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What do you think of the president’s decision to draw down the number of troops in Afghanistan to 8,400?

 

 

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I think it is about time we start protecting our own Country. The other thing is when we send Troops into Harms Way let them fight and no tie their hands !

Submitted by Jerry L. Busby (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 12:48pm

Yep!

Submitted by Neg (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 1:26pm

Continued foolishness putting our remaining troops in peril!
il!

Submitted by david christmas (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 1:26pm

The Afghans are fighting a enemy that is untrained and not as equipped as the Afghans so the problem is the will to fight. Afghans have no concept of duty, honor, country all they know is what they can get. It's time to let the Afghans, win or lose, defend their own country like they have for thousands of years.

Submitted by Michael Houlihan (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 1:45pm

While I feel we should remain longer, I disagree with our priorities. Our primary responsibility, other than the training of Afgan troops, should be to secure the border with Pakistan. That doesn't mean stationing thousands of troops on the border; it means placing day/night video cameras and sound detecting equipment on all the passes, heavily mine the passes with both self detonating and remotely controlled devices, backed up with artillery and manned/unmanned air support. Just make it known that nothing crosses the border, goat or human. Without the infusion of weapons and people over the border is the best chance for the Afgans to eventually secure their country.

Submitted by Richard A Jensen (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 1:53pm

What we NEED is a Commander in Chief that will layout to the military what the end result needs to be and turn them loose with the assets they need and to quit micromanaging everything!

Submitted by Jeff Plemmons (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 2:08pm

America needs to get politicians out of Military actions. Starting with Korea, Vietnam, and the middle east they have done nothing but screw-up. Let the trained military run the wars.

Submitted by Lloyd Sturtevant (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 2:52pm

He should bring them all home. We never should have been there in the first place.

Submitted by Perpetual Preston (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 3:19pm

I am a veteran USAF 1972 to 1976. And I think that we need to withdraw ALL of troops on the ground. Afghanistan has and always will be a no win situation. Geographically one cannot defend it or win offensively as the Russians and British learned in the past. It is a graveyard nothing more nothing less. There is NOTHING to gain by remaining there or in damn Iraq other than displacing one autocratic regime with another and creating power vacuums. This moronic commander in chief of ours escalated the amount of troops in there, then implemented insipid, ridiculous rules of engagement tying our troops hands. And a huge quagmire has been created, resulting in needless deaths of our troops and wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on WHAT???

Submitted by James Darrell Reeves (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 3:28pm

I am a veteran USAF 1972 to 1976. And I think that we need to withdraw ALL of troops on the ground. Afghanistan has and always will be a no win situation. Geographically one cannot defend it or win offensively as the Russians and British learned in the past. It is a graveyard nothing more nothing less. There is NOTHING to gain by remaining there or in damn Iraq other than displacing one autocratic regime with another and creating power vacuums. This moronic commander in chief of ours escalated the amount of troops in there, then implemented insipid, ridiculous rules of engagement tying our troops hands. And a huge quagmire has been created, resulting in needless deaths of our troops and wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on WHAT???

Submitted by James Darrell Reeves (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 3:28pm

As a former Army veteran,It shows that you never spent any time in a war time situation. Your answer shows how "moronic" you are. Pulling out of Iraq gave rise to ISIS. They are now in this country and many others because they were let to flourish in the vacuum that was created.

Submitted by T. Russell (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 5:03pm

We can not change the past but, Bush II ordered the invasion of Iraq which was an anti American thing to do. We just don't go around invading other countries. Well that's not exactly true as we invaded Iraq. Now that he screwed up the powers that be think we can fix it. Middle East is a mess because of us, and we can't fix it. Our government can not and should not be trying to control the planet. If someone needs our help well, maybe we can go help and then leave. When Kuwait was invaded by Iraq, Bush I gave our military authorization to help Kuwait. Our military did the job well and Kuwait was freed. Bush I then ordered the troops to leave, and they did. If his kid didn't go and screw up everything we would not be in this damn mess and perhaps ISIS would not have evolved. We need to help on the ISIS problem. But, we have spent too many years trying to resolve problems of countries which have fought each other and fought within themselves for longer than the United States has been in existence. If ISIS can be brought under control or stopped then, we are not needed there and this country needs to stop running around all over the globe telling everybody they are wrong and need to do like we do!

Submitted by M. Long (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 8:30pm

Amen,And Thank-you For Your service!!!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) : Jul 11, 2016 10:56am

The CIC is lost. Movement, reversal, movement, reversal. This is the mark of a person who has no clue as to what they are doing. His actions have been disastrous and his reactions similarly disastrous.

Submitted by P Spencer George (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 4:53pm

This president is wrong most of the time. Whatever pronouncements he makes should be considered wrong until further examination.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 5:07pm

There will never be peace in the "Middle East". Unless we are invading to conquer and control the region forever, I suggest we basically stay out. Don't let us get lured in to a conflict that has no end. Protect the homeland, by whatever and whenever it's necessary. But occupying foreign countries forever with no clear mission needs to end.

Submitted by LL (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 5:11pm

Well said. We are throwing away money that could be spent better in this country. Fight only the wars you have to fight.

Submitted by LM (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 8:02pm

AMEN Bro!

Submitted by John "Trapper" Gaal (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 8:15pm

I agree with Jeff Plemmons. The CIC needs to tell the Pentagon what the end result needs to be then stay out of it and let the Pentagon do their job. I also believe that no person, male or female, should be CIC without active duty military experience from any branch. That way they have some idea of what they're talking about when they discuss military affairs of any kind.

Submitted by Tom (Retired U.... (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 5:31pm

300 years of war there and we think we can make a difference? We need ISIS and the Taliban eliminated, think satellite surveillance and drone strikes, we have the technology, let the military minds do their jobs!

Submitted by DON C. (USN) (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 5:52pm

The president is nuts. He has no idea what is going on in this world. It's good that he is on his way out.

Submitted by LW (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 6:37pm

Our government does and Always has had An Agenda for Larger,Larger, More, More,More , Control !
The worst of this Is.
I am truly at Awe and Dumbfounded
Of how many People Have and Still R
With Clinton.
It's so unbelievable,Some would &
Should think it's comical.
Just thinking if she gets in , No Morals, No Standards, No Integrity,Yea!can't wait to see our Fought so hard for Country then.
Why don't We just spit on all of our Past & Present Heros. We Have Been Doing It For The Last 8 Yrs.,
Why Stop Now.

Submitted by Paula (not verified) : Jul 11, 2016 10:52am

I think none of us has a say in what's going on. We can vote. Unfortunately too many idiots have voted for Obummer and will vote for Killery.

Submitted by Gordon Pumphrey (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 6:57pm

It's been 15 years since our military first went into Afghanistan. 15 YEARS! How much longer, how much more money, how many more Americans lives must be sacrificed to bring democracy to this country? At least the Soviet Union was smart enough to withdraw from Afghanistan after 8 years of trying to establish communism there in the 1980's.

Submitted by Common Sense Patriot (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 7:04pm

When the hell has it EVER been good policy to freakin' BROADCAST how many troops we're either putting in place...or removing and from where...and then giving our enemies a freakin' TIMELINE...?!!! REAL dumbass running things in D.C.!!!

Submitted by MSG USA Retired (not verified) : Jul 7, 2016 8:32pm

Amen

Submitted by BRUCE ASHER (not verified) : Jul 8, 2016 12:57am

I remember the morning of September 11 2001. Three thousand Americans were murdered. We have forgotten that Afghanistan harbored the terrorists who conducted this attack. The fact is America has not changed since the aforementioned date.

Submitted by Joe Domhan (not verified) : Jul 8, 2016 8:10am

Depends on our goals. Are we there to win, lose or kill Americans.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) : Jul 8, 2016 3:33pm

We did what we had to do in WW2. We fought and in the end , even though it was very devestating what we did , WE FINISHED IT. Not one time since have we done that since. If you go to war and do not plan to finish what you are involved with, lets send the leaders of the country. Starting with all those in Washington, who get the medical benifits, that so many Veterans are being denied. I would bet you any thing, this country would change for the better.

Submitted by Joe Frame (not verified) : Jul 8, 2016 4:15pm

Bo is notorious for ignoring his Generals. BTW, bo has never served, never volunteered, never attended CGSC or War College or for that matter basic training. So what qualifications does he have to pretend to be smarter than those who graduated? We know he is very good at promulgating policies that result in casualties. For example; Fast and Furious, the French ISIS terrorist attack (fast and furious weapons were used in this terrorist attack), Libia, Benghazi, etc., and others that we are not privy to. He is unfamiliar with the concept, "There is no substitute for victory". Time for a change that affords Americans real hope.

Submitted by ken b (not verified) : Jul 9, 2016 11:39pm

When we have to allow child molesters to be in the same tent as our soldiers it is time to leave. We have to kotow to Pakistan, where daughters who elope get burned alive by their mothers. Tactically it is a nightmare to supply and project power and for what? This is the kind of place we should only use drones.

Submitted by Craiginb (not verified) : Jul 18, 2016 3:09pm