by Paul Richter
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), often hawkish on national security issues, is lining up with liberal Democrats against any further combat troop increases in Afghanistan.
Harman, a longtime Intelligence Committee member, told a Brookings Institution gathering today that any further increases "wouldn't be well received" on Capitol Hill.
Harman's view is that the Obama administration should deal with government corruption, and build up Afghan forces, before Congress is asked to pay for more U.S. troops. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U,S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has asked for 40,000 additional troops.
Harman also blasted the administration, as well as international nongovernmental groups, for not doing more to prevent the fraud that marred the Aug. 20 presidential election in Afghanistan.
"I would call it a total fiasco," she said.
The Afghan government and the United Nations have taken heat for the botched election, but to this point little blame has been aimed at the Obama team.
Comments
Sounds like they caught Osama bin Laden in time to give him a $7.5 billion check to pass on to Pakistan.
.
Agreed on the corruption.
Posted by: What's Afganistan? | October 16, 2009 5:45 PM
There is no such thing as "victory" in the kinds of wars we’re fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The best one can hope for in these types of conflicts—counterinsurgency efforts in far flung corners of the globe with fuzzy objectives and vague necessity—is to not be seen as having "lost." For that to happen, unfortunately, you have to stick around for so long and fade away so gradually that, by the time you leave, nobody notices you’re gone.
The Republican/Neoconservative apparatus that got us into Iraq for reasons we still haven’t decided on threatens to keep us in Afghanistan indefinitely for reasons yet to be determined. Everything we’re doing in Central and Southwest Asia supposedly has something to do with eradicating al-Qaeda, yet there is no sign of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. The argument for persisting in Afghanistan says that we have to make sure al-Qaeda doesn’t go back there, yet as former CIA officer Philip Giraldi recently noted, credible assessments suggest that "Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda has likely been reduced to a core group of eight to ten terrorists who are on the run more often than not."
For the sake of keeping fewer than a dozen evildoers out of Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal and his legion of Republican/Neocon supporters in the Pentagon, Congress and the corporate media insist we need to bring increase U.S. troop levels to over 100,000, and the overall coalition force level to a half-million, the number of troops we had on the ground at one point in Vietnam.
Posted by: Robert | October 16, 2009 7:45 PM
No one should be listening to Jane Harman, she's a Blue Dog (Repug-Lite) who has close ties ($$$) to the Military Industrial Complex.
We'd probably already be finished with Afghanistan by now if Bush and Cheney hadn't decided that it would be a great idea to blow it off and invade Iraq for no reason.
Afghanistan is a lost cause, the people who attacked us on 9/11 have already left (thanks again Bu$hco). By staying there we are doing nothing but wasting more blood and treasure.
Posted by: Joshua Lee | October 16, 2009 7:48 PM
Now we are starting to make more sense, as a nation. A nation dedicated to democracy, not war-mongering !! No, to Afghanistan !! Yes, to a joint operation, with constituent nations of the U.N., monitoring al-Qaida and their activities.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | October 16, 2009 8:04 PM
Wasn't it California Representative Jane Harman who was believed to be recorded on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would intervene on behalf of American Israeli Public Affairs Committee officials, who were being charged with espionage?
Why do people say Republicans are the party of the rich when so many Democrats are wealthy beyond measure. Well, not really beyond measure as Jane Harman is the wealthiest member of Congress with over $160 million in assets.
Limosine liberal Democrat aligns with other liberal Democrats... not so surprising.
Posted by: Mike Wazowski | October 16, 2009 9:40 PM
Joshua,
No reason to invade Iraq? Why did Bill Clinton bomb Iraq in Dec, 1998? What about all of these reasons:
http://www.davidstuff.com/political/wmdquotes.htm
FITZ,
Send in the Blue Helmets? We've seen the great cooperation we have rec'd from our pals at NATO with "the good war", just what do you think the Blue Helmets will accomplish except rape and terrorize another group of woman.?
Posted by: Terry | October 17, 2009 8:16 AM
It's always interesting to see how the DNC media labels politicians.
For example, Dem Cong. Jane Harman is labeled a "Hawk" in the above headline. However, two top national security groups gave her tepid ratings of 50% (ASCF) and 25% (CSP) in 2007-2008, the latest year for such ratings.
What she ISN'T labeled is "liberal" or "ultraliberal". Yet her 2008 ACU rating (0%) and ADA rating (95%) put her firmly there. You can bet that if a Republican Congressman had an ACU of 95% and an ADA of 0%, the DNC Swamp would label him/her an "ultraconservative."
Labeling is just another facet of the ObamaMedia's bias.
Posted by: Bruce | October 17, 2009 9:48 AM
Bruce,
Within the democratic party, Harman is probably compared to Patton.
Posted by: Terry | October 17, 2009 8:42 PM
"Within the Democratic Party, Harman is probably compared to Patton. Terry"
Too true, Terry! She's probably also compared to Patton at the Democratic Party's Swamp affiliate.
Posted by: Bruce | October 18, 2009 12:24 PM
The War in Afghanistan is over, it's all about saving face now.
http://watching-history.blogspot.com/2009/10/war-in-afghanistan-2001-201x.html
Posted by: Canada Guy | October 18, 2009 7:51 PM
Hey Donny Boy, he just isn't listening to you! No matter how many times you rant and rave about the US Troops, president Obama is sending more to their graves - against your will!!
Can you believe that stuff! He ain't listening to you - earth to Don - shut your pie hole and pick up the clue phone. President Obama is in charge and the War Monger that he is will send more US troops to their death's.
What's the death count this week Don? are you in charge of distributing the pictures of caskets returning this week? Better yet, crap in one hand and wish in the other there don, see which one fills up faster - you're starting to smell!
Posted by: springfield | October 19, 2009 2:58 PM
Not another Vietnam??!!!
Posted by: F. W. Cummings PhD | October 22, 2009 2:34 PM