British Defense Secretary Blames Obama for Afghan War Unpopularity
British Envoy Embraces McChrystal Escalation Plan
Following British Ambassador to Afghanistan Mark Sedwill publicly embracing Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s call for a massive escalation in the war, Britain’s Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth hit out at the delay in Obama announcing his intentions.
Secretary Ainsworth hit out at Obama for his “period of hiatus,” the three month period between Gen. McChrystal’s request and now, as a major reason why the war in Afghanistan is so unpopular among British voters.
Ainsworth conceded that the rising death toll and the crooked August election also played a role in making the war so unpopular, with recent polls suggesting that near two thirds of Britons are now firmly against the conflict.
President Obama will reportedly announce an escalation of an additional 34,000 troops next week. Britain has around 9,000 troops in Afghanistan and is expected to add another 500 next year.
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Peacegeek
November 25th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Ainsworth has a lot of neoconservative gall to blame the British unpopularity of the Afghan War on Obama. The British press had been much more critical of the war than the American press. Led by Simon Jenkins who writes for both the Guardian and the Times, British commentators have published the most excoriating diatribes about the insanity of the Afghan War – based on their experience of the British misadventure in Afghanistan in the 19th century. Ainsworth's attack on Obama is merely another part of the phenomenon Seymour Hersh describes as a broad scale military revolt against Obama as Commander-in-Chief where he is derided by neocons as liberal, incompetent and the wrong color.
ron
November 25th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
The war is unpopular in Britain because the Brits know its pointless and wrong.
masmanz
November 25th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
With 2/3 rd people opposing it why are the British troops still there? Is Britain still a democracy?
Jammy B
November 25th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
So this guy Ainsworth is annoyed that the public arent’ yearning for more war.