targeted closer than 500 meters to friendly troops.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:17 pm 18. Dave Gould:

If I were an insurgent and Karzi said “don’t fight where there are civilians”, I, as an insurgent, would fight in populated areas (like Hamas did in Lebanon). Unless you have tribes that are willing to expell the Taliban and make their areas safe – there is no use to stay on and try and build a stable country. We will bleed there just like the Russians did. I don’t think our electorate is going to go for spending billions in Afghanistan – for what? I think we will fold our tents and come home. Let Obama issue secret orders to kill AlQaeda whereever they are in the world – much more cost effective. Eventually going it alone without European support is foolhardy. If European stuff starts to get blown up, I’m sure they will come a’callin.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:22 pm 19. therealist:

We should give an ultimatum to each NATO member: You contribute 50,000 troops right now or you’re out. This deal where we’re the only ones fighting the war on terror is BS. Since the world loves Obama so much, he can go around to the European capitals and issue the demand.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:22 pm 20. Terry Gain:

“The Anglosphere has faithfully backed the US all the way, bearing in mind that GB, AUS, CAN and NZ have economies collectively less than a ¼ the size of the US’s and there’s bound to be a limit to what they can do militarily (you’re right, we should buy more choppers, but the British people choose to spend more Government money on the National Health Service – that’s democracy (and not bloody Socialism) isn’t it?).”

Oh please. The British took to their base in Basra. Their chief objective was to avoid casualties. In March, the Iraqis cleaned up in a month what the British allowed to fester for five years.

“Let’s now all concentrate on Afghanistan: It’s where it all started for Chrissakes and Iraq has done nothing more than suck in resources and deflect attention.”

Ah yes. Afghanistan good war. Iraq war. The reality is Iraq, productive war; Afghanistan, necessary war.

You have it backwards. In 7 years, Afghanistan, with a population of 2 to 3 million more than Iraq has raised security forces of 80,000. In 5 1/2 years, Iraq has raised more than four times that many.

Only the completely clueless could believe that dirt rich Afghanistan is more important than oil-rich Iraq, Afghanistan is a Stone Age country. Iraq has the capacity to become a modern country.

Bin Laden declared Iraq the central front in his war on Western civilization and site of the next Caliphate. Contrary to Democratic Party and MSM propaganda, Al Qaeda left Afghanistan in 2001, when they were driven out of Tora Bora

The Iraq war (i.e. the pacification of Iraq) is nearly complete. The war in Afghanistan will take another 20 years minimum. Things will go a lot better for us if liberals would stop thinking like 20-year-olds or at least try to keep their immature, fact impoverished, notions to themselves.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:28 pm 21. Kelly:

Charley 164 – Did you not notice who Yon explicitly named as good fighters in Afghanistan? The rest of the ‘Coalition’ has rules of engagement that only make them encumbrances to the largely already dysfunctional NATO command structure. That’s who he was specifically referring to.

Rumsfeld may or may not have been a ‘moron’ but he was surely not the downfall of Blair, Howare, et.al. Their downfall was a failure of communication and was evidenced by your own statements: the Iraq war was not ‘illegal,’ it was actually authorized by the UN (if that is actually the body that we want to determine what’s globally legal and illegal) and enough people screaming “Illegal, Illegal, Illegal!!!” made the general, less informed, population believe it. Then there’s the issue of Iraq actually becoming Al Qaeda’s central front, not Afghanistan. Did you not notice that only after successive AQI defeats in Iraq, did Afghanistan finally flare up again? Iraq could have actually been a distraction for Al Qaeda!
And I *do* have hope that Iraq will mature into a stable democratic middle-eastern country. Think about what Lebanon could be right now with out the effects of Syria and Hezbollah? If we let Iraq become strong enough before close the curtains, the effects will last far longer than the few years that we’ve been involved there.

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:29 pm 22. American Muslim:

When will you racists and Islamophobes understand that the long struggle has come to an end? Everywhere you care to look, Islam is triumphant and the degenerate, corrupt, man-made Western governments and societies are crumbling.

Renounce your false religions. Embrace Islam now and live in peace in submission to the will of Almighty Allah (swt).

Your grandchildren will be Muslim.

Allahu akbar!

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:31 pm 23. Marie-Claude:

OK, got to read that Nato is an anglo-saxon monopole and that only soldiers who speak english are brave and valorised.

Did it occur to these self-congratulated nations that the problem lies in the very fact that Nato has essentially an anglo-saxonised direction ?

OK, some nations refused to fight, we know who they are, and why, can’t see the Frenchs among them

BTW the Brits are leaving the Afghanistan vessel, precautious, or ?

Nov 10, 2008 - 12:37 pm 24. Kafir:

Charley 164

“obviously illegal and largely pointless war on Iraq”

Care to back up either of those assertions? In order for something to be illegal, there has to be a law broken. What law was broken here? Pointless? The point was to find out if Saddam really had the WMDs he said he had and take them away from him if he did. Along the way, we liberated some people (just like we did in France on our way to affect regime change in Germany) and killed a lot of young Muslim men who fancied themselves Allah’s defenders from Christendom. Also, we stopped Saddam’s annoying habit of sending checks to terrorists in Israel.

“you’re right, we should buy more choppers, but the British people choose to spend more Government money on the National Health Service – that’s democracy (and not bloody Socialism) isn’t it?)”

No, that’s the effect of the US providing security for Europe for the last sixty-four years. Since you don’t have to have large armies with the latest equipment, you can spend your resources on socialism.

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:00 pm 25. Webster:

Yon, good to hear we will once more be getting the straight poop from someone on the ground. The election has caused a dearth of information about The Long War. Not so good to see you putting yourself in harm’s way again. But entirely necessary if we are to know the truth. (For anyone who is new here, I highly recommend Mike’s work to you. In over three years {maybe four, age has fogged my memory} of correspondence with him and reading his dispatches, he has never done anything but tell the unvarnished truth.)
God bless you, Yon, and keep your damned head down.
Happy Birthday to the USMC!

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:03 pm 26. Yon: Afghan Quicksand Awaits Obama « LGF II: Charles and Killgore Free Footballs:

[...] Awaits Obama Michael Yon on one of the biggest problems the new president will have to face: Afghan Quicksand Awaits Obama. President-elect Obama says he is serious about Afghanistan. (Just don’t fumble Iraq, please.) As [...]

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:12 pm 27. joe:

Curious Barry, the Marxist, will just cut and run and blame Bush. It was all Bush’s fault. The left has always believed that 9/11 was caused by America. Beside Curious Barry will just talk to them and everything will be just fine. Then he can take that money and buy some more votes or reward his friends. Or use the troops there to implement his new social order for USKKKK

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:19 pm 28. Tom Hinds:

Now that Obama receives daily intelligence breifings and INSUMs it does not supprise me that his previouse geopolitical positions posted on his web site are purged.

It is called reality.

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:22 pm 29. dan:

“anglo-saxonised”? are you using one of those translator sites?

!?french!? listen, frog: no one gives a f*ck about your duplicitous, preening, bullsh*t little postcard country. the 18th century is over. your 5th republic stands for nothing but crypto-aristocracy, bribing the populace with socialist gestures, and selling nuclear reactors to barbarian soviet clients. all a strategy to try to hamstring “the anglo-saxons.” pathetic.

france, thy name is arrested development. if your ancient giants could see you now, they would never stop throwing up.

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:25 pm 30. thegr8_1:

Quicksand, feckless allies, and time is running out. Thought the article was about our do nothing 9% approval rating congress and their fearless lmao leaders. Same for the Fed and Treasury, THEY KNOW NOTHING to quote one Jim Cramer.

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:25 pm 31. dan aronstein:

if bush had used three small nukes in 2001 all this would have been settled.

seriously.

we are not willing to do what needs to be done – what fdr and truman would have done.

until we are – until we put an end to half-assery – the war will go on, badly at times — but just going on gives the enemy a victory of sorts.

now it’s too late to use nukes – unless we et whacked by a WMD.

so what’s the answer?

slogging on regardless of how ell it’s going.

and enough with the complaining and whining about it.

ALSO:

we should revive he original bush doctrine: you are with us or you are against us; and we will attack anybody who is against us who had anything to do with 9/11.

that means giving pakistan an ultimatum:

get control of the tribal regions or we will declare it independent of pakistan and annihilate everything inside of it.

give them a few months to get control – and for innocents to evacuate (checking each and every person), and then nuke it.

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:29 pm 32. wyatt salt:

Thanks for remembering our Canadian troops. It’s tough to get a liberal nation to back this fight, particularly when a lot of idiots thought it was “bush’s war”. I wonder what they’ll think about their hero obama pursuing it?

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:34 pm 33. Eric R.:

Obama will do nothing but gnash his teeth.

Afghanistan will fall back under the control of these Taliban savages, who will slaughter hundreds of thousands, if not millions. It will enter a Dark Age even worse than Taliban 1.0

And another, even more devastating attack on America will be launched by Al-Qaeda from that country.

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:47 pm 34. erinogreen:

American Muslim, the Obomba brigade of 1k welcomes you to the fray. Please for one dollar
we will sell burka’s to your virgin women. And then they will be flown to the Arabian Peninsula free of charge to be given to our brave Obomba’s, after giving themselves?
The Office of President Elect will have a national holiday named after the Messiah and will mention your great sacrifices.
Is the messiah a down low black man, his wife seems very upset and he did not take her to Hawaii or have her on his acceptance stage? He is strange man ask the Pakistani bum boys he went with to Pakistan back in 81.
Cheers,

Nov 10, 2008 - 1:49 pm 35. Harry Toor:

A couple points:
1) What are AOGs maybe you mentioned in the article before, but I didn’t see it.

2) Your opening paraghraph is irony at its best. In the same line of thought, not only is the war in Iraq over, but Iraqi’s are still dieing by the dozens. That to a reasonable inspection of the facts doesn’t lend itself to a war being over, rather to a populace that quite simply doesn’t care. After 8 years of people, both U.S. and Iraqi, dieing in bombing after bombing, the general populace has found that their lives still go on, they quite simply cannot be affected by such news either mentally (as your opening paragraph suggests) or physically.

3) Finally, while I agree adding more troops to Afghanistan is necessary, they simply cannot be added to provide more fodder for the enemy. It’s important they be added to Afghanistan in the most careful and well planned manner. Their very introduction to the country could change the “war.” Simply placing them here and there without the most careful thought will get them killed, demoralizing the troops, the citizenry, and at the very least weakening the already weakened-minds of our “allies.”

Nov 10, 2008 - 2:03 pm 36. Dave Surls:

“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is proving nearly worthless…”

Always has been. We never should have been in it. We ought to get out of it.

Nov 10, 2008 - 2:13 pm 37. Charley 164:

Войска ПВО, you are indeed disrespectful. I served 2 tours of Iraq, 2 tours of the Balkans, 1 of Sierra Leone and several of Northern Ireland. 31 years in total. And I lost a fair few friends to whichever enemy we were fighting along the way.
Now YOU drop and give ME 20.
Seriously, I enjoy the blooming debate. What I don’t enjoy is the thought of an America so completely polarised its citizens seem incapable of balanced argument (even amongst themselves) without petulant mud slinging.
Terry Gain: “They can’t even work up the courage to fight the enemies within”…..Like Saddam did? Hitler? Should we throw up some concentration camps for our 5M (voting) Muslim minority? We’ve made similar mistakes before and paid the price accordingly.
And: “Only the completely clueless could believe that dirt rich Afghanistan is more important than oil-rich Iraq, Afghanistan is a Stone Age country. Iraq has the capacity to become a modern country.” It was a modern country, in terms of infrastructure and its’ oil industry. What it will become is at least 2 separate countries (incl Kurdistan) possibly 3 post a civil war. At least 1 will become a theocracy closely aligned to Iran. Women might be able to vote there now, but what about when we’ve left? For how long? (I guess you can blame the ‘pansie’ Brits for that, right?) Whither then the grand American victory and a safer World?
Stars and Stripes: Iraq was a relatively easy target – ostracised by the rest of the World and almost wholly incapable of any realistic defence against the greatest military force the World has seen. Saddam may have been a tyrant and was undoubtedly guilty of most if not all of the crimes you articulate. But the War was not sanctioned by the UN and America’s aims not understood by your European friends. And you wouldn’t wait or explain….”With us or against us…”
And what then, of North Korea? Happy to exercise ’soft power’ on that one AlexinCT? Picking and choosing your targets may be a benefit of being the only World super-power and let’s face it, no one could stop you. But US foreign policy has been inconsistent under Bush to say the least. And Stars and Stripes: “Last time I checked we were the ones that lost those people at the WTC” – With all respect, heartily felt and meant, you’re really not the only ones to lose countrymen at the hands of terrorists (and I’m not going to enter into some Top Trumps crap over how many European countries have lost however many lives over the last 40 years..) And last I checked, there were approximately 120 Brits in those towers on that fateful day…And last I checked, we didn’t bomb the crap out of the Republic of Ireland over any IRA atrocity. Because there was never any evidence that the Republic’s government had anything to do with any of them.
I truly admire and respect America. I know your soldiers. I have fought alongside them (none of whom have ever offered anything but friendship and respect for us, as we have for them, Terry Gain) I know nothing much about Obama other than he symbolises a great deal of hope, if not for you Republicans in the US then at least for most of the rest of the World. And that’s all I inferred.

Nov 10, 2008 - 2:17 pm 38. Charley 164:

Woooah Kafir! America may have rebuilt Europe (now seemingly perfidious) but it certainly did not rebuild the UK – We just recently finished paying off our debts to the US! “Repayment of the war loans to the US Government is expected to be completed on December 31 2006,” the Treasury’s Ivan Lewis said in a written commons reply. From the BBC website.

Nov 10, 2008 - 2:28 pm 39. Stars and Stripes:

Charley : So next time we will only fight the bad guys when they have the same weapons as us. That makes sense. We’ll get together take an inventory of each others weapons (which we will disguise as a UN meeting) and then whoever has more has to stop picking on the other guys. I think you should run for office as a Democrat. You would probably win.

Those Brits that perished had a God given right to come into my country and feel secure. Anyone who takes away that freedom and security gets eliminated, no questions asked. I don’t care where they run, where they hide.

Nov 10, 2008 - 3:07 pm 40. Войска ПВО:

Charley 164 writes:

“Войска ПВО, you are indeed disrespectful. I served 2 tours of Iraq, 2 tours of the Balkans, 1 of Sierra Leone and several of Northern Ireland. 31 years in total. And I lost a fair few friends to whichever enemy we were fighting along the way.

Now YOU drop and give ME 20.”

Well, well, well. I guess let my mouth run away from me. Thank you for your service to your country. Having walked the walk, I would have to say you earned the right to express the opinion as you did.

I apologise and hereinafter will engage in a more respectful discourse. When I wrote my rejoinder, I had my shorts in a bunch from some incoming wing nut salvos and you were a target of opportunity.

Being an older, former USAF officer and “SAC trained killer” (arguably, my adversary was the Войска ПВО) I worked closely with the RAF detachment in Omaha. I even played football with their unit team..and..

..sadly, I am probably unable to give you 20. But I will put in a down payment of 10 or so and owe you the balance in 5 easy installments.

That o.k.?

Nov 10, 2008 - 3:30 pm 41. Marie-Claude:

#29,

!?french!? listen, frog: no one gives a f*ck about your duplicitous, preening, bullsh*t little postcard country. the 18th century is over. your 5th republic stands for nothing but crypto-aristocracy, bribing the populace with socialist gestures, and selling nuclear reactors to barbarian soviet clients. all a strategy to try to hamstring “the anglo-saxons.” pathetic.

france, thy name is arrested development. if your ancient giants could see you now, they would never stop throwing up.

LMAO, um sound like a frustrated elector of an evangelical list

are you expressing your pukes on another blog ? shou-me the address ! face de con

Nov 10, 2008 - 3:31 pm 42. Robin:

Charley 164
You must not have read the story completely.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article1264220.ece
You still owe us, dude. Did anyone actually believe you were in a position then or now to repay the debt????

Nov 10, 2008 - 3:35 pm 43. Demostene:

UH OH, Dan ” I’m pretty sure Americans know, explicitly or instinctively, that we in the Anglosphere are in this together, and the US is by far the largest piece of that pie (economically, militarily)”
and
“OK, got to read that Nato is an anglo-saxon monopole and that only soldiers who speak english are brave and valorised.”

go figure

Nov 10, 2008 - 3:45 pm 44. JanBolbot:

Great work Mr. Yon, but I have to protest at your exclusion of Poland from the list. Casting no aspersions on the Dutch, but in Iraq they lost two men; Poland commanded an entire sector, its troops engaged in numerous fire fights with the Sadr Army and other bad guys and they lost 21. Poland has 1,200 combat troops in Afghanistan, including special forces who sent with specific intention to “do some serious killing” (see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1831548/posts and http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d98_1195190409).

Our most loyal ally on the European continent, soon to be sold to Russia. Maybe Obama and Medvedev can meet at Yalta to sign the deal.

John

Nov 10, 2008 - 4:17 pm 45. fear Obama:

Quicksand for Obama? All my liberal friends tell me Obama could walk on quicksand.
But engage he will, his biggest fault finding for the 8 years of Bush mismanagement was failing to get Osama bin Lying. Now we have the Master War Leader ready to accomplish all his childhood fantasies.
But just like Rumsfield and his “We will fight with the army we have”, Bambi will cut military spending 25-40 percent.
He will charge into the Afghanistan theater with demoralized troops and get his ass handed to him on a platter.

Charlie Wilson’s War in reverse.)

Osama will die of old age and Obamas followers will swear they have proof Bambi killed him.

But first he will have to resurrect Detroit,
or we will be fighting the Taliban out of the backs of Toyota pickup trucks.

Lets at least paint them Red,White and Blue.

Nov 10, 2008 - 5:06 pm 46. SaberBase:

Thanks Michael. Looking forward to your up-close reports from AFG. It is good to have a real TRUE source to get intell from.

Nov 10, 2008 - 5:26 pm 47. Scott K.:

As a father of a 19 year old who is going to war for the first time in Afghanistan precisely when everyone says the shit is going to hit the fan, I am not interested in listening to everyone sniping at each other. I support Mr. Yon’s work because it is valuable, and President Obama should be aware of what he thinks. General Petreas is in charge of Afghanistan, right? To me, this is huge. As an American who voted for John Mccain I am ready to stand behind President Obama. I will pray and work toward, if I have to, President Obama surrounding himself with people who will give him excellent counsel. I would hope that influential people close to the president who know of General Petreas and Michael
Yon and others will avail him of their wisdom and experience, put a winning strategy in place for the country, take care of business, and bring our brave young people home.

Nov 10, 2008 - 6:11 pm 48. seguin:

“America may have rebuilt Europe (now seemingly perfidious) but it certainly did not rebuild the UK”

Under the Marshall Plan the UK received 3.3 billion dollars from 1948-51, more than any other recipient.

Nov 10, 2008 - 6:18 pm 49. Jules Crittenden » Yon Afghanistan:

[...] losing, then clarifies to say that we can win, but we need to fight, and send more troops … the useful Greater Anglosphere kind, not the useless Euro kind, please see to it President-elect Oba…. Notes that the Taliban isn’t doing itself any favors, either. Mostly they destroy things [...]

Nov 10, 2008 - 6:35 pm 50. Arthur:

it is sad that Bush and the republicans used 8 years to make our world such a mess.

Nov 10, 2008 - 6:36 pm 51. Mace:

Many will be interesting in “A History of the English speaking People Since 1900″

A long but engaging read, in bite size chunks, concerning the English speaking coalition.

Defeated Prussian militarism and the Ottoman Empire

Defeated European fascism and Japanese militarism

Defeated global communism, aka Cold War, to a large extent

Whacked Pan Arab Nationalism -Desert Storm

…and now the global war on terror.

http://www.amazon.com/History-English-Speaking-Peoples-Since-1900/dp/0060875984

The author bravely seeks to extends Churchhills 4 volume history.

Imagine if we still had the Prussians, Ottomans, Brown shirts, Emperor worshipers, or Saddam ruling from Cairo to Basra.

Nov 10, 2008 - 6:52 pm 52. Demostene:

#51 didn’t read the “editors review”

Nov 10, 2008 - 7:19 pm 53. Dave Surls:

“it is sad that Bush and the republicans used 8 years to make our world such a mess.”

What’s really sad is is that are millions of people dumb enough to believe that.

Nov 10, 2008 - 7:20 pm 54. RE:

Arthur,

The world has always been a mess. It always will be.

Nov 10, 2008 - 7:22 pm 55. me:

Bushes legacy is the liberation of Iraq and the start of the liberation of Afghanistan. I pray that the young and inexperienced Obama will not make a mess of it.

Nov 10, 2008 - 7:39 pm 56. Future Naval Aviator:

You know it really is going to be something if he actually turns things around and all you nay talkers and assholes who have nothing else to do but talk ill about the Democratic Party are going to be sitting in your living rooms or in front of your computers feeling like shit. Instead of talking ill about one another, why don’t you pull your heads out of your asses and attempt to work together. Foster new ideas together and get things done, instead of saying I’m right, your wrong. Jesus Christ, do you really think he is stupid enough to do nothing? Do you think he has spent all this time, money, effort to win this campaign and get these ‘experienced’ people into his cabinet and administration for nothing? Hell, the American people, the politicians and the media would not, I repeat, WOULD NOT stand for that. Everything he holds dear is riding on these next four years. You critics said he was too inexperienced when he was running for President, but when he selects and recruits veteran and experienced politicians to help his administration through these next four years, you all have nothing but shit to say. There is no pleasing you, I can bet none of you will ever be able to lead a household or small business let alone a country if you act like children and not listen to advice from someone else, or get two views of the situation. This man, our President-elect, is trying to unite not only the United States but the world. We are the leaders of the world, America is the supreme power, it is influential and powerful both politically and militarily. But none of you critics and assholes would know that, seeing as your heads are so far up your asses you cannot even see the light of day. Whether you like this man or not, he is going to bring about change. I do not know and you do not know, if it be for better or worse. But from what I have seen so far, it shall be for the better. The world is tired of this shit, this diversity, these conflicts. The people of the world, who have to do the fighting, the working and the dirty little things politicians would not stick their neck out for want it to come to an end. This man actually wants to bring about that end, by starting here in America and then spreading out over the world. You wonder why he won’t say much on Iraq, troop re-deployments or the economy. Have you ever thought that he may want to plan it out before declaring something? Have any of you ever heard the term think before you act, or think before you jump. These simple acts helped him when a presidential election, what is wrong if he uses them now? Maybe you should sit back, look, analyze this man and his ideas, and then give him a chance. That is all I have to say, and may God Bless the people of the world.

Nov 10, 2008 - 8:16 pm 57. The Elector of Saxony:

“No, that’s the effect of the US providing security for Europe for the last sixty-four years. Since you don’t have to have large armies with the latest equipment, you can spend your resources on socialism”

It will be quite comic when the Russians decide to carve out a few client states in Europe, and bully the rest. The boys from Iowa, Texas, and Ohio won’t be coming to land at Normandy again, Euros. You’ll be on your own, trying to talk them out of beating you senseless. All you will have to draw upon will be your own Muslim populations who hate you and your lifestyle, and won’t fight for you even if it would make a difference.

Your phony superiority and drum-circle, sing-along politics won’t work against what is coming for you. This time, the USA won’t be there to save you either. The next dictator, or terrorist who wants to march his army through the Arc d’Triomphe will be successful, and permanent. Probably won’t ever happen, right? Yeah, your history is really peaceful and the new Russians are very reasonable. I promise that the age of Obama will make Europe and Britain miss the days of FDR, Reagan, and yes, George W. Bush. Obama is going to spend the GDP of the whole world on our own social programs, plus has promised an amount equal to the GDP of the whole world again in aid to Africa. There won’t be any left to deploy advanced missle defense systems or drone bombers. If good intentions were sufficient, Woodrow Wilson would have stopped war for ever and ever Amen. If the UN could stop conflict, millions of Africans would still have limbs, terrorists wouldn’t blow up Israeli school busses, and Sadaam Hussein would have simply stepped down and allowed the inspectors in.

Nov 10, 2008 - 9:08 pm 58. kochevnik:

Al-Qaeda is the name of a database. “In the mid-1980s, Al Qaida was a database located in computer and dedicated to the communications of the Islamic Conference’s secretariat.”

“I first heard about Al-Qaida while I was attending the Command and Staff course in Jordan. I was a French officer at that time and the French Armed Forces had close contacts and cooperation with Jordan . . .

“Two of my Jordanian colleagues were experts in computers. They were air defense officers. Using computer science slang, they introduced a series of jokes about students’ punishment.

“For example, when one of us was late at the bus stop to leave the Staff College, the two officers used to tell us: ‘You’ll be noted in ‘Q eidat il-Maaloomaat’ which meant ‘You’ll be logged in the information database.’ Meaning ‘You will receive a warning . . .’ If the case was more severe, they would used to talk about ‘Q eidat i-Taaleemaat.’ Meaning ‘the decision database.’ It meant ‘you will be punished.’ For the worst cases they used to speak of logging in ‘Al Qaida.’

“The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida. And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity representing the ‘devil’ only in order to drive the ‘TV watcher’ to accept a unified international leadership for a war against terrorism. The country behind this propaganda is the US and the lobbyists for the US war on terrorism are only interested in making money.”

Nov 10, 2008 - 9:28 pm 59. Rob:

Having visited Afghanistan twice and followed Afghanistan since 1983, I see reason for optimism.

We do have a skilled and winning team in place in Afghanistan. Obama has not committed to losing in Afghanistan like he did in Iraq. We will have troops coming available as they are drawn out of Iraq. We are not looking at perfection, but the necessary tools to make a good run at victory are there. Many of our NATO allies are flaky, but that is not exactly new news. The French seem to be trying to act tougher. We are inflicting tremendous losses on the Taliban and Al Quaeda. The Afghan National Army is fighting well, even though it is not growing as fast as we would hope.

Pakistan is acting squirrelly, but there is some peace with India along the other border and that is a real positive for the wider region.

We can just hope that Obama actually wants to win this war. We actually owe the Afghans quite a bit since they shattered the Soviet Union and ended the Cold War.

It is a matter of will and leadership.
Pray that the Lightbringer can find those
within him.

Nov 10, 2008 - 9:30 pm 60. Ian:

I’m an ex British soldier and would like to point out that our army has been over stretched fighting in two conflicts at the same time. Once we get out of Iraq we will be able to provide lots more helicopter. The UAVs are still being made in Israel as I type so they will be a while yet.
We have 9 Harrier GR9 (recently given the sniper pod) at Kandahar which will be replaced by the more capable Tornado GR4 (greater range and payload). We don’t rely on anyone for logistics.
And we are introducing extra light armour almost every month.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/NewArmouredVehiclesForAfghanistan.htm

I’m really not sure what advantage heavy tracked CR2s or AS9s could bring in an offence situation apart from causing extra casualties trying to get them out when they become stuck. We have already deployed GMLRS with excellent results.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/ArmourAndNewEquipmentGivesRocketSystemExtraPunch.htm

I’m hoping that when we leave Iraq in spring next year we can spare a few thousand more soldiers to send to Helmand with the Merlin helicopters that are used in Afghanistan.
We really are doing all we can and spend well over the defence budget to take the fight to terry in helmand province.

We have also paid dear in blood 154 killed since 2001 but in the passed three years since we took over Helmand from the Americans.

I admit we were behind in all aspects of war fighting at the beginning of 2001-2003 but thing are changing very quickly. We have the best soldiers anywhere lets hope the politicians live up their promises. We were willing to put our troops in Where most of our Euro allies apart from the Dutch and Danes were scared to go.

Where are the French and Germans??

Nov 10, 2008 - 9:42 pm 61. Rob:

Oh and the Poles.

We should remember that the Poles were the second people who stood up and cracked the shell of the USSR. Much to be grateful for with those guys too. We are not totally alone, it just seems that way sometimes.

Nov 10, 2008 - 9:44 pm 62. Clifton G.:

Charley 164
Great comments but Obama is a student of Saul Alinsky an avowed Marxist. Those of us on the right are opposed to the socialist Marxist theory and if I could make a comparison to Obama and the Dems in generals they remind me of your pre WWII Prim Minister Neville Chamberlain. In recent past I read “Troublesome Young Men” and gained an even more jaundiced opinion of Chamberlain. Hind sight is always 20 -20 and we had our similarly persuaded Americans too but none surrendered a country to Hitler without its president or elected officials present or worked out back door deals with Mussolini as France did. America was so inclined to be isolationist with so little emphasis on the military that we put ourselves at risk. And I know of no reasonable premise that convinces me a nation is better served from a position of weakness and that is the Dems and too much of NATO belief or Afghanistan might be in a better position. And on the Iraq UN sanction. Saddam violated his sanctions more than 17 times. Europe wants to talk but when does talking end? In the Chamberlain way??
Obama’s and his party had almost total responsibility for the financial debacle that bundled subprime loans to banks through out the world and our biased press failed to report this decades of financial malfeasance and every attempt the Republicans made to correct the Dems successfully opposed. This was one of the major dominoes that started the current financial crisis along with the Dem philosophy of no drilling for oil in the US. And it is lost to almost the entire American population that that Evil Bush was almost the only individual trying to correct the Fannie and Freddie financial mess that could have delayed if not stopped this current financial crisis. And if you are a military dude and having that bunch of yokels along with so many of the carrying Euro Dudes squawking so much that the solider may go to jail for protecting himself because the Dems and state side protest have convinced the Dems to adversely affect the GIs rules of engagement (ROE). It is not my opinion that the Dems have the military as a high priority past (1970s) present and future. Being a military under the Dems reminds me of Kipling’s poem “Tommy”
Poem lyrics of Tommy by Rudyard Kipling.
I went into a public-’ouse to get a pint o’ beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
..O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-’alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.

Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, ‘ow’s yer soul?”
But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.

We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind”,
But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind,
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind.

You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool — you bet that Tommy sees!

Nov 10, 2008 - 10:48 pm 63. john from cinncinati:

future naval aviator: we aren’t sitting here crying, what i HOPE is that the CHANGE is for the better, we can only sit here and SPECULATE about your new CIC’s capability, as we have nothing to base it upon. he promised change and now he’s getting the D.C. regulars to work for him, wow 4 more years of GWB.
hopefully when you enter the flight school you will be taught how to make decisions based on facts and end results not emotions. the definition of an asshole is someone that won’t give you what you want. other people call it tough love

Nov 10, 2008 - 11:53 pm 64. Charley 164:

Войска ПВО: Thank you. Like all Americans you have an admirable capacity for humility when the situation calls for it and I accept your apology whole-heartedly. May we continue to debate passionately in the future. And thank you for your service – we always had superb support from US fast-air when the RAF couldn’t get there. And I wish to Christ the weather here would allow me to wear my friggin’ shorts even indoors.
seguin: Agreed, we did get more than anyone else, which would be fitting for your closest ally, wouldn’t it? We had to use it to repay the huge loan made in ‘45 and the rest of Lend-Lease. Not so the defeated European allies and former enemies, who invested in their infrastructure and had no loans to repay. We owe you a debt of thanks for saving us, and unlike some in Europe, we remember. But that doesn’t mean we’ll slavishly follow you without question: You will have to explain stuff to us and listen to our perspective before we throw our not insignificant weight in behind you.
Clifton G: “Obama is a student of Saul Alinsky an avowed Marxist.” Good. I like a well read man prepared to study across the spectrum of philosophies and beliefs. I happen to know he’s also a student of Churchill BTW. You would hope that the most powerful man in the World was well educated and I personally would always want my leaders to be my superiors in intellect and knowledge. If you’re seriously suggesting that he is somehow a deep cover communist mole, then I prefer to read that as an indication of the depth of disappointment Republicans feel in the aftermath of the election, rather than a thoughtful contention. I am confident he will win over the majority of his detractors and doubters in time.
When I was younger I used to fear the election of the Labour party, knowing that defence cuts inevitably followed which would deprive me and my comrades (no commie intonation there BTW…) of spares for our tanks (the glorious ‘Chieftain’ and ‘Challenger 1’ – damned good tanks if they broke down in a decent fire position!) and the accompanying paltry wages. What I realised later in my career was that we can bark all we like about the vagaries of governments, their policies and mistakes, but we should recognise that in doing so we are free and will remain free. That’s what I’ve been fighting for these past 31 years. I think it’s important that we should rejoice in each peaceful change of government, as it is the ultimate expression of democracy. And though I will happily die for democracy, I really don’t think that the’ Arabosphere’ (you read it here first) is ready for the concept, which is after all born of a very different culture and history. And we can’t enforce it. And in trying to do so, we risk disaster and further conflagration in the region. Iraq is far from over yet….
I recently left the Army, having joined at 17 as a tank driver (4 years before I learnt to drive a car – go figure). I will probably have to return ‘To the Colours’ as a reserve officer, next year when we ramp up our efforts in Afghanistan in concert with the US (and Hail to the USMC – excellent bastards). I’m not sure we can ‘win’ (and my still serving friends and I debate this issue endlessly) in the traditional, conventional sense, but we may stabilise the environment leading to an eventual diplomatic/political solution. We did it in Northern Ireland, where both we and the IRA realised there was ultimately no military solution for either side (sure we could have hard-cored it and killed hundreds of thousands a la the French in Algeria, but though that was arguably a ‘military victory’ it was essentially Pyrrhic in nature). It may take the better part of 30 years and thousands of lives. Patience and commitment is the key.

Nov 11, 2008 - 1:32 am 65. Marie Claude:

Where are the French and Germans??

iani darling, ask the Americans, they know, them !

http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/pressreleases/2008/11-november/pr081106-597.html

Ok, for a remind :

2,730 as of October 2008. The French forces are deployed in Kabul under operation Pamir XVII, a recurrent five-month deployment that was last renewed in December 2007. Six French Dassault Mirage 2000D fighters and two C-135F refuelling aircraft were based at Dushanbe Airport in Dushanbe, Tajikistan but relocated to Kandahar on 26 September 2007; from there they conduct operations in support of ISAF. A French naval force, including the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, was also situated in the nearby Indian Ocean. An assortment of 200 naval, air force and army special forces personnel were withdrawn from Southern Afghanistan in early 2007, but around 50 remained to train Afghan forces. On 26 February 2008 it was reported that Paris was planning to deploy hundreds of fresh troops to eastern Afghanistan in an attempt to free up American soldiers, who would then be able to assist their Canadian neighbours in the flashpoint southern province of Kandahar. Not only has France sent these several hundred soldiers, France has also reaffirmed its commitment to NATO by re-joining its military structure which France left in 1966. French Prime Minster, François Fillon, has announced that 100 aditionnal troops with Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopters are to be sent in the country

Nov 11, 2008 - 2:47 am 66. Marie Claude:

or worked out back door deals with Mussolini as France did.

um, that’s new, I thought you were more enclined to say with Hitler LMAO

Roosvelvet also did, even with Hitler until Pearl Harbour

Nov 11, 2008 - 4:09 am 67. Charley 164:

Marie Claude: French pilots are often seen flying Mirages in the skies above Helmand Province in direct support of British troops. They are brave, dependable and professional. I have no doubt that the French Army will become more actively engaged in combat when they are ready – our American cousins don’t necessarily understand that your Army is still on the road to professionalism, discarding the conscription policies of yesteryear. Some culture shock. The US went through a similar process in the late 70’s and having served alongside them back then, I have to say in all fairness that they were in no way ready for the kind of warfare they routinely engage in so effectively today. It takes substantialtime and a change in military mind set. Thus the French Army is still transitioning but it has a great tradition and no-one can ever accuse the French of cowardice. Occasional bloody-mindedness and always determined to do it ‘the French way’, yes, but never cowardly. In a year or two, you’ll be more than ready and I trust that doesn’t sound too patronising. As for our German friends, their constitution, largely written for them by the US and UK way back in ‘47, prevents them committing conscripts to war unless in defence of the Fatherland. Be difficult to make the argument stick for Afghanistan. They have too few professionals (’Profi’ units such as the KSK) available for combat. Those they have are, no surprises here, very professional. Thier KampfSchwimmers (no relation to David) are easily on a par with the USN Seals or the SBS. Nevertheless, they will always maintain the bulk of their still sizable ‘citizens’ army in Central Europe, for very good and hopefully obvious reasons. Additionally, the German Army always was and still is today better suited for all-out conventional war, it never was structured, trained or doctrinally suitable for modern counter-insurgency (and before some Wehrmacht history buff interjects with “read about the Partizan-Jaegers of WW2…” I know. But this is different, trust me). And let me thank our cousins the Aussies, Kiwis, Cloggies (Dutch), Wikings (Danes) and not least the Canadians, (who, ironically, the German OKW considered to be the best allied troops of the last war, closely followed by the ANZACs [“Lions led by Donkeys” - Rommel]). Though we share little blood with the Poles, we have a large Polish population (1m+) here in the UK and I have always admired the dogged valour of Polish troops under fire. We fought together in WW2 and will hopefully continue to do so well into the future. Brave lads. Finally, don’t ever forget the Turks. Anyone doubting their love for the fight should read about the exploits of the Turks in the Korean War – staunch and fierce allies. We’re fighting the toughest campaign since Korea and taking casualties on a par with Normandy (33% chance of death or severe wounding in 3 Parachute Battalion, Helmand last year). Hang in together, celebrate our differences and fight the good fight. Outright defeat is not an option.

Nov 11, 2008 - 4:14 am 68. Terry Gain:

Charley 164

One word: paragraphs

Four words: use the enter button

Two words: thank you

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:19 am 69. Anonymous:

Terry Gain: Bloody hell and good morning: You’re an early riser! I simply love being corrected on my use of English by an American. Fair enough, it’s very much your langauge these days, though for whatever reason, the interface doesn’t allow me to seperate the paragraphs, (I do have a hazy recollection of the rules). I promise to exercise less verbosity in future. VMT.

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:54 am 70. Marie Claude:

Charley 164

I think Im goin to love the Brits again, uh, only the army and the navy guis, not the politicians and the medias

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:57 am 71. Anonymous:

Terry Gaion: Bloody hell and good morning – you’re an early riser! I love being corrected on my use of English by an American. Fair enough – it’s your langauage these days and anyway, I’m half Scot, half Irish. I can’t get the interface to allow me to seperate paragraphs anyway. But I promise to exercise less verbosity in future. VMT and enjoy your day.

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:59 am 72. Moptop:

“In Obama, Europe in particular sees a man and a new government they may begin to trust in, may begin to believe in. And if they do, they will fight”

Where there is a testable assertion from an Obamamaniac. Time will certainly tell. Are you taking bets on this? I think this would make a great intrades proposition. Will the Europeans fight for Obama?

Nov 11, 2008 - 6:04 am 73. Michael Yon: Quicksand Awaits Obama in Afghanistan « A1A South:

[...] the whole article here. Glad that there are real journalists left. Unfortunately (or is that fortunately?) they are [...]

Nov 11, 2008 - 6:09 am 74. M. Simon:

The problem in Afghanistan? It is the drug war you fools.

http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/2008/11/from-drug-war-to-real-war.html

*

Nov 11, 2008 - 6:57 am 75. M. Simon:

kochevnik,

So America was attacked by a Database on 9/11?

Who knew?

Nov 11, 2008 - 7:31 am 76. M. Simon:

Arthur:

it is sad that Bush and the republicans used 8 years to make our world such a mess.

I’m betting that Obama can make it a worse mess in two. Any takers?

Nov 11, 2008 - 7:50 am 77. Roland THTG:

Future Aviator,
I sincerely hope(there’s that word again) that your predictions are correct.
But alas, they are only that. Based on N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

The keys to the future are found in history, BHO has none that is applicable.

This B/S that the rest of the world will magically become one with Obama is unicorns and fairies. It will roll out like the post 9-11 “We are all Americans” feel good jaw-jaw. Fine until it comes to hard choices.

Were you my son/daughter/ I would advise you to postpone any military adventures for the foreseeable future. My son is currently USMC as a matter of fact. I fear for him more now, than the last two trips to Iraq.

Regards

Nov 11, 2008 - 7:59 am 78. The Historian:

OBAMA STARTS LIKE A ROOKIE

Team Obama has a long way to go in just over 70 days. Time to fasten our seat belts as noted here:

http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama-starts-like-rookie.html

Nov 11, 2008 - 8:45 am 79. Charley 164:

Moptop: My thoughts are fed by hope and hope is never ‘testable’. Please refrain from jumping to the conclusion you have pre-loaded and read the posts with care before shooting from the hip. Nor am I an Obamamaniac. I am a hopeful Brit with young daughters I have too often missed whilst fighting sh*tty little wars in sh*tty little holes (Bosnia springs to mind) against sh*tty little people with sh*tty little ideas. Like ‘racial superiority’. Like ‘ethnic cleansing’. Like ‘God given destiny’. It’s all bullsh*t. I hope that BHO might bring decent free people together, (in a way that GWB sadly proved incapable of) and begin the end of this ridiculous bickering between old allies – Bin Laden must be laughing his knob off.
First and foremost he has to bring Americans together clearly! Then the rest of the West. Then maybe, there’ll be a better World for my children and possibly yours. Worth believing in, worth fighting for? I think so, despite your enormous pessimism.

Nov 11, 2008 - 9:06 am 80. kochevnik:

M. Simon,

The US is destined for three world wars, as planned by 33rd degree mason General Pike, founder of the KKK. The first two you know about. The third will be between the polarity of the artificial state of Israel and the Middle East. The US must create puppets as foils for it’s false flag preludes to attacks. The bankers for whom your puppet presidents work want Islam destroyed because usury is forbidden. Europe can become Islam-friendly as they are not the military wing of the Bank of England.

Total world domination by British aristocrats requires all people participating in the fractional-reserve banking scam. Russia also refuses to participate in the fractional reserve scam paying tribute to British aristocrats, so bankster-controlled media demonize her. Yet Russia is working with Rothschilds at a higher level, which may render your silly paradigms as the forgotten effluvia of a quaint time in human history. The entire structure of the US political system requires secrecy, which is fast becoming unworkable. Actually, it is already silly joke to most thinking people.

>So America was attacked by a Database on 9/11?
>Who knew?

Nov 11, 2008 - 9:34 am 81. Veterans Day 2008 | Drive Time Happy Hour:

[...] high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Micheal Yon: President-elect Obama says he is serious about Afghanistan. (Just don’t fumble Iraq, please.) As [...]

Nov 11, 2008 - 10:34 am 82. Veterans Day-Rememberance Day | Drive Time Happy Hour:

[...] Micheal Yon: President-elect Obama says he is serious about Afghanistan. (Just don’t fumble Iraq, please.) As he must be learning in intelligence briefings, it’s going to be tough stuff. It will be like solving a human Rubik’s Cube during a firefight while the media screams every time you make a wrong move — or what is perceived as a wrong move — and there is a clock ticking and at some unknown point the Cube self-destructs. [...]

Nov 11, 2008 - 10:39 am 83. frank:

they don’t fight because they don’t get it, and they don’t get it because they don’t want to get it. 800,000 died in Rwanda because Kofi did NOTHING. Gen Dellaire, who was in charge, said 5000 UN soldiers would have prevented it without much of a fight. He requested them. He was turned down. UN doesn’t care. UN is nothing more than an empty gesture to hide behind.

Nov 11, 2008 - 10:46 am 84. myth buster:

I don’t see one good reason to say it’s too late to use nuclear weapons. On the contrary, there’s nothing more the world can do to President Bush now. If President Bush ordered nuclear strikes in the last ten weeks of his term, we could deal a thoroughly devastating blow to the enemy. It’s too bad we don’t have a President-elect who is both conservative and perceived to be a right-wing nutcase, because then our enemies would tremble. If I were President, I’d make it crystal clear that my doctrine is massive retaliation. I have no qualms about avenging an elementary school by dropping a nuclear weapon or responding to a chemical weapons attack by turning a country into a sea of glass. Let them hate as long as they tremble in fear.

Nov 11, 2008 - 11:24 am 85. JC:

Myth Buster. The threat comes from the Defense Departments 2020 project(spearheaded by G.W.Bush), calling for the nuclear militarization of space, the Russian have had to respond by upping it weapons systems, which like those of the U.S, fire on warning. If those of the U.S regularly malfunction, what do you think will happen to those of Russia, a country suffering huge economic strife. Not forgetting the other nuclear states that have now had to rearm as well, Israel Pakistan, India and china. With all those nukes being continually transported across such vast expanses like Russia, it’s only a matter of time before one ends up in the hands of some humiliated, bereaved, soon-to-be terrorist. Pick your American city. Thanks to Bush, the threat of Nuclear Holocaust is now the highest since 1962.

Nov 11, 2008 - 12:05 pm 86. ME:

“In Obama, Europe in particular sees a man and a new government they may begin to trust in, may begin to believe in. And if they do, they will fight”

Thats funny. European anti-Americanism is deeply ingrained, the will dislike the US just as much with Barack in charge, maybe more because their high hopes that the Obama-messiah will ring in a new socialist utopia will be dashed.

Its up to the US to win in Afghanistan (with real, but unavoidably minor help from Australia, GB, Poland and the Dutch). Thats OK, we can do it, we won in Iraq without France, Germany and Spain. On the other hand, in Iraq Bush was CinC, now all we have is Barack.

Nov 11, 2008 - 1:01 pm 87. ME:

“Thanks to Bush, the threat of Nuclear Holocaust is now the highest since 1962.

I agree that the threat of nuclear war is increasing, but its because we elected a weakling like Obama to face off against the stone cold, KGB killer that runs Russia.

Nov 11, 2008 - 1:04 pm 88. Clifton G.:

always want my leaders to be my superiors in intellect and knowledge. If you’re seriously suggesting that he is somehow a deep cover communist mole, then I prefer to read that as an indication of the depth of disappointment Republicans feel in the aftermath of the election, rather than a thoughtful contention. I am confident he will win over the majority of his detractors and doubters in time.
Charley 164
I too read broadly but my political philosophies resemble nothing near a far left socialist direction as does Obama’s and his Dem associates and my reading and conclusion drive me running even further away from left. Our early founders were aware of the philosophies of the likes of Rousseau and other left thinking individuals and to our advantage chose a representative republic. In war one maintains contact with and engages the enemy but in real life one is best served avoiding nirvana enterprises that do not address the cause’s and effect’s that result from a lack of personal discipline and more likely insure those hawking such methods remain the power brokers.
Capital gains, the vehicle for providing investment capital for industrial improvements is a term/process lost to Obama and almost the entire Dem party who are decidedly inclined to consider industry an evil. Furthermore, Obama has designated at least one industry he intends to bankrupt and with his and the Dems attitude I can easily speculate there are others similarly designated. Under Clinton this Capital gains tax when reduced from 28% to 20% was predicted by the Dems to reduce tax revenues in the first period 50 BILLION but yielded a tax revenue increase around +25 BILLION. Over the periods as I recall the Dem expected tax revenue loss expected was some 225 BILLION in error.*** The increased tax revenue increases were around 175 BILLION almost totally providing that surplus the Dems attribute to Clinton which in fact was the result of efforts by the Republican majority in the House under Newt Ginrich.. Point is, when the money is left in the economy with industry and the individual to put the bucks/quid to work ever dollar will turn over some 5 times or more and thus be taxed 5 times too. But when the government gets it you will be lucky if half will be left for redistribution or economic stimulation. And in the 1990s Hong Kong had no capital gains tax and the country went from way back in the pack of world economies to at one time the 5th largest in the world. Not sure where they are now and I expect the China economy would now be in trouble but for assistance from Hong Kong. Because of China’s Marxist inclinations I am still not among those that believe they are the competitive threat that many believe them to be. They are a huge country with many dialects, difficult to govern, however, I have read some suggestions that they did not collapse as the Soviet Union did when Mao died because they had continued to embrace the religious discipline Confucianism while the Soviets had abandoned any religion for the worship of government. Worship Government. That’s the Dems inclinations and will never be mine. He who will not economize will have to agonize. Confucius
The Obama use through ACRON and the Dem of the “Community Reinvestment Act” creating the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lending institutions facilitated what in my opinion was and will continue to be a method to redistribute wealth and in addition the Dems are using the Internal Revenue Service, our governmental tax collection agency, to redistributive wealth. I have concluded from what I read that it was only when European bankers, the first squawk from a France bank a year or more ago, and other world banks cried fowl about subprime loan failures that the attempts were made to flood the financial system with cash to stem this world reaction by the socialist the Dems seek to emulate and maintain credibility. For that reason the Dems remained silent, setting back and assigning any shortfall the cash infusion did not correct to Bush when the enterprise that created the fiasco was a Dem creation, the “Community Reinvestment Act”(CRA) Bush had tried numerous times since at least 2003 to correct and there were warnings in the 1990s from Republicans but the Dem left response was from vocal to indignant that anyone would dare question the Fannie and Freddie charade and in the meantime this debacle was almost totally ignored by the media. One of the major architects of perpetual defender of this CRA sham Rep Barney Frank is calling for a 25% decrease in military spending to support his/Dem’s entitlement programs. Knowing there have been many recent events that required the heavy lifting of US forces who willingly shouldered the primary military load they will now likely be unable to perform similarly in the future. If you find comfort in that, then so be it. If the US military intimately receives the lack of attention too many of our NATO allies receive our future is bleak. Please note I said “OURS” and not “mine.”
In closing as a history buff and having participated in many military maneuvers I know that the initial plan does not endure and any participant in those events knows that to be the case. The Dems and world have seconded guess our military endeavors in a media political environment where only the right is to be criticized, thus making any changes other that withdrawal from Iraq as acceptable making Petraeus’ methods(Adopted from the French Algerian war experiences) by Dem, Pentagon, and DC custom/culture difficult to impossible to apply. Obama along with his Dem counterparts has been the contrarian bullhorns/naysayers that have persuaded the public and by the post I read here the world too and their fawning press that they know the plan and how and what that plan will yield. One can easily find the error in that sophistry of absolutely knowing what should be done by simply looking across your English Channel to Normandy where that D-Day beach was missed by 1000 meters, paratroopers were dropped behind lines into flood waters to drown, the highest ranking officer in WW II was killed, and having finally gotten past the beach of all thing beyond imagination to occur the invasion was stopped in its tracks by methods the farmers used to contain their live stock, hedgerows. And American forces were routed by the Germans in their first battle in North Africa at Kasserine Pass Feb 14-25, 1943. The Dems of today would have surrendered on either occasion. “War is an art and as such is not susceptible of explanation by fixed formula”- General George Patton Jr. But not so say the Dems… Only they have the formula… Retreat…
You wrote that this war would last 30 years. This Dem microwave generation immediate gratification left wing crowd cannot relate to tomorrow with today’s actions “In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.” . Try selling that to that left wing bunch to engage and accept a lengthy campaign. The following will provide some insights into what was not reported about Obama. The news media is and has been derelict in its duties. http://www.nakedemperornews.com/
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR FREEDOM!!! CHARLEY 164
*** I tried to Google the capital gains numbers but could not find but this is as I recall and it was such an egregious unreported result that I often use these number when debating the left and their lack of insuring investment capital for enterprising entrepreneurial individuals and businesses. This occurred mid 1990s to 1997 or there about. You’ll have to take my word but if you don’t I can easily understand that too.

Nov 11, 2008 - 1:10 pm 89. iowavette:

Future naval person – I’ve been listening to eight years of outrageous lies about “W” and his administration. Now it’s your turn in the barrel. Man up.

Nov 11, 2008 - 2:14 pm 90. JohnRJ08:

It is difficult to take many of the posts here to seriously, since they’re nothing more than veiled racism and anger that a black man was elected president. Why else would people be spewing so much venom and condemning a new American president two months before he even takes office? Almost anything Obama does will be smarter and better thought-out than any of the decisions made in the last 8 years. We tried stupidity and bull-headed ideology for 8 years and it didn’t work too well. Let’s give brains a chance for once. If Obama blows it you can vote for Sarah “I-can-see-Russia-from-my-kitchen” Palin in ‘12.

Nov 11, 2008 - 2:15 pm 91. j green:

Mr. Yon I thought you were smarter than this! You seem to have missed the entire point about Obama.

Obama will change the minds of these people and make them send troop to Afghanistan. And if he fails at that, he will go with John Kerry and Colin Powell, while ignoring the commanders in theater, to convince the Taliban AND al Qaeda to lay down their weapons and embrace the wealth he will redistribute to them from us.
If we refuse to allow him to take our wealth to redistribute for the greater good, he will send his civilian army of ruffians to implement by force in no uncertain terms his agenda.
The people voted for change and this foreign policy is definitely a change.

His first act as president should be to fire that incompetent war-monger Petraeus and unilaterally disband our nukes and military (in favor of the domestic brownshirts) to show the world his good faith.

Nov 11, 2008 - 2:30 pm 92. Nabeel Ahmad:

As a Pakistani I can think of some solutions that might actually work. The government in Kabul must be able to exercise control over the entire Afghanistan and not just the capital city. No such government can exist in Kabul unless Pakistan wants this; otherwise the eastern Afghanistan adjacent to Pakistani border will remain lawless. Why would Pakistan want this?, well if the government in Kabul reduces its level of cooperation with India, gives up its grand design to re-draw the border , taking in the Pushtun population of Pakistan and instead agrees to Accept Durand Line as a non negotiable border between Pakistan And Afghanistan (the government in Kabul agreed to Durand line as its territorial limit even before Pakistan got its independence, they signed it with British so why back down now) If Afghanistan does all of that I think Pakistan will have no problem in helping Afghanistan to establish control over all of its territory and ethnic groups. And let’s face it if Pakistan has a problem with Afghans no amount of military and financial activity can ever bring peace to Afghanistan. What if Afghans choose not to do all that? Well then Pakistan can always increase the amount of insurgency there which Afghanis can not face on their own, if west forces Pakistan to stop it then Pakistan will force 3.5 million refugees back to Afghanistan something they can’t handle, more so its food supply, fuel and all access to outside world can be blocked by Pakistan thanks to geography. The road to peace in Kabul goes through Islamabad.

Nov 11, 2008 - 2:44 pm 93. ME:

JohnRJ08,

Brains, really? You do realize that Obama opposed the liberation of Iraq and the surge? If it were up to him Iraq would still be either Saddams dictatorship (and still have those 500 tones of yellow cake uranium and bio-weapons fomenters). That or he would have pulled the plug on Bushes surge strategy that won the war and would have handed Iraq over to al Qaeda and/or Iran.

The real tragedy with respect to US domestic politics is that the first black president, Barak (I’ve been to 57 states)Obama, is an huge embarrassment.

Nov 11, 2008 - 3:03 pm 94. obama decoder:

No no no. 57 states is why Obama won because McCain didn’t campaign in all of them.

Nov 11, 2008 - 3:38 pm 95. kochevnik:

ME,

Of course there was lots of yellow cake in Iraq . Tons of it was just sitting out in the open in Tawaitha. It was so accessible that the locals were looting the site. Most of the articles at that time were critical of the lack of security from U.S. troops for the former nuclear development site. Anyway, that isn’t news. Neither is the fact that Saddam had delivery mechanisms. However, he did not have an active nuclear weapons program, unless one means the capacity to deliver one or two dirty bombs (which the yellow cake couldn’t be used for, btw, because it is basically an inert compound). But even dirty bombs aren’t a particularly scary threat, since you or I or anyone else could buy materials for dirty bombs at Home Depot. But Saddam just didn’t have the resources to do anything more than that due to IAEA inspections and other international efforts. In fact, he didn’t have any technology or raw materials dating anytime after 1991. He was technologically impotent. Which means the UN’s efforts, so belittled by the Bush administration in the ramp-up to invasion (as well as by revisionist neocon historians…?) had worked exactly as intended. So this is really a great example of precisely the distorted sort of ranting that it tries to claim is nobly contrary to popular sentiment but somehow true. But it’s not true. It’s simply bizarre.

Nov 11, 2008 - 3:42 pm 96. ME:

Simply bizarre is the notion that it would be good to leave in power a brutal dictator with ties to international terrorists and a track record of making and using wmd (to say nothing of the human rights dimension of 28 million human beings subjugated by Baathism).

You do realize that under interrogation by the FBI Saddam admitted his long term plan was to rid himself of the UN and restart his nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs? He already had the yellow cake to make the nukes.

Fortunately, due to G W Bush, that threat is gone forever

Nov 11, 2008 - 4:04 pm 97. Demostene:

you Its up to the US to win in Afghanistan (with real, but unavoidably minor help from Australia, GB, Poland and the Dutch). Thats OK, we can do it, we won in Iraq without France, Germany and Spain. On the other hand, in Iraq Bush was CinC, now all we have is Barack.

uh, sure, the Dutch that were striking lately, refused to patrol, cause, you know, some Frenchs were killed in ambush, and the Dutch didn’t want to get the same fate

um, Irak not sure, up to now there are still quite a few deaths to be recorded within terrorism, OK, Iraki deaths, normal, you won the war, it’s now their own business, can’t see it’s peaceful !

Nov 11, 2008 - 4:18 pm 98. Demostene:

you He already had the yellow cake to make the nukes

check how difficult it is to make some nuclear nukes, seems that lots of people misunderstand what is NUCLEAR business

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZDIwMjVjMTIyZTQ1NTJhNjM1YzFmZmFmNWVkNDA4ZjE

and Saddam confessing something to the FBI is most likely laughable

Nov 11, 2008 - 4:38 pm 99. Percopius:

#57

Like the Dems gave Bush a chance?

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:06 pm 100. Percopius:

Oops. I mean #56

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:07 pm 101. fear Obama:

At the beginning of this post I commented that Obama would move many more troops into Afghanistan and get his ass handed to him on a platter.
We will not catch or kill Osama and be forced to withdraw as did the Russians.

Fast forward 2 days later.

Bambi and his defense advisers said today they plan to send thousands more troops into Afghanistan and hunt down bin Laden.

Hate to tell you, but I said so.

Nov 11, 2008 - 5:20 pm 102. ME:

“and Saddam confessing something to the FBI is most likely laughable”

Actually it’s a simple fact, an inconvenient truth for the anti-war left to be sure, but a truth nonetheless.

Nov 11, 2008 - 6:09 pm 103. Clifton G.:

Charley 164
Sorry you feel so beat upon but soldiers are like mother hood. If either one gives up the ghost we are goners’ for sure… We on the right would just like to see those on the left in the fight with us but we have not and thus we express pessimism on a future with BHO and his cohorts… The road to Dem election was about trashing Bush… I predict you will miss him…

Nov 11, 2008 - 6:58 pm 104. Clifton G.:

Demostene on the nuclear info… Great information but LOL getting BHO and his cohorts to endorse. The left has been the nexus crowd for years for all things nuclear and I give it ZERO chance of being even considered. His crowd would have his head if even mentioned considering such a responsible measure.
This bunch is against solar arrays too and wind generators are not permitted off Cape Cod by the Kennedys. Spoils the view… Check out the two below…
Any suggestions???

http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/09/24/solar-projects-draw-new-opposition/
http://www.allianceforresponsibleenergypolicy.com/NYT%20-%20Solar%20Projects%20Draw%20New%20Opposition%209-24-08.pdf

Nov 11, 2008 - 8:15 pm 105. Afghanistan Policy: Bush to Obama | Great Power Politics:

[...] issues which will gray Obama’s hair and stretch his wrinkles. Much has been written lately regarding his Afghan policy and how it will compare to the Bush Administration’s. I have discussed [...]

Nov 11, 2008 - 11:08 pm 106. Demostene:

Clifton G. you got to organise tour operations with your Dems representants to french nuclear sites like the article author made

Nov 12, 2008 - 5:18 am 107. Demostene:

you, declassified documents, or… MSM “facts” ?

Nov 12, 2008 - 5:20 am 108. Clifton G.:

Demostene: You wrote you got to organise tour operations with your Dems representants to french nuclear sites like the article author made

Been there done that… That’s part of the label of being an evil conservative. I’m sure it was something I suggested that turned them off like suggesting responsible initiatives and further suggesting they manage with real and not redefined feeling math. The calculus of a joule is a difficult reach for too many and ya can’t feel ya way there. Only chance we got is that they now may think it is their idea… After all, Al Gore invented the Internet didn’t he?
How do you think President Carter was snookered on the threat of radiation when he had a degree in Physics, was an Admiral Rickover advocate and student, worked for Rickover but may have done more to stop the use of nuclear energy in the US than anyone with his nuclear waste laws?
“If you must sin, then sin against God and not the bureaucracy because God will forgive and the bureaucracy won’t.” Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Father of the Nuclear Navy – One of my favorite quotes… Been there and done that too…

Nov 12, 2008 - 6:45 am 109. Demostene:

After all, Al Gore invented the Internet didn’t he?

that’s what I read on evil conservative blogs, uh, when I thought it was one of the arrogant french’s !

I find it odd that the french Framatome Cie bought the american brevet of civil nuclear energy, that they developped and improved, uh, wasn’t it a De Gaulle trick ?

I read about nuclear navy that there is a big problem for countries like ours, that can’t afford several ships, they have to be immobilised for quite a time for maintainance, it is also why that some next ones will be oil engines equiped

Nov 12, 2008 - 7:25 am 110. Hershell Ezrin: Consider This » Blog Archive » Afghan quicksand awaits Canada-USA relations:

[...] spent more time embedded with U.S. and British combat troops in Iraq than any other correspondent (CLICK HERE to view the article). Other interesting stories about the current Afghanistan situation are also [...]

Nov 12, 2008 - 9:18 am 111. Clifton G.:

Demostene: While your nationality is unknown the Al Gore invented the Internet is unique American Humor because Al was quoted saying that and we conservatives always try to give credit where credit sources suggest it is due. But Hershell Erwin brings me back on topic and back to earth about Michael Yon and his excellent unbiased war reporting. He is a rarity among current War Correspondence in that we/I can depend on him to call events as they are, good or bad and not persuaded by a tingling up his leg or a political position. The Obama and Dem threat of the “Fairness Doctrine Act” (FD) and the propensity of those proposing this act is not one inclined to permit views critical of their policies. Sorta in the mode of USSR Pravda where “A lie that advances Communism is a truth” and nothing contrary permitted. The US media has been in the tank for the Dems though out this election and the past few years knowing the FD Act will insure their inability to compete with those who report it as it is and this FD will not hamper but insure their continued existence by eliminating their competition. If Michael Yon’s and the rare war correspondence reports derogatory information about Obama’s war management they may be censored, refused embed status, or denied theater entry. That news commentators were kicked off Obama’s plan for daring to present information for public discussion that did not compliment Obama one could expect similar Oboma actions toward these war correspondence. I could easily expect we are further threaten by a similar effort to throttle Internet discussion, the best source of contrary discussion. One of Obama’s goals is to have free Internet and if the Gov wants to control an entity it must first own, contract, or pay for the service.
Hershell- You Canucks as well as the rest of the world have begat what you begot and I predict will want another Cowboy in the office of the US Presidency. I note the feeling that liberal Canadian’s got you into the Afghanistan morass and get the impression from a short read that with rare exception only the US is at war with terrorism. I hope that is wrong but as my old Canuck ski instructor said in my early ski lessons, “You fall well.” I hope that is so here but if not “Happy trails” anyway…. http://www.royrogers.com/happy_trails.html
Domostene: I have used the French and European percentages of use of nuclear generation for years and never understood why this country was not so rationally persuaded. The environmental groups are a very large and vocal and legal wing of Obama’s team and consider nuclear waste worse than a pox it is patently NUCLEARRRRRRRRR.
And Happy trails to all… Read this and sing it… It’s not what you hear about what real Cowboys (W) are. http://www.royrogers.com/happy_trails.html

Lyrics to “Happy Trails” by Dale Evans Rogers
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here’s a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.
Alternate Religious Verse:
Happy trails to you, it’s great to say “hello”.
And to share with you the trail we’ve come to know.
It started on the day that we met Jesus,
He came into our hearts and then he freed us.
For a life that’s true, a happy trail to you.
Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules:
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.

Nov 12, 2008 - 1:12 pm 112. deguello:

Bring the troops home now! Assuming we win in Afghanistan(highly unlikely) the Afghans will treat us withthe same gratitude the Euros have for liberating them in ww2. While we are at it,pull out of nato as well.

Nov 14, 2008 - 10:42 am 113. Afghanistan Today Fri. 11-14-08-GWOT News, Iraq, etc. « Orangekite1’s Weblog:

[...] http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/afghan-quicksand-awaits-obama/2/ [...]

Nov 14, 2008 - 11:18 am 114. harmonicminer » The Iraq War is won: now, Obama and the Afghanistan war:

[...] Michael Yon, the single best war correspondent we have » Afghan Quicksand Awaits Obama The Iraq war is over. Barring the unforeseen, the darkest days are behind, though we are still losing soldiers to low-level fighting with enemies that are true “dead-enders.” Last month we lost seven Americans in combat in Iraq. Peace, however, is not upon us. Another thirty or so Iraqis died today in suicide attacks. Nobody suffers more at the hands of Islamic terrorists than other Muslims. [...]

Nov 16, 2008 - 9:04 am 115. sfcmac:

We won the war in Iraq awhile ago, and the MSM, par for the course, refuses to acknowlege or even give tribute to the American troops who achieved it.

We now have to focus on finishing up the mission in Afghanistan. It will take a surge and an invasion into Pakistan, to cut the throats of what’s left of the Al Qaeda and Taliban who scurried across the border to re-group. But until B. Hussein Obama is out of office, that isn’t likely to happen.

Nov 17, 2008 - 6:28 pm

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