U.S. Senator John McCain speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan July 4, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail
VOA: McCain Again Takes on Trump Administration, Will Offer Afghan War Strategy
U.S. Senator John McCain was back in Arizona on Monday to begin treatment for brain cancer, but his situation did not stop him from again slamming the Trump administration for having "no strategy for success in Afghanistan" more than six months after the presidential inauguration.
"When the Senate takes up the National Defense Authorization Act in September, I will offer an amendment based on the advice of some our best military leaders that will provide a strategy for success in achieving America's national interests in Afghanistan," McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement released Monday.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: So he is going to gather the advice of military leaders (active or retired?), and push his own Afghan strategy and agenda into law. Yup .... he has gone more than just rogue.
More News On U.S. Senator John McCain Threatening To Provide His Own Afghan Strategy To President Trump
McCain promises Afghanistan strategy in slap at Trump administration -- The Hill
McCain threatens to give his own Afghanistan strategy to Trump -- CNN
McCain Says He Will Propose New Afghanistan Strategy -- RFE
McCain to Provide Plan to Develop Successful Strategy in Afghanistan - Statement -- Sputnik
I thought, perhaps wrongly, that Trump had told the strategists that he gave them one month to give him a strategy; and then later said, he would leave things to the generals. What, then, is going on?
ReplyDeleteIf the leaks are to be believed. All proposals call for a massive increase in U.S. military support .... but no assurances that this would change the dynamics on the ground. A no-go to Trump.
ReplyDeleteIf true, then we would have a massive troop increase which would entail enormous costs both in terms of lives lost among the troops and an enormous financial burden coupled with no assurances. Of course nothing ever can be 100% assured.
ReplyDeleteNow if the generals were to be able to say with confidence that this massive troop increase had say a 95% chance of changing the dynamics on the ground, someone might choose to go with this. It appears that the known in this situation is the enormous costs associated with increase in US military support. As to the upside, increase stability etc, it appears to be a giant ???? As such, the only sensible approach to this would appear to be "a no-go" to such a strategy.
For once I agree with b poster
ReplyDeletegood Russ
ReplyDeletethat is the first step toward rehabilitation
Not much of a strategy is it, to just increase troop costs and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteBuild up. Threaten to push to the sea unless the ISI dismantles their networks and support for Haqqani, the Taliban, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlly with India. Recognize the Indian territorial claims.
Unmask Pakistani soldiers and intel agents in Pakistan. Don't interrogate them and not tell the public. Have a freaking field day with it.
Unmask B Poster as an operative from another country posting agit-prop.
Plowman,
ReplyDeleteExtra troops would be used to cover roads for example that are not covered now.
For example Route 1 from Baghdad to Fallujah to Ramadi was covered. A high north of Karmah was not covered until the surge.
Right now troops are more or less in a holding pattern. With more troops they would be rooting the Taliban out, killing them, or chasing them back into the clutches of their Pakistani masters.
American casualties would go up. So would Taliban and Pakistani (Pak casualties inside Afghanistan) casualties.