My father (a hard core republican and 25 year Air Force vet) thinks it's disgusting (and we don't agree on a LOT of things ). To him, the first rule of the military code is that you do NOT make your opinions known on policy. You do your job, without question. You are not there to set policy, you are there to carry it out. nothing more
mc mark, your Dad would not be happy with this... Admiral: Iraq has troops, Afghanistan Waits Story Highlights Adm. Mike Mullen: So many troops in Iraq, Afghanistan needs are unmet He appears to end hope for significant additional U.S. troop cuts in Iraq Conditions in Iraq are not likely to free up additional troops, he says Defense Department: 147,796 U.S. troops in Iraq as of November 2006 From Jamie McIntyre CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military has too many troops tied down in Iraq to send needed reinforcements to Afghanistan this year, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said Wednesday. "There are force requirements there [in Afghanistan] that we can't currently meet," Adm. Mike Mullen said. "Having forces in Iraq at the level they're at doesn't allow us to fill the need that we have in Afghanistan." As of November 1, 2006, the U.S. had 147,796 troops in Iraq, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. In making the statement at a Pentagon briefing, Mullen also appeared to dash hopes for any significant additional U.S. troop cuts in Iraq after last year's troop buildup ends this summer. Conditions in Iraq are not likely to free up additional troops, he said, "and until forces become available with respect to that, I would not expect us to be able to provide additional forces to Afghanistan, which is also a priority." Mullen also said that after the last of the "surge brigades" leaves in July, it could be as long as four months before decisions are made on additional troop reductions. "Clearly, we're going to stop at the end of July reducing forces, take a period of time. But I'm just not prepared to say it's 45 days or it's 60 or it's 120," he said. Mullen also said once decisions are made it could take another month or two to arrange for the logistics for troops to come home. In Afghanistan, Mullen said, the priority is for about 3,000 troops to train Afghan Security forces, but there is a need for two additional combat brigades. That need is being partially met by 3,500 U.S. Marines who arrived in Afghanistan in March. But they will be leaving in the fall. Mullen said he is anxiously awaiting decisions by NATO about whether the alliance will provide additional troops for Afghanistan. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/02/mullen.iraq.afghanistan/index.html This is exactly why some of us view Bush as the most incompetent President in modern US history. Who attacked us? Where were they based? Where were they trained? Where were their leaders? In what area of the world are they now? And what US success story in this "War on Terror" is busy falling to pieces? Afghanistan. And we don't have the troops to send two needed brigades to the country. Two brigades! Incredible. We have fallen this far and yet there are still people like basso who have the unmitigated gall to question the patriotism of those on this board who criticize Bush's policies. Yes basso, when you tell someone here that they hate our troops, that's exactly what you are doing... questioning their patriotism. You have one hell of a lot of nerve. Impeach Bush. Yesterday.
While I totally agree that basso's position seems to have no correspondence to reality whatsoever, this over-the-internet-mental-illness-diagnosis argument strategy is appalling to me. At best you are being sarcastic, in which case you are trivializing serious health matters. At worst you are sincere, in which case you are playing a dangerous game with somebody's life (yes, you are having a discussion with a real person out there). I never like seeing these types of posts, but it's downright embarrassing when they come from liberally-minded people who really should know better.
