Iraq – Bad, Afghanistan – Good.
We all know the positions of the top three democrat presidential candidates (assuming John Edwards is not toast) on Iraq. They have made themselves very clear in their speeches, during debates and on their respective websites. Their position is surrender. It’s just a question of how fast.
Oddly enough, while they hate the war in Iraq they all claim support for the war in Afghanistan. Indeed, to one extent or another, they all have advocated increasing troop strength in Afghanistan.
In a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars last August, Senator Clinton said:
I have been one of those who from the beginning have said we never put enough troops into Afghanistan, and we should’ve stayed focused on wiping out the Taliban, and finding, killing, capturing Bin Laden and his chief lieutenants. Now we’re playing some catch up. But Afghanistan is critical, because it is in an arena where the Afghan people are real allies, their government is working hard, they are trying to build an independent, strong military, and we cannot let them fail.
See also here.
Senator Obama, in distinguishing his position on Iraq from his position on Afghanistan, has stated, “I thought our priority had to be finishing the fight in Afghanistan.†See also here.
John Edwards has urged sending additional Special Forces Units into Afghanistan.
Their position is consistent with that taken by Senator Kerry (i.e. more troops in Afghanistan) and Nancy Pelosi, who has called for “redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq so that we can focus more fully on the real War on Terror, which is in Afghanistan.”
Pardon my confusion here.
How does supporting the sending of more troops to Afghanistan square with the argument from those who oppose the war in Iraq that sending American troops into places like Iraq simply spawns new and nastier terrorists? Why wouldn’t sending more troops into Afghanistan have the same effect?
If routing out terrorists and killing them is a good thing in Afghanistan, why is it a bad thing in Iraq?
If the war in Afghanistan is the real war on terrorism, what is Iraq? A cocktail party?
Is there any doubt that if, heaven forbid, there is an increase in the number of American casualties in Afghanistan, these sunshine patriots will wave the white flag there as well? To ask the question is to answer it.
The thought that one of these people may become the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the Leader of the Free World is downright frightening.
Jimbo…lets for arguments sake state Bush is sending 100,000 troops to Afghanistan….before the day is out the three dolts would be saying Bad, Bad Bad idea…send them to Serbia!
Comment by dudley1 — January 20, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
The entire platform of the Democratic Party is inconsistency.
(But then you live in the People’s Republic of NJ so you should be used to this.)
Comment by joated — January 20, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
Now that the administration has finally decided to kill the bad guys in Iraq and things are starting to look up you don’t hear much out of the dim-a-crits nor MSM about it. I have no doubt they were planning on using the war and “cut and run” as part of their campaign.
Comment by GUYK — January 20, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
Didn’t you know Jim… there are NO terrorists in Iraq. Just ask them. The fact that we keep finding them and killing them in Iraq is irrelevant. The party line is – the only terrorists are in Afghanistan.
OTOH – I certainly have said ever since Iraq came into the picture that Afghanistan gets very short shrift in this war. From stories about what’s happening to troops and even decent direction of the war there.
Comment by Teresa — January 20, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
They use kinder gentler bullets in Afghanistan.
Comment by james old guy — January 20, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
One way to keep
Al Queda out of Iraq is for Governor Corzine to
raise the Tolls between Iran/Iraq and Pakistan/Afghanistan.
Comment by steve, santa cruz — January 21, 2008 @ 9:55 am
Jim , The “Gang Of Three ” Dizzy Dems want to look strong on military support and at the same time bash Pres. Bush and the GOP, so they are OK with Afghanistan now that it is a safe bet, but are against the action in Iraq hoping it would fail. Remember Hellary said ” I loathe the military ” It was the only time in her life she told the truth .
Comment by bass — January 21, 2008 @ 7:34 pm
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