Frist calls for surrendering to the Taliban

[james_bond_3rd]

http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/ap/2006/10/02/asia/AS_GEN_Afghanistan_Frist.php

The Tennessee Republican said he had learned from briefings that Taliban fighters were too numerous and had too much popular support to be defeated by military means.

"You need to bring them into a more transparent type of government," Frist said during a brief visit to a U.S. and Romanian military base in the southern Taliban stronghold of Qalat. "And if that's accomplished we'll be successful."

This is not "cut and run," folks. This is outright surrendering. The French would be proud of Frist!

 

[Pabst]

Quote from james_bond_3rd:

http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/ap/2006/10/02/asia/AS_GEN_Afghanistan_Frist.php


This is not "cut and run," folks. This is outright surrendering. The French would be proud of Frist!

Do you agree or disagree with Frist's assessment?

Instead of posting a snide one liner about a guy who's over there surveying the situation first hand, how about YOUR view? Takes too much guts, eh? Even as an anonymous goof on a message board......

 

[james_bond_3rd]

Quote from Pabst:

Do you agree or disagree with Frist's assessment?

Instead of posting a snide one liner about a guy who's over there surveying the situation first hand, how about YOUR view? Takes too much guts, eh? Even as an anonymous goof on a message board......

Of course disagree. Can't you read?!!!

Taliban is who's responsible for 9/11. There is no way that we should allow them back into the government. The current situation is created because Bush had to pull troops out of Afghanistan and into Iraq. The only correct way to solve this problem is to pull out of Iraq and move troops back into Afghanistan.

Here is another reason why the occupation of Iraq is wrong!

 

[Pabst]

Quote from james_bond_3rd:

Of course disagree. Can't you read?!!!

Taliban is who's responsible for 9/11. There is no way that we should allow them back into the government. The current situation is created because Bush had to pull troops out of Afghanistan and into Iraq. The only correct way to solve this problem is to pull out of Iraq and move troops back into Afghanistan.

Here is another reason why the occupation of Iraq is wrong!

Ok. Now you're clear!

 

[james_bond_3rd]

Frist had a quick retraction:
http://pajamasmedia.com/2006/10/the_american_way_of_not_winnin.php

I’m currently overseas visiting our troops in Afghanistan, but I wanted to take a moment to address an Associated Press story titled, “Frist: Taliban Should Be in Afghan Gov’t.” The story badly distorts my remarks and takes them out of context.

First of all, let me make something clear: The Taliban is a murderous band of terrorists who’ve oppressed the people of Afghanistan with their hateful ideology long enough. America’s overthrow of the Taliban and support for responsible, democratic governance in Afghanistan is a great accomplishment that should not and will not be reversed.

Having discussed the situation with commanders on the ground, I believe that we cannot stabilize Afghanistan purely through military means. Our counter-insurgency strategy must win hearts and minds and persuade moderate Islamists potentially sympathetic to the Taliban to accept the legitimacy of the Afghan national government and democratic political processes.

National reconciliation is a necessary and an urgent priority … but America will never negotiate with terrorists or support their entry into Afghanistan’s government.

Yeah, right. Cannot win militarily, will never negotiate. Sounds like surrendering is the only option left.

Seriously, how did we lose the hearts and minds of the Afghan people?

 

[Pekelo]

Quote from james_bond_3rd:


Seriously, how did we lose the hearts and minds of the Afghan people?

We were trying to interfere with their most profitable crop, poppy....

 

[FanOfFridays]

Quote from james_bond_3rd:
Of course disagree. Can't you read?!!!

Your first post made it seem like you reject the idea of surrendering because it would mean surrendering. I've noticed that a lot of guys on the right seem to feel the same way ('Cut and Run').

Quote from james_bond_3rd:
Taliban is who's responsible for 9/11.

??????

Quote from james_bond_3rd:
There is no way that we should allow them back into the government.

lol... I see.

They're already 'back in government', man.

Quote from james_bond_3rd:
The current situation is created because Bush had to pull troops out of Afghanistan and into Iraq.

Oh, I see... he had to...

Quote from james_bond_3rd:
The only correct way to solve this problem is to pull out of Iraq and move troops back into Afghanistan.

and what would that accomplish? Are you seriously suggesting that the best thing the US can do to wage a war on terror is to move all its troops from Iraq to Afghanistan? If this is what you are saying, you have no idea where the real threats lie.

It's too bad that so many high powered U.S. military personnel are now coming forward and saying what was running through their minds at the time the Iraq mission was being deployed. Rumsfeld is coming in for a lot of criticism. They're lining up now to point out that the last thing they expected was the degree of sectarian violence that they have seen. They thought that the Iraqis would respond in a way that we would predict they would, given our Western mindset.

Rumsfeld says that his heroes were all guys whose decisions were ridiculed at the time they were made. He understands what it means to 'stay the course'... for better or for worse.