Pentagon Spokesman Disputes Mullen’s View Of Afghanistan: Nothing ‘Urgent Or Precarious’ About It
Pentagon Spokesman Disputes Mullen’s View Of Afghanistan: Nothing ‘Urgent Or Precarious’ About It
During today’s Pentagon daily briefing, spokesman Geoff Morrell disputed a reporter’s characterization of Afghanistan as “desperate.” Mocking the question, Morrell insisted there was nothing “urgent or precarious about the situation” there:
MORRELL: You characterize it as Afghanistan desperately needing more troops. I would take issue with the characterization that there’s anything desperate about the situation in Afghanistan, anything urgent or precarious about the situation in Afghanistan. What we have is a situation where the commanders would like additional forces, and we are working to provide them with the additional forces they would like.
Morrell didn’t just “take issue” with the reporter’s description; he was also disputing the view of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen. Just two weeks ago, in an interview with Jim Lehrer, Mullen declared that the situation in Afghanistan “is urgent“:
JIM LEHRER: With no — now, Afghanistan. Senator Obama has used the term that Afghanistan — the situation there is “precarious and urgent.” Do you share that?
ADM. MIKE MULLEN: I think it is. It is urgent. It is one where the violence is growing.
Watch a compilation:
Whether Afghanistan faces a precarious time is hardly up for dispute. In May, June, and July, coalition casualties in Afghanistan topped those in Iraq; so far more troops have been killed in August than in Iraq as well. Last month, Gen. David Petraeus warned that al Qaeda could start diverting resources from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Center for American Progress Senior Policy Analyst Caroline Wadhams wrote, “Until U.S. leadership turns its attention and resources to the Afghan theater and the region, it will continue to play defense against a strengthening enemy.”
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Poppy production skyrocketing, CIA reaping enormous profits, Taliban controlling wide swaths of prime growing area.
Perfecto. Mission Accomplished.
Osama Been Who?
August 5th, 2008 at 6:44 pmMORRELL: We are at war with Eastasia. We have always been at war with Eastasia. We are winning the war with Eastasia. The surge is working.
Etc.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:46 pmIf he says it, it must be true!!
August 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pmThe local “troll-ey” should be dropping off it’s inmates momentarily who will propmtly start screaming, “the surge is a success”, “it’s all Obama’s fault”
August 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pmMorrell recently said CentCom reserves wouldn’t leave Kuwait to assist in Afghanistan. The reason? “Instability in the region.” Bush, Cheney, Olmert and Ehud Barak foment that very thing.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:49 pmWhen are they going to discover oil in Afghoulistan?
August 5th, 2008 at 6:49 pmHmm, the Afghanis want to run Afghanistan without benefit of the occupying U. S. imperial military forces… The Iraqis want to run Iraq without benefit of occupying U. S. imperial military forces… What’s next, will the American people want to vote without Republican-controlled corporations, such as Diebold and ES&S, et al ad nauseum, “counting” our votes in the November Presidential Election?
August 5th, 2008 at 7:38 pmI would take issue with the characterization that there’s anything desperate about the situation in Afghanistan, anything urgent or precarious about the situation in Afghanistan.
Substitute Iraq for Afghanistan and it becomes a familiar tune.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 5th, 2008 at 7:44 pmNewsweek reports:
The Taliban pay newly recruited fighters $200 a month–almost DOUBLE the pay of cops and soldiers.
The insurgents are awash in Drug Money…The Karzai Govt. is awash in corruption and incompetence.
This is going to get worse. Mr. Morrell may have to eat those words before too long. They just do not want to admit the seriousness of the situation, because the situation is a direct result of our military being stuck in the Iraqi Quagmire.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:45 pmLet’s send in BlackWater. I am sure they can handle the situation. Maybe Halliburton can get a no-bid to process and ship all that heroin, too.
See, diversification CAN work!
August 5th, 2008 at 7:50 pmThere’s a good question for McCain…
http://www.political-buzz.com/
August 5th, 2008 at 7:58 pmwadhams is an idiot soros dong sucker. The other countries helping in afghanistan simply need to step it up. America’s military is Go d’s hand, never lost a meaningful battle
August 5th, 2008 at 7:59 pmThis is why we are in the mess in Iraq/torture/etc we are in; a press that cannot even ask questions.
You don’t ask a question unless you are prepared with your backup. A good reporter would have responded with the follow-up that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs two weeks ago used these words to characterize the war and now is it the official policy that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is wrong?
Put this spokesman on the spot and see what he says.
However, this would have required some level of journalist professionalism, which apparently is not to be found in the White House press room.
Sigh….
August 5th, 2008 at 8:02 pmTrip must be on some SERIOUS stuff today. That was a major rant.
Care to share, Trip?
August 5th, 2008 at 8:03 pm3kick8, havent you yet learned that you cant win hearts and minds thru force?
August 5th, 2008 at 8:04 pm12. TripleKick 8 Says:
… America’s military is Go d’s hand, …
_____
DrippyDick –
When your Imaginary Friend pounds off, he spooges on America’s military?
Whatta sickie.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:12 pmTripleKick 8 Says:
… Doesn’t that inspire pride?
______
Only in Prussian types. The rest of us feel gratitude and relief.
Now — are you proud that CLINTON’S military “kicked butt” in Afghanistan & Iraq?
August 5th, 2008 at 8:25 pmTripleKick 8 Says:
clintons military that he has “distain” for?…
_____
No, the military that the Bushistas went to war with.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:37 pmTangled web weaving alert!
August 5th, 2008 at 8:43 pm22. TripleKick 8 Says:
it’s OUR military. Take some pride.
_____
Psst — as the MOST expensive military in the history of the PLANET, it had BETTER be able to “kick butt.”
I AM proud of the kids. The Pentagon stooges & whores got a ways to go to earn some RESPECT, let alone PRIDE.
August 5th, 2008 at 8:44 pmSo I go away for a day and TripleKick6 has to morph to 8? Anyone taking bets on when we hit double digits?
August 5th, 2008 at 8:59 pmdbadass Says:
So I go away for a day and TripleKick6 has to morph to 8? Anyone taking bets on when we hit double digits?
It was knocking around earlier at TK7 but it sort of feels like this is the evening shift. Either that, or there has been a lot of glue sniffing going on in TKLand this afternoon. This version seems to be operating with significantly fewer brain cells, although admittedly in these fractional amounts it’s hard to measure.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:02 pm6. RUCerious, Whether they find oil in Afghanistan or not, the oil interests have got a nice agreement for a nice pipline that they have been wanting for quite some time.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:33 pmEither that, or there has been a lot of glue sniffing going on in TKLand this afternoon.
Judging from its comments, it has had too much to drink tonight.
August 5th, 2008 at 9:55 pmOdd. Are we supposed to feel proud that Bushco, following in Bush 41’s footsteps, has exhausted our military while cutting major procurement and research programs. Our boys are using weapons that were worn out in the jungles of Vietnam. Our tankers are wearing out without replacements. Ditto for everything from tanks to F-15s.
Heck, between the cuts and the attrition, the Russians and or Chinese could take a substantive lead in both numbers and technology. Though they needn’t ever fire a shot.
It wouldn’t take much of an arms race to break us, as certainly as the Soviet Union was broken, and for the same reason. The corruption and irresponsibility of leadership which has squandered our reserves and world standing.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:16 pmOn a related note. I can’t help but wonder what percentage of the weapons showing up in Afghanistan are from the hundreds of thousands the military lost track of in Iraq. And how many of the foreign fighters bought their tickets with greenbacks? Pay offs for a pledge to not fight us in Iraq.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:47 pmNo way !!
Bush is not listening to his military Commanders ?
Oh wait, if he doesn’t like to hear what they say, he replaces them………Until they speak up…
August 6th, 2008 at 2:07 amTripleKick 8 Says:
Why is it that this troll becomes more moronic with each new incarnation?
August 6th, 2008 at 9:05 amBy the time he reaches #10 even he won’t be able to understand what he posts. lmao
Audio from this segment is up at Entertonement.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:51 am