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VP Biden: Expect More US Casualties In Afghanistan
January 25, 2009 1:07 PM
As the U.S. military under the Obama administration increases efforts in Afghanistan and the surrounding region, there will be more American casualties, Vice President Biden said this morning on CBS' "Face the Nation."
"I hate to say it, but yes, I think there will be," Biden said in response to a question from host Bob Schieffer. "There will be an uptick. Because as the commander in Afghanistan said, he said, 'Joe, we will get this done, but we're going to be engaging the enemy much more.'"
The Obama administration has "inherited a real mess," Biden said. "We're about to go in and try to essentially reclaim territory that's been effectively lost." The training of Afghan police and military personnel has been problematic, he said. "Some of our allies who have committed to train these troops did not do them well," Biden said.
Asked about the predator drone attacks in Pakistan, Biden said, "I can't speak to any particular attack. I can't speak to any particular action. It's not appropriate for me to do that. But I can say that the president of the United States said during his campaign and in the debates that if there is an actionable target, of a high-level al Qaeda personnel, that he would not hesitate to use action to deal with that."
Would the Obama administration notify the Pakistani government before making any cross- border attacks?
"I always try to be completely candid with you, but I can't respond to that question," Biden said. "I'm not going to respond to that question."
Asked how he sees his new role, especially in light of Vice President Cheney seeing himself, in Schieffer's view, as "deputy president," Biden said, "I don't see myself as the deputy president. I see myself as the president's confidant. Hopefully I can help shape policy with him...Hopefully I'm the last person in the room with every important decision he makes."
That's how it has worked so far, Biden said. "The agreement he and I have is that I would be available for every single major decision that he makes, in the room; I'd have all the paper, all the material, all the meetings -- and, again, not for me to make decisions; for me to give the best advice that I can give."
"You are known for being candid, for talking, being unafraid to talk," Schieffer noted. "Is it harder now?"
"It is harder now," the vice president said. "It is -- I'm really happy to be part of a team. But what I have to think about now is, everything I say, I am the vice president. I am not the president. I'm the vice president. So everything that I say reflects directly on the administration. And so I may have strongly held views that the president may not have. And they should be -- that should be done between us, not for me to -- but, yes, the bottom line, it's harder."
- jpt
January 25, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (150)
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The yellow cake was never talked about by the msm. You might explain just what yellow cake is....the folks on this blog probably want to know who
had the ice cream and whose birthday
they were going to celebrate.
Posted by: Mildred | Jan 26, 2009 8:47:39 AM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No one wants to discuss the yellow cake.
Posted by: Martin | Jan 27, 2009 11:13:46 AM
Afghanistan would be a nightmare for any president. I would never have sent divisions there. Just let SF Group run cross border raids on the quiet. our goal was to find Bin Laden. By conducting clandstine ops we have a better of catching him. I am not sure there is any good anwser on how to handle this.
Posted by: retired soldier | Jan 27, 2009 7:44:43 AM
Man, Biden's just all doom and gloom isn't he. I thought these two clowns said the war on terror was over. With the recent bombing shouldn't they be war criminals now? I think we need Senator "Nostril nose" Waxman to hold some hearings and subpoena these two.
Posted by: Bill | Jan 26, 2009 7:55:29 PM
It's interesting to hear the media talk about Obama removing troops from Iraq in 16 months, without telling us that he will just be sending them to Afghanistan. George Bush was blasted for all the troops in Iraq, yet Obama seems to get a pass for his build up in Afghanistan and admitting that casualties will go up. Will we see pictures of those caskets coming home? As I recall, Democrats whined about not seeing them coming home from Iraq.
Posted by: Daisy21 | Jan 26, 2009 7:45:51 PM
Obama gets to send troops off to war and he gets to blame Bush for any mistake he makes. Biden is just preparing you for the deaths that will surely happen due to incompetent commander in chief.
Posted by: boulderhippie2 | Jan 26, 2009 4:03:22 PM
"The number-one reason foreign fighters gave for coming to Iraq to fight is the torture and abuse that occurred at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo." - Air Force Interrogator in Iraq.
Meanwhile Bertie cites Greta who was last seen being surgically removed from Todd Palin's leg.
Posted by: Ryan C | Jan 26, 2009 3:23:05 PM
"A handful of fighters vs the hundreds recruited using Gitmo."
Handwave, handwave, handwave.
You have AQ recruiting statistics now?
Or is that something you just made up out of air to buttress your point?
If anything, Obama's Catch and Release program should be a great recruiting tool. You get to rage against the machine in a consequence free environment.
Even if you do get caught, you'll get a team of earnest coed laywerettes eager to get on your televised court case to argue for you with Gretta and Dan Abrams.
Posted by: BertieW | Jan 26, 2009 2:30:54 PM
"The bad guys will be getting reenforcement from Guantanamo so of course ther'll be more US casualties.
Thanks barrack, your superior military skills is showing."
A handful of fighters vs the hundreds recruited using Gitmo.
His superior military skills are showing.
Its the right wing keyboard warriors that have it wrong.
Posted by: Ryan C | Jan 26, 2009 1:21:31 PM
The bad guys will be getting reenforcement from Guantanamo so of course ther'll be more US casualties.
Thanks barrack, your superior military skills is showing.
Posted by: Reality2009 | Jan 26, 2009 12:47:47 PM
whenever i have seen American troops are dieing in iraq i feel ok because they are killing innocent people in iraq and afg .....us troops are looser in iraq and afg
Posted by: raj | Jan 26, 2009 12:42:59 PM
"Change we can believe in?"
Posted by: Parallax View | Jan 26, 2009 12:10:23 PM
Biden said, "I'd have all the paper, all the material, all the meetings".
I thought the president had an administrative assistant already.
Posted by: boulderhippie2 | Jan 26, 2009 11:44:47 AM
Wow, the Obama love fest didnt last long on this forum, did it?
Posted by: Theophilus | Jan 26, 2009 9:23:53 AM
Joe Biden is going to end up making Dan Quail look the most intlligent VP in history.
It this what we have to look forward to for the next 4 years. Besides his moments of rewriting history (FDR 's chats on TV in 1929!!!), now we are going to be treated to the deep insights of the incredibly obvious!
Stayed tuned, next VP Biden is going to tell us the sky is blue with some white clouds!
Then when faced with a real question....
"Asked about the predator drone attacks in Pakistan, Biden said, "I can't speak to any particular attack. I can't speak to any particular action. It's not appropriate for me to do that. But I can say that the president of the United States said during his campaign and in the debates that if there is an actionable target, of a high-level al Qaeda personnel, that he would not hesitate to use action to deal with that."
Hey Joe, either grow a pair and answer up, or spare us your deep insights on the incredible generalities.
What a bufoon, DUH!!! We will have more more American casualties if we increase our military efforts!!!
AND as i have stated here many, many times, There WILL be more & more civilian deaths too. WHY - BECAUSE THE ENEMY OPERATES WHERE THEY KNOW ATTACKS ON THEM WILL RESULT IN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES !!!
HEY JOE....WHAT IS THE EXIT STRATEGY??
Posted by: Mike_C | Jan 26, 2009 9:11:52 AM
Is it any surprise to anyone that if we send more people into a country where we are fighting a war that more casualties will result?
What is the big surprise?! C'mon, people!
Posted by: Buddy | Jan 26, 2009 8:49:17 AM
Bush rushed the UN to get out...the UN was bought off and not forcing Saddam to adhere to the treaty he signed. And oh BTW, Saddam had over 500 metric tons of yellow cake.
Posted by: chattyway | Jan 26, 2009 3:04:16 AM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The yellow cake was never talked about by the msm. You might explain just what yellow cake is....the folks on this blog probably want to know who
had the ice cream and whose birthday
they were going to celebrate.
Posted by: Mildred | Jan 26, 2009 8:47:39 AM
The fact that this complete fool is a heart beat away from the Presidency should keep all Americans in fear.
His flapping mouth and vacant brain are a threat to national security. He always acts like the guy who had one to many drinks at the wedding reception and starts making idiotic toasts that are slightly off color.
God help us.
Posted by: ILonaE | Jan 26, 2009 7:18:04 AM
Will Biden's son be leading the way?
Posted by: SteveP | Jan 26, 2009 7:01:59 AM
Obama sent Biden to lower our expectations.
Posted by: CW | Jan 26, 2009 6:42:11 AM
The facts are Obama is seen as a weak president so our enemies will attack. This is their big opportunity to defeat the US with the idiot in charge now. And when I say idiot, I want to specify idiot---Obama is a very stupid man despite reading off the teleprompter. Biden simply realizes these facts and is desperately trying to get us to lower our expectations of Obama by blaming something other than Obama. Again, Obama being both weak and stupid will cause many American's deaths.
Posted by: chattyway | Jan 26, 2009 3:09:13 AM
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