Afghanistan Today-The GWOT Hot Spot-Sat. 7-25-09

President Obama has sent a troop surge to Afghanistan but tells ABC News that he does not necessarily want this to result in victory. I believe the purpose of going to war is to win the war. If the Commander-in-Chief is not in it for VICTORY, then the troops should come home. The restricted rules of engagement the US troops work under make the war unfightable and unwinnable. Various links from around the GWOT:

1.) Marine Lance Corporal Dominic Davila has his right leg blown off in Afghansitan, among other injuries, such as a broken left ankle. His family has to try and raise money to get them to Maryland to see him. Others in his unit were killed. Link: (pray for the Marine and his family)-e mail the reporter to get mailing address to send donations.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=6931956

2.)  Hillary Clinton and North Korea exchange:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/24/sticks-and-stones-clinton-north-korea-trade-insult/?source=newsletter_must-read-stories-today_headlines

3.) Iraq to Afghanistan: Wars not going on as planned:

http://original.antiwar.com/pfaff/2009/07/23/from-iraq-to-afghanistan-us-wars-not-going-according-to-plan/

4.) Staff Sgt. Jared Monti: Posthumously to earn Medal of Honor: the first link has a heart breaking note from his mother. I believe if we send our “boys” over her to fight, we must have a plan for victory, and honor those who died and their families. God bless the Monti family and all who loved him. Thank God our nation is blessed with such men.

http://northshorejournal.org/another-hero-sgt-1st-class-jared-c-monti

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/24/medal.of.honor.monti/index.html?section=cnn_latest

5.) Blogger’s roundtable from the DoD:

http://www.defenselink.mil/Blogger/Index.aspx

6.) Taliban desperate for money:

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/13093

7.) Marines in battle not allowed to call in air strike. This is not how the USA should treat our Marines. The Marines life  and limbs should be paramount. I e mailed my representative and senators just now about this. Link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6726843.ece

8.) Marine corporal falls in Afghanistan. Also a story about a sgt. who died too. Links:

http://wbztv.com/local/yarmouth.marine.killed.2.1099704.html

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/07/marine_afghan_kias_072409w/

9.) Support for Afghanistan War falling. Pres. Obama said yesterday victory is not necessarily the reason we fight. If there is no plan for victory, why send our troops to be killed and maimed? U.S. troops should not die for defeat. Link:

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_afghanistan_doubts_abroad_072309/

10.) Soldiers ask questions of Gates:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/20/AR2009072003072.html

11.)  Sec  Gates repeated McChrystal ’ s comments: said the measure of success in Afghanistan is not by the number of Taliban killed, but by the number of Afghan civilians protected. I wrotemy res and said: Please send me a weekly report of how many civilians were protected so I can judge as a taxpayer if there is success in Afghanistan. I also told them I want a report on the # of enemy killed and # of Americans killed and injured. They should be able to do that. It is just 4 numbers; #1 to judge success they said: (could put link at their web site: title: Judge for yourself: success in Afghanistan)

1.) Number of Afg. civilians protected (Gen. McChrystal & Sec. Gates said this will determine if we are successful, # protected.

2.) Number of enemy killed

3.) Number of American deaths

4.) Number of American injured

Gates also said he ordered 22,000 NEW U.S. Army soldiers. I wrote my senators and representative: What good will it do to send more troops that can’t shoot? (or call in airstrikes?) (see above story at #9.)  I asked this with above questions via fax.

Link-LA Time Editorial:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-afghanistan21-2009jul21,0,7147061.story