George Will: Time to Pull Back from Afghanistan

I never thought I would agree with George Will until now.

The only thing we are accomplishing there is bringing the price of drugs higher, while keeping our own borders unprotected. You want to "secure" America, BRING THE TROOPS HOME!

I'm so tired of hearing 'opinions' from these politicians who've never even served a day in the military!!! We need to listen to the Powells, Jones's, and Gates of the world, those who have military experience!! Obama is doing the right thing by listening to our military leaders for direction, not some stupid hack Senator who doesn't know military strategy from his arse!

The Marine Corps was not designed for the mission of Clear, Hold, Build, but yet that is exactly what they successfully did in Al Anbar, Iraq. Slowly won over the people then the Tribal Sheiks, which eventually lead to the Sunni Awakening. Inwhich they trained the people to chase out the Extremists.

So no, its not a mission they're designed to do. But its a mission that they've proven to be successful at, it just takes time. They've only been in Helmand 3 months.

Of course, Obama will be in a pinch, needless to say, if he back peddles on this, just as Bush would be if he abandoned Iraq. In fact, since Obama used Afghanistan as his rationale for leaving Iraq early, he will be in more than just a pinch. Then, of course, there's keeping prisoners on Bagram Air Force base, which the Obama Administration is defending. So, is Obama really all that different from Bush in some areas, or is the world really a complex place that causes difficult choices to be bridged?

Afghanistan bankrupted the Russians and wore down their military. We do not have the people, nor the financial resources to occupy Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or any other country. It is not their job to defend the border of Afghanistan. It IS their job to protect the land and sea "borders" of the United States. Yet for some reason YOUR politicians are willing to do anything but that... The question you must ask them, and the question the servicemen and women of the Armed Forces are asking everyday is... WHY? They didn't swear to protect a foriegn land, they joined to protect their homeland... that's you and me. ONLY!

Sooooooooooooo, did I miss something and do columnists now run foreign policy? Why is news about a columnists column considered news?

jafo:

The last time I checked it was Department of Homeland Security that was in charge of Protecting the Borders. The DOD has no jurisdiction within or on the borders.

The DOD's job "IS" foreign conflict by design of the Constitution.

If securing A'stan means securing its borders than thats their mission. The Marines have done it before in Iraq:

To secure Al Anbar they secured Iraq's Syrian border. That combined w/other successes had stemmed the tide of foreign Extremist & fatalities down 90% by Dec '06.

All the naysayers saying the Marines mission in Al Anbar was doomed to fail 3+ yrs ago have fallen silent, disappeared... where are they now?

The only thing the Marines need is what they've always needed, Time.

The only thing that I've agreed with George Will about in a long, long time. We need to get out. Its too late to get bin Laden. We needed to do that during Bush's first four years.

So any and all wars are worth fighting to protect "freedom" when a Republicans is in charge, but it's a "quagmire" and sure-fire defeat" when Obama is in office. That's just pathetic...

I don't often agree with George Will but he's right about this.

No one in Iraq thinks the US mission has been a success. In Afghanistan and Iraq casualties go up and down, but it is still the killing fields. You can not "liberate" people by bombing them. Get the troops out now!

Thank you, George Will !!!

He Writes stories for the News has the Man ever been in the Military? if not then he should shut his pie hole!

The Afganistan war will be Obama's choke hold! Damned if he pulls them out and damned if he does not! In any event...no country has been able to beat the Afganistans and no one will! Committing more Americans to this worthless cause is just a travesty! Senseless deaths of Americans and innocent Afganistans! I agreed that Iraq needed to be stopped if for no other reason than to stop the killing of entire villages of innocent women, children and men! And that has all stopped now which means someting GOOD did come out of that war!! Millions of lives WERE saved..maybe that was God's intent!!

Our military told Obama last year his surge plan for Iraq was stupid and get our troops killed-and hey look they were right. I agree send the troops home.....

Oh geez, Afghan and Iraq are two different things----Hilliay, Biden, our military, Canada's leaders others warned Obama loading Afghan up with troops would only get our troops killed. These people want their drugs, their terrorists who are their clan members, and would only launch gurialla attack after guriella attack which would get our troops killed and do nothing to improve Afghan. Hey they all were right, and Obama again showed he is moron, muslim terrorist ally, or both.

OMG! What was that survey they just posted??
They used the results from two separate questions from two separate surveys to prop up a naive moron's comments who is trying to undermine our military?
This is the most irresponsible news report I've ever seen on ABC. To think you'd give that clueless fool airtime. What are they trying do do? Recruit Katy Kouriac and start a non-news station now? Look out CBS, Looks like your gonna have some company in the liberal spun non news if this keeps up.

George Will sounds like the Jane Fonda
of the current confrontations in Iraq & Afganistan.Doesn't this peckerwood realize that its better to fight them
ragheads over there than over here. I served in the US Military over 27 years,
when Sept. 11th hit us I volunteered to come off my retirement, and kick these
ragheads right in the butt. I was turned down but I'm still willing to put my uniform back on to fight for my country. If we did what Mr. Will wants,
we are turning tail like we did in Nam.
Mr. Will better better get a life or leave the United States and go to the "Big Sand Box". Remember our colors
never run and neither do we. God Bless
the United States of America and the United States Marine Corps. If Mr. Obama decides to pull out, he might as
well George Will, and get the Hell out.

Al Zakhour: "You can not "liberate" people by bombing them. Get the troops out now!"

-Its Extremists who conduct the bombing. -Its Extremists who blow themselves up in crowds of women & children.
-Its Extremists torture little girls for going to school.

So what happens if the troops leave before stable Iraqi security forces are fully established.

-Will the bombing stop?
-Will Salafis stop killing Shia women & children just for being Shia?
-Will fundamentalist Extremists stop killing little girls for going to school?

.......no

There were an estimated 20-30,000 civilians killed a yr in SECTARIAN violence a few yrs ago. This yr its down to a 2-3,000.

High yes, but down considerably b/c their Sec Forces are learning & getting better. Soon they won't need us, but that time is not yet.

George: How come you did not feel that way the first seven years under Bush? We need to give President Obama at least more than seven months to fix this as this is where we should have been fighting all along. The delay in facing this has brought the situation up to where it is now and the Taliban have had 7 yrs. to get embedded in territories. Iraq was not a war we needed to be in and you said little about this and the money spent on it. The health care bill will cost much les and people do not understand this. Yes, spending is scary but this war and health care is sorely needed. After some time, if things do not get better his Commanders will inform the President and then we will make a better assesement. Obama will not stay there seven years. And yes, we need to spend the money on health care.

George Will is right. We have no business fighting in the Middle East. We should select a certain tribe, royal family, or leader and let them clean out the others. Our only concern is security and energy resources. We can use bombing, naval blockades, etc to ensure that whatever leader we select doesn't mess with us and sells us energy resources at a good price. Sure its a shame about the violence and exploitation in the Islamic world but we can't change the world. It is also obvious that those people don't care about their families so why should we? If they want to live in the stoneage we should let them. We should use our troops only to protect US assets and use them on the border or to roundup the illegals and fundamentalist Muslims who already have infiltrated the USA.

Umm, George, we ARE nation building in Yemen and Somalia and maybe 50 other countries. The level of violence and spending and media interest and the types of actions vary greatly depending on the need, but improving stability and rule of law has been a national strategy for many years now. I normally agree with George Will but not this time.

It would sure behoove George Will's best interest if he would first think about all of those the murdered victims of 9-11 before opens his Anti American mouth again.

Aghanistan is where al Qaeda planned the September 11th....and it is perfectly clear that George Will cares nothing about the United states of America's safety and secuirty......

Perhaps the difference with Yemen and Somalia is that they aren't sitting on tremendous amounts of opium wealth to fund eventual terrorists...?