As Americans sour on Afghanistan war, one GOP senator changes mind on drawdown
One influential Republican senator has changed his mind on President Barack Obama's plan begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011.
After a recent trip to the region, Sen. Lindsey Graham returned to say that he believes some troops could be removed in July 2011.
"After this trip, I think we can transition next summer some areas of Afghanistan to Afghan control," Graham told CBS' Bob Schieffer Sunday.
"I see progress I had not seen before. I see a scenario if things continue to develop the way they are that certain areas of Afghanistan can be transitioned to Afghan control and we could remove some troops safely without undermining the overall war mission," he said.
"But at the end of the day the president has to let the Afghan people, the regional players know, the American people know that we're not going to leave until we're successful. But I do see a path forward next summer to transition in certain areas of Afghanistan but we will need substantial troops well past July of 2011 to get this right," continued Graham.
Only three weeks ago, Graham told CNN that he didn't think it would be possible to begin transitioning troops out of Afghanistan that soon.
On the same program, however, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina worried that the Afghan forces and central government may not be ready to assume the necessary responsibilities within a year.
"[G]enerally speaking, this time next summer, we're still going to be engaged in one hell of a fight," Graham told CNN. "We're going to need every troop we have today, I think, still in Afghanistan next year."
According to Graham, it will be clear by the end of this year where things stand in Afghanistan.
"If, by December, we're not showing some progress, we're in trouble," he said. "And the question is: what is progress? Without some benchmarks and measurements, it's going to be hard to sell to the American people a continued involvement in Afghanistan."
Graham's change in attitude comes only days after a new poll shows that nearly 6 in 10 Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan.
A GOPer listening to the people and not running for re-election.
is intended to be a factual statement
Whoa whoa whoa, WTF? What happened to C+L site?????? This is bitchen.
This is pretty feckin cool
What is your conceptual, continuity?
First, I really like the updated look.
Second, Graham says "we could remove some troops safely without undermining the overall war mission"... what is the war mission in Afghanistan? Does anyone know at this point?
...it's still annoying that there are no share buttons until you click on a headline and go into "commenting" mode. My point being, there are usually videos that you can watch without having to comment on them. I would like to share a post from this great site without having to bother with clicking on the headline, thus going "below the fold" when I've already watched the video or know the content of it. The share buttons should be on the front page.
...some visual feedback method for knowing if someone replied to your post would be nice too, if not an email notice.
There will be share buttons soon. We want to get settled into this, kick out some bugs and then the share buttons will go back on-Sitemonitor
...some visual feedback method for knowing if someone replied to your post would be nice too, if not an email notice.
we need to move on
the big one is coming with iran
create a civil war there set up a puppet gov
then go for the black gold
we will never run out of those that want to fight in our wars for corp profits.
hey at least it is a job.
become the best you can be go fight for corp america.
we call these people heros for which some are but a better term is pawns for capitalist agendas.
"Every ambitious would-be empire, clarions it abroad that she is conquering the world to bring it peace, security and freedom, and it is sacrificing her sons only for the most noble and humanitarian purposes. That is a lie; and it is an ancient lie, yet generations still rise and believe it." -- Henry David Thoreau
In related news, BILLIONS OF BARRELS OF OIL were just discovered in Afghanistan.
minerals?
In other words, Lindsey Graham came to the realization that the Taliban and related “insurgent” groups control much of the country, that the Karzai government is hopelessly corrupt, and that the American military is getting beaten by citizens of one of the poorest countries on the face of the Earth.
Or, as David noted, he is simply conforming to public sentiment.
Besides, Graham is one of the Republican Party’s foremost snakes, who hides his utter disdain for the general public and his absolute subservience to the military-industrial-Wall Street complex behind an “aww shucks” Southern drawl.
My default position with this Southern huckster is to investigate the exact opposite of what he professes to be true. It usually turns out to be the truth.
One wonders if Lindsey cleared his position with Holy Joe first.
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
Where? The anti-war movement is literally non existent. They have a Twitter or Facebook page?
Check out the crescent moon on his website.
http://lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fu...
Just try to get away with that, Kenyan Usurper.
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