Maddow: Peace Laureate Escalates War In Afghanistan

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This I thought is an excellent presentation from Rachel Maddow in almost every respect - from the war hero Bush to the daffy Palin to the Peace Prize winner Obama. The ill-conceived pre-emptive first-strike doctrine and the continuous global wars appear to be handed down from one president to the next along with a cynical disregard for nation sovereignty - Obama looks more like his predecessor as each month passes.



Despite all the talk now about Obama breaking a promise to end the war (message mostly from Republicans), while on the campaign trail in July of 2008, he said that Afghanistan and not Iraq should have been the primary focus in the war against terror, and called for sending thousands more US troops to Afghanistan.

Boston.com Excerpt:
In what is being billed as a major policy speech, Obama declared this morning that if elected president, he would redirect attention and US forces to Afghanistan.

As far as that goes - it's promises kept.

Response from Wisconsin Democrats On Obama Troop Build-up

Senator Russ Feingold:
I do not support the president’s decision to send additional troops to fight a war in Afghanistan that is no longer in our national security interest. It’s an expensive gamble to undertake armed nation-building on behalf of a corrupt government of questionable legitimacy. Sending more troops could further destabilize Afghanistan and, more importantly, Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where al Qaeda is headquartered. While I appreciate that the president made clear we won’t be in Afghanistan forever, I am disappointed by his decision not to offer a timetable for ending our military presence there. I will work with members of both parties and both houses of Congress to push for a flexible timetable to reduce our troop levels in Afghanistan, as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat al Qaeda in the region and around the world.

Representative Tammy Baldwin:
“In 2001, I voted to authorize the use of force to bring to justice those responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I believe our current actions in Afghanistan and President Obama’s proposal for moving forward bear little resemblance to that original, narrowly-focused mission. I cannot endorse a military surge in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s time for our troops to come home.”

Potential Congressional Candidate Paulette Garin:
(Garin was a 2008 Democratic Candidate for Congress (WI-01) and contemplates a 2010 run.)
President Obama’s authorization to send another 30,000-plus troops to Afghanistan is clearly a move in the wrong direction. Our involvement in Afghanistan has been morally suspect and legally questionable from its inception. Who are we fighting? Al-Qaeda? The Taliban? What are we fighting for? The War on Terror? Protect President Karzai and a government of doubtful credibility?

We have placed our troops and our treasure in an un-winnable conflict at a cost of almost $1Million dollars per soldier per year. Too many lives have been lost on all sides struggling to endure this conflict. Our continued involvement is economically unsustainable. We cannot allow Afghanistan to become the next Vietnam . There is no military solution in Afghanistan . Our military has served us well--but to no avail--please bring them home to their families.

President Barack Obama said in his inaugural address, "your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy." Therefore, our efforts in Afghanistan should be focused on a political solution and increased humanitarian aid.