Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

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What are troops good for? Photo ops!

Obama Tells Troops: “You Guys Make a Pretty Good Photo-Op”

Such tact, such wit.

And if you’re in Afghanistan, hold tight for your turn,

White House aides: No Afghan decision before Thanksgiving (h/t Dymphna); however, the WaPo managed to save the soundbite, so to speak,

Obama arrived on the base 3:19 p.m. local time (1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time) and received a rousing welcome from 1,500 troops in camouflage uniforms, many holding cameras or pointing cellphones to snap pictures.

“You guys make a pretty good photo op,” the president said.

Unreal.

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The Italians, the Taliban, and the French

French troops were killed after Italy hushed up ‘bribes’ to Taleban

in the months before the French soldiers arrived in mid-2008, the Italian secret service had been paying tens of thousands of dollars to Taleban commanders and local warlords to keep the area quiet, The Times has learnt. The clandestine payments, whose existence was hidden from the incoming French forces, were disclosed by Western military officials.

US intelligence officials were flabbergasted when they found out through intercepted telephone conversations that the Italians had also been buying off militants, notably in Herat province in the far west. In June 2008, several weeks before the ambush, the US Ambassador in Rome made a démarche, or diplomatic protest, to the Berlusconi Government over allegations concerning the tactic.

However, a number of high-ranking officers in Nato have told The Times that payments were subsequently discovered to have been made in the Sarobi area as well.

Western officials say that because the French knew nothing of the payments they made a catastrophically incorrect threat assessment.

Benedict Brogan explains,

As the Times reveals, the French made a “catastrophically incorrect threat assessment” because they had no idea. Barely a month after waving goodbye to their Italian “colleagues”, 10 French soldiers were killed in an ambush, their bodies mutilated, and their equipment and uniforms paraded by the jubilant Taliban. For good measure, the beardies published photos to make their PR point.

Back to The Times article,

Had it not been for the chance presence of some US special forces in the area who were able to call in air support for them, they would have been in an even worse situation. “The French were carrying just two medium machine guns and 100 rounds of ammunition per man. They were asking for trouble and the insurgents managed to get among them.”

A force from the 8th Marine Parachute Regiment took an hour and a half to reach the French over the mountains.

A few salient points about this story:

  • The Italian Secret Service was paying wages of appeasement in the “tens of thousands of dollars regularly to individual insurgent commanders.”
  • They didn’t tell anyone in NATO.
  • The French went in underarmed.
  • The Americans had to rush in.

And now comes the punch line: Pres. Obama talks to Gen. McChrystal for only a few minutes in the past three months. On Afghanistan,

Obama wants to avoid any semblance of a “rush to war.” Nine months on, that doesn’t seem like a danger.

And, does he have a clue about the double-dealing in NATO?

Here in the US, Americans, In Reversal, Now Back Afghan Troop Surge

But Obama is in no rush to make a decision, holding a series of high-level meetings with military and political advisers on his next move.

And the upsurge in overall support for more troops in the IBD/TIPP Poll may not sway Obama.

That’s because the turnaround comes from a surge in support from Republicans — up 27 points just in October to 72%. A month ago, GOP respondents had leaned against sending more troops, 47%-45%.
…
Opposition to a rapid withdrawal cut across party lines. While Republicans were the most hawkish, saying no to a rapid withdrawal by 84%-13%, a solid majority of Democrats, 62%-30%, also agreed. Independents were talking tough as well, rejecting the idea by 68%-25%.

Will the White House come through?

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Obama upset that McChrystal spoke on how to win in Afghanistan

Imagine being in charge of thousands of American lives and the fate of a country and only getting a phone call over a period of seventy days. What would you do? Try to bring some sunshine on what needs to be done to win:

McChrystal


Barack Obama furious at General Stanley McChrystal speech on Afghanistan
The relationship between President Barack Obama and the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has been put under severe strain by Gen Stanley McChrystal’s comments on strategy for the war.

In London, Gen McChrystal, who heads the 68,000 US troops in Afghanistan as well as the 100,000 Nato forces, flatly rejected proposals to switch to a strategy more reliant on drone missile strikes and special forces operations against al-Qaeda.

He told the Institute of International and Strategic Studies that the formula, which is favoured by Vice-President Joe Biden, would lead to “Chaos-istan”.

When asked whether he would support it, he said: “The short answer is: No.”

He went on to say: “Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely, and nor will public support.”

The remarks have been seen by some in the Obama administration as a barbed reference to the slow pace of debate within the White House.

Gen McChrystal delivered a report on Afghanistan requested by the president on Aug 31, but Mr Obama held only his second “principals meeting” on the issue last week.

Think about that: It’s already October 4. No wonder he’s insisting on reporting the facts on the ground.

What did McChrystal get so far?

The next day he was summoned to an awkward 25-minute face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen, where the president had arrived to tout Chicago’s unsuccessful Olympic bid.

All of 25 minutes.

Makes you wonder how long a fitting took for that empty suit Obama’s wearing.

John Guardiano writes on Leaking for National Security. Go read it.

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Afghanistan: No sex, no food!

burkafinland

Still more depravity:
The BBC reports about aRow over Afghan wife-starving law

An Afghan bill allowing a husband to starve his wife if she refuses to have sex has been published in the official gazette and become law.

Nothing like sanctioning coercion to bring about marital relations into balance, isn’t there?

The original version obliged Shia women to have sex with their husbands every four days at a minimum, and it effectively condoned rape by removing the need for consent to sex within marriage.

The new law

allows a man to withhold food from his wife if she refuses his sexual demands; a woman must get her husband’s permission to work; and fathers and grandfathers are given exclusive custody of children.

Women are chattel.

Biased BBC points out that the BBC report loads the word conservative into the mix:

According to the State Broadcaster “Mr Karzai is selling out Afghan women for the sake of conservative Shia support at next week’s presidential election.” Let us be clear; there is nothing that is any way “conservative” about the dark ages pathology of Shia Islam and whilst the BBC never miss the chance to couple the word “conservative”to any depraved cause, we should not let it pass unchallenged.

But then, in the BBC’s mind, hardline misogynists are probably the same thing as “conservatives.”

UPDATE

NO JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRACIES IN ISLAMISATAN

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Writing from Afghanistan: Matt Sanchez

My friend Matt’s back in country, writing for Fox News:

In a Class By Themselves
It’s hard to imagine what Americans back home are willing to risk their lives for, but here in Afghanistan no imagination is needed.

‘Incorruptible’ Commandos Sign of Hope for Afghanistan’s Future

At a former Soviet training base in the town of Rish Khvor, a few miles out of Kabul, American Green Berets are working to mentor and support Afghan Special Force soldiers code-named Commandos. Better equipped, better trained, better paid and reputedly incorruptible, the Afghan Commando is meant to be everything the Afghan National Army (ANA) is not. The competition to become part of the elite force is grueling, and the reward for those who make it is the guarantee of battle against deadly insurgent forces.

Go read both, and let’s pray for our servicemen and women, and for Matt and the reporters incountry.

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Sarko on nukes: You go right ahead and disarm, but we’re keeping ours

At the Munich Security Conference, while Russia and Iran look forward to “a new approach” from the Obama administration and

Russia’s deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov urged Washington to renew a key nuclear disarmament pact known as START

Nicolas Sarkozy essentially said, thanks, but we’re keeping our nukes.

Max Boot, writing at Commentary:
Sarkozy Outshines Biden

Amid the usual drone of cautious, boring, and often inane rhetoric, he delivered a humdinger of an address. For instance, while many of the speakers (including, sadly, Henry Kissinger, who should know better) were genuflecting before the starry-eyed notion of abolishing nuclear weapons, Sarko said forthrightly, “We will maintain our nuclear deterrent along with the British,” and told the delegates that France was less dependant than they were on Russian natural gas because of its nuclear energy program.

He also challenged the growing pacifism of the continent, saying: “Does Europe want peace or do we want to be left in peace?” If the former, he went on to argue, Europe will have to provide for its defense. If the latter, it can “blindfold” itself to the world’s dangers but will likely pay a high price for such foolish behavior. “Europe isn’t simply a market or an economy,” he argued, but also a set of values that need to be defended. “Do you know anyone who can be rich without an assured defense?” he demanded.

Now, just who do you think that question was addressed to? All the NATO countries, yes, but the NATO countries generally expect to leave the heavy lifting to the Americans, as they have in Afghanistan.

Joe Biden, at the same conference, made a mostly symbollic appearance, which included a

special podium on the stage for him complete with a vice presidential seal and he walked off after his prepared remarks without taking any questions

while forgetting to address directly the administration’s goals for Afghanistan, which is a NATO mission. This will certainly not encourage our allies to invest more time, ordinance and human capital in the country, considering how today’s headlines read, Obama puts brake on Afghan surge, while at the same time

The United States has been pushing Britain to send several thousand more troops but there is just as much disagreement and confusion among British defence chiefs over the long-term aim. Gordon Brown is set to receive a full briefing this week.

While at the conference Sarko, by the way, has repeated his intention that “France should improve its links with NATO, by being an independent ally, a free partner of the United States.”

Sarko has already made it known that he considers Obama’s stance on Iran as “utterly immature.”

Obama’s mixed signals are not the way to prove Sarko wrong.

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Turkey holds Iranian explosives heading to Venezuela, transition purgatory, and other news items

Turkey holds suspicious Iran-Venezuela shipment

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey was holding a suspicious shipment bound for Venezuela from Iran because it contained lab equipment capable of producing explosives, a customs official said Tuesday.

Suleyman Tosun, a customs official at the Mediterranean port of Mersin, said military experts were asked to examine the material, which was seized last month, and decide whether to let the shipment to go to Venezuela.

Authorities detected the equipment during a search of 22 containers labeled “tractor parts,” Tosun said. They were brought to Mersin by trucks from neighboring Iran, he said. Turkey’s Interior Ministry said an investigation was under way.

“Experts from Turkey’s Atomic Institute determined there were no traces of radioactive material, but said the equipment was enough to set up an explosives lab,” Tosun said. “We have asked the military to send experts to determine whether to resume the shipment.”

In view of that, this news item is particularly foolish, if it’s true, Obama May Use Chavez as First Test for Talking With Adversaries (h/t Maggie)

Venezuela may provide a useful first test for Obama’s pledge to engage rather than isolate antagonists. While President Hugo Chavez is one of Washington’s noisiest critics, frayed relations would likely be easier to mend than those with nations such as Iran and Cuba, whose leaders are even more hostile toward the U.S.
…
Some Obama advisers privately suggest the president-elect might reach out to Chavez, proposing cooperation on a few issues of mutual interest — drug enforcement, energy, poverty — while asking Brazil and other neighbors to encourage the Venezuelan leader to negotiate in good faith in the interest of regional harmony.

The “mutual interests” are diametrically opposite when it comes to drug enforcement and energy, and Chavez is doing his darnest in keeping his people poor.

Chavez Cuts Off Cheap Oil, Useful Idiot Joe Kennedy Hardest Hit , and, on another Kennedy, Sour Caroline: Public support drops 31 points for Kennedy appointment

Israel’s Quiet Nightmare: Words are Worth a Thousand Pictures.

Maria sends The real story of Israel’s Gaza operation

Astounding Update on Gaza Beach (2006): Father played with unexploded ordnance

Video of Hamas using Gaza UN school to fire mortars at Israel

UPDATE
Via Dan, Hamas Fires From Crowded School; 30 Reported Killed
Booby-Trapped UN School Blows Up When IDF Returns Fire

Signs I’d Love to See at a Peace Rally

Via Larwyn,

I GUESS UKRANIANS, and Europeans in general, would be applauded by the world’s intelligentsia if they started lobbing “homemade rockets” at, say, Belgorod, considering Russia’s strangling by cutting off a vital resource, gas, precisely during a severe cold wave across the continent, no?

Egypt’s Mubarak to EU: Hamas must not be allowed to win in Gaza

Infidels quagmired!

Obama and Capgrass Syndrome

Capgras Syndrome? That’s the delusion, named for the French shrink Jean Marie Joseph Capgras, that “a close relative or friend has been replaced by an impostor, an exact double, despite recognition of familiarity in appearance and behavior.” (See here for more.) How could Obama, who promised Change, assemble an administration virtually indistinguishable from that of Bill Clinton? How could he add insult to injury by asking Bob Gates, George W. Bush’s Secretary of Defense, to stay on? How could he pick Lawrence Summers as his top economic advisor? Didn’t Obama know that Summers had trespassed on one of the most sacrosanct of prohibitions by offering an independent thought touching on what David Stove called “the intellectual capacity of women”? How dare he?

Also from Maggie, Transition purgatory

Dozens of national-security and regional experts who worked intensively as volunteers on policy teams for the Obama campaign — writing talking points, doing debate prep, checking facts, following RUMINT, and rebutting opposition attacks — have grown anxious and quiet as they await word on what jobs they might (or might not) be offered in the new administration.

The Heritage Foundation has a hub for new policy research and conservative alternatives, Economic Stimulus, Rapid response. 7 Reasons to Kill the Obama Stimulus Bill

Mean-Spirited Minnesotan Steals a Senate Seat and The joke’s on us, while Senate Democrats put off plans to seat Franken

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yielded to Republican threats and agreed on Monday not to immediately seat fellow Democrat Al Franken, whose razor-close victory in Minnesota faces legal challenges.

Senate Republicans had planned to disrupt the opening of the new Congress on Tuesday by blocking Franken’s swearing-in.

And in another ugly fight, Senate Democrats vowed to block, at least for now, the seating of fellow party member Roland Burris whose appointment by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich carries a whiff of political scandal.

A whiff? Very understated, that!

Cutting marginal tax rates is the proven recipe for restoring vibrant prosperity. This is the Petition to Congress. Sign Up!

My friend Scrappleface is back and in great shape! Laura Bush Inks Deal for Tell-All Memoir Brochure, Bill Clinton: CIA Pick Panetta Can Keep a Secret

Last but not least, my latest post, Bolivia Launches State-Run Media…which will be sponsored by Iran and Venezuela.

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