Article

2011-06-24 Afghanistan

Obama disregarded Petraeus recommendation

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Posted by Steve White 2011-06-24 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11131 views ] Top

#1 We making ice in the empty quarter, it's an amazing achievement, but to what end and cost?

Posted by S 2011-06-24 06:51|| 2011-06-24 06:51|| Front Page Top

#2 He's listening to General Axelrod with a strategery of polls

Posted by Frank G 2011-06-24 09:49|| 2011-06-24 09:49|| Front Page Top

#3 with a strategery of polls

Polls are only as good as the wording of the questions asked and the insight of those analyzing the results. Getting polls telling you how much you are beloved because the questions guide the answer are a waste of money... though very gratifying to a certain type of ego, the kind which confuses cause and effect. What you want are polls which reveal your and your opponents' weak points, and how many people have noticed each.

Posted by trailing wife 2011-06-24 10:14|| 2011-06-24 10:14|| Front Page Top

#4 Petraeus is certain to be overwhelmingly confirmed as CIA director.

An interesting thought - can you imagine what he's going to find when he gets to the Agency? How hard people worked to sabotage Dubya's efforts, and how hard those same people may have worked to cover up Obama's mistakes?

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2011-06-24 10:21|| 2011-06-24 10:21|| Front Page Top

#5 Mike, Petraeus will also discover (I predict) that those same people have a new assignment: neuter him.

And I'm guessing they have a fair chance of succeeding.

Posted by Steve White 2011-06-24 11:01|| 2011-06-24 11:01|| Front Page Top

#6 And I'm guessing they have a fair chance of succeeding.

The whole damn place, every agency needs to have the top management cleaned out.

Posted by Mad Eye Hapsburg7644 2011-06-24 11:59|| 2011-06-24 11:59|| Front Page Top

#7 What you want are polls which reveal your and your opponents' weak points, and how many people have noticed each. I also want polls which indicate whether or not those questioned are in touch with basic realities.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-06-24 13:44|| 2011-06-24 13:44|| Front Page Top

#8 There are only a few ways that Pashtunistan will stop exporting terror and murder: The countries involved will become civilized in a real sense or it will become physically impossible for jihadis to move from there to the rest of the world. There are other possibilities to accomplish that goal, all involving massive loss of life.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-06-24 13:48|| 2011-06-24 13:48|| Front Page Top

#9 My guess is that agencies like the CIA and State have entire layers of management dedicated to the sole purpose of keeping the top man in the dark and/or carefully filtering which information makes it up the food chain to the top.

Posted by CrazyFool 2011-06-24 14:52|| 2011-06-24 14:52|| Front Page Top

#10 "That means that Champ owns the decision lock, stock and barrel. If Afghanistan blows up again he's responsible."

Nonsense, Steve. He (and his pet attack dogs the MSM) will blame the military/Bush/Tea Party.

Posted by Barbara 2011-06-24 16:06|| 2011-06-24 16:06|| Front Page Top

#11 My guess is that agencies like the CIA and State have entire layers of management dedicated to the sole purpose of
I think it's more like Jerry Pournelle's Iron Law: in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representatives who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent. The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-06-24 18:53|| 2011-06-24 18:53|| Front Page Top

#12 can you imagine what he's going to find when he gets to the Agency?

One thing he'll find is that many experienced analysts left the Agency either to retire or to go make money in industry. There's a huge turnover, a lot of analysts are kids whose grasp of things like history are somewhat limited ....

or so I've been told by someone who has a whole lot more reason to be credible than I do on this topic. But then, that's not hard ....

Posted by lotp 2011-06-24 20:30|| 2011-06-24 20:30|| Front Page Top

#13 One thing he'll find is that many experienced analysts left the Agency either to retire or to go make money in industry. There's a huge turnover,

A good thing the DoD has their own team, then, lotp. Then, too, as the new head of the CIA, General Petraeus can offer retiring military analysts opportunities on the civilian side. This could make things very, very interesting in his new organization...

Posted by trailing wife 2011-06-24 21:01|| 2011-06-24 21:01|| Front Page Top

#14 POTUS BAMMER

versus

GEN. PETRAEUS [ + USN ADM. Mullen] ...

and

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [Top US] MILITARY LEADERS KNOW OBAMA'S DECISION IS A [high-risk] DISASTER, for US-Allied interests.

* SAME > {Afghan] TALIBAN DENOUNCE OBAMA TROOPS ANNOUNCEMENT, DISMISS PEACE TALKS DURING PULLOUT.

IOW, the Jihad = Afghan/AFPAK Insurgencies will go on.

The MILTERRS = RADICAL ISLAM know it > Political-Legal Jihad = THEY GET LEGAL/ELECTORAL CONTROL OF BOTH PAK = AFPAK GOVT-ARMY + PAKISTAN'S LR NUCLEAR ARSENALS.

WE-CANNOT-CONFIRM-OR-DENY-WE-WANT-NUCWEAPS ISLAMIST IRAN is only the beginning for the US-ALLIES + UNO.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2011-06-24 21:37|| 2011-06-24 21:37|| Front Page Top

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