Buzz Paths

BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday he is “very close” to a decision on boosting troop levels in Afghanistan and would make an announcement “in the next several weeks.”

In a transcript of the interview seen by Reuters, Obama said he did not want his successor as president to inherit the Afghan conflict, adding that a “multi-year occupation” would not serve the interests of the United States.

Barry has now been dragging his feet since August. On
August 30, 2009 General Stanley McCrystal submitted his Commander Initial Assessment

You can view it here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19995042/Commander-Initial-Assessment-McCrystal

General McChrystal shocked and angered presidential advisers with the bluntness of a speech given in London the last week of September.

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 Barry had arrived to pitch Chicago’s unsuccessful Olympic bid.

Remember that back in March Obama unveiled his “comprehensive new strategy . . . to reverse the Taliban’s gains and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government.” The Dimwit in Chief pledged to properly resource this “war of necessity,” which he also called during the 2008 campaign “the central front on terror.” Barry then sacked his war commander, who had been chosen by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in favor of General McChrystal, an expert in counterinsurgency.

In June, General McChrystal launched his assessment of the forces required to execute the Obama strategy. His confidential study was completed in August and sent to the Pentagon. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Michael Mullen told Congress that more troops would be needed, and a figure of 30,000-40,000 was bandied about.

The figure has clearly spooked the Administration. Soon after, General McChrystal’s confidential report was leaked to the Washington Post The report said that the U.S. urgently needs to reverse a “deteriorating” security situation. Soon the full retreat began in Washington, led by a vocal group within the Administration that wants to scale back the mission. The White House told the Pentagon to hold off asking for troops and General McChrystal not to testify to Congress. Obama asked on the Sunday talks shows, “Are we doing the right thing?”

So now we are coming up on November and Barry is still thinking about it. What more is there to think about?

By the time this week is over, Barry will have visited twenty countries.
Exotic destinations across four continents. War zones. Palaces and ancient wonders of the world. So many invitations, so little time.

Instead of playing rock star, maybe Barry should think about BEING a president and staying home and taking care of the country.

Stumble it!