The Bush/McCain debacle in Iraq devoured so many lives and resources that the U.S. was forced to take their eye off the Taliban and the real al Qaeda threat in Afghanistan. As a result of this gross negligence and lack of foresight and planning, both groups have reconstituted and become stronger and deadlier than ever. June saw the highest U.S. body count in Afghanistan since that conflict began in 2002. More than six years in, things are now worse than ever there for our troops.
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During a press conference Wednesday, when asked about deteriorating conditions and the growing number of troops deaths in Afghanistan, President Bush falls back on the same predictable propaganda of patriotism, and distraction from reality. What does our president propose to fix the situation? Throw more money and bodies at it -- get ready for The Surge 2.0.
We're constantly reviewing troop needs, troop levels. We're halfway through 2008; as I said, we're going to increase troops by 2009. One thing, however, that you got to understand is that we have doubled Afghan troops -- coalition troops have doubled from two years ago. So there is an active presence and there are more troops there than there were. But we're constantly reassessing and seeing whether or not we can change tactics in order to achieve our objective.
Update: Video at The Huffington Post shows the top U.S. military officer saying yesterday that he doesn't have enough troops to send to Afghanistan because they are bogged down in Iraq.
Full transcript below the fold:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. June was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in -- since we began the war in Afghanistan. Has Afghanistan replaced Iraq as the central front of the war on terror? And is al Qaeda and the Taliban taking the upper hand? And also, is it possible that we could send additional U.S. troops there sooner than the 2009 date that you've been talking about?
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, anytime a troop loses their life, whether it be in Afghanistan, Iraq, or elsewhere, our hearts go out to their families. And I am so appreciative that, in a time of danger, Americans are willing to step up and volunteer and sacrifice.
Secondly, it has been a tough month in Afghanistan, but it's also been a tough month for the Taliban. You know, one reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy, an enemy who doesn't like our presence there because they don't like the idea of America denying safe haven. America is pressing an ideology that's opposite of theirs, and so, of course, there's going to be resistance.
I am confident that the strategy is going to work, which is to confront the Taliban, confront elements of al Qaeda, and at the same time, encourage the growth of a free society by good economic policy, good education policy, and good health policy.
We're constantly reviewing troop needs, troop levels. We're halfway through 2008; as I said, we're going to increase troops by 2009. One thing, however, that you got to understand is that we have doubled Afghan troops -- coalition troops have doubled from two years ago. So there is an active presence and there are more troops there than there were. But we're constantly reassessing and seeing whether or not we can change tactics in order to achieve our objective.
