Padre S/A sez “Horseshit”

“Obama mismanagement of Afghan war leads to needless deaths: commentary”

SNIP
“With the deaths of three additional U.S. troops on July 29, this month is officially the bloodiest of the nine-year conflict in Afghanistan. The death toll for July is up to 63 and it captures the record as the deadliest month for Americans so far.

We all need to understand that the increase in deaths is directly the result of Obama's personal mismanagement of the war. The blood of our servicemen is on his hands.

Why? Upon taking management of defense policy, the Obama administration intervened to change the rules of engagement. Ralph Peters explained it this way in the New York Post: "Unless our troops in combat are absolutely certain that no civilians are present, they're denied artillery or air support. If any civilians appear where we meet the Taliban, our troops are to 'break contact' -- to retreat."

Peters concludes, "When our own moral fecklessness murders those in uniform, it's unforgivable. In Afghanistan, our leaders are complicit in the death of each soldier, Marine or Navy corpsman who falls because politically correct rules of engagement shield our enemies."

Obama dithered in adopting a new policy in Afghanistan deep into 2009. This led to criticism from even a left-wing dove like Sen. John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts. Of Obama's indecision, Kerry said in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, “At the very moment when our troops and our allies’ troops are sacrificing more and more, our path and our progress seem to be growing less and less clear.”

Next came the wrongheaded announcement of our deadline for withdrawal. Obama basically told our enemies the date of our leaving; now they are emboldened by foreknowledge of our defeat.

And who can forget the Stanley McChrystal firing and all the interruption to the chain of command and subsequent uncertainty over policy?”

nj.com - Obama mismanagement of afghan