(h/t Steve Hayes) President Obama's National Security Adviser is ret. Gen. James Jones. He recently gave an interview to the German magazine Spiegel in which he makes some statements that evoke questions about his commitment to our efforts in Afghanistan. SPIEGEL: The Obama administration is reviewing the strategy for Afghanistan. General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, is asking for additional troops. Jones: Generals always ask for more troops. Take it from me. SPIEGEL: You would know. You're also a general and you were in Afghanistan from 2003 to almost 2007 ... Jones: ... and of course when I was there I asked for more troops. When we started in 2003, we had to develop a plan. So by definition, you have to ask for people. SPIEGEL: And now you support General McChrystal's demand for 40,000 additional troops? Jones: We are in the middle of a process with the president and all of his advisers in assessing the overall situation in Afghanistan. I believe we will not solve the problem with troops alone. The minimum number is important, of course. But there is no maximum number, however. And what's really important in Afghanistan is that with this new administration we insist on good governance, that it be coordinated with economic development and security, and that we have much, much better success at handing over responsibility for these three things to the Afghans. Now so far I find little to disagree with although his somewhat flippant remark that Generals always ask for more troops is a warning sign. SPIEGEL: Afghanistan is famously referred to as the "graveyard of empires." Jones: I know and that's why I say we cannot solve the problems with only military forces. You can keep on putting troops in, and you could have 200,000 troops there and the country will swallow them up as it has done in the past. There are many empires who tried to make Afghanistan a stable and different country, and there have always been neighbors which were not interested in a stable and centralized government. "You can keep on putting troops in, and you could have 200,000 troops there and the country will swallow them up as it has done in the past." That is the bit that worries me. It is a fair point to make, but coming from Jones who has already talked a little smack about McChrystal keeping his mouth shut etc, and his over all unhappiness w/ Karzai and the situation there I think he is a voice against fully resourcing the COIN efforts. The press continue to report that the options McChrystal asked for low medium and high risk topped out at 40k troops. That is not the case, he was told not to officially request the 60+ k that he felt were really warranted. So any triangulation down from 40k is already increasing the risk. I am sick as hell of the constant game of leak and counterleak as this administration attempts to fly what a prominent defense analyst this week told me is a "fleet of trial balloons". Win or lose, victory or defeat. Make the call sir!
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Posted
Nov 10 2009, 05:39 AM
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BLACKFIVE