Speaking Wednesday to the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. David Petraeus insisted that efforts by Congress to get the massive budget deficit under control are jeopardizing the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
Petraeus insisted that proposed cuts to the State Department and in particular USAID, which are under increased scrutiny over massive fraud, would threaten the overall goals of the Obama Administration in the nearly decade long war.
Which of course raises questions about what exactly the mission is, and while this was not directly addressed by the general, he said some upcoming recommendations to President Obama would take this into account.
The big question right now, however, relates to the July 2011 drawdown, which has been repeatedly and loudly downplayed by the administration. Though other officials suggested that the drawdown would include only non-combat troops, Petraeus said that there would “probably” be some combat troops included as well.
Army Pfc. Arturo E. Rodriguez, 19,
of Bellflower, Calif.,
died Saturday, March, 12
in Paktika province, Afghanistan
from small arms fire.
The eighth US soldier to die in Afghanistan in the first twelve days of March.
One thing we cannot afford to do is to cut any defence spending at all.Ya,we need to get the hell out of Afghanastan but other than that we simply cannot afford to stop spendng for our defence and our armed forces especialy with the wat things are going in the world today.Now is the time we really need to stay on top of the list when it comes to technology especialy,We have to stay on the cutting edge,ahead oy everyone else,otherwise we could suffer serious damages ourselves and to me thats just not an option i want to see at all
Hey Charlie, think about how much more money would be available for "cutting edge" technology research and development of we weren't spending $3 BILLION per month fighting sand and poppy farmers who only want us out of their countries!!! Hmmmm? NOT TO MENTION all the young people who would not have to die for nothing fighting for the corporatists.
True that! Whatever happened, we must continue defending ourselves against imaginary enemies, drugs over here, terrorists over there, liburals on the other side, soon it will be little green men from outer space. If there's one thing the US must never ever do is stop pissing off people and stop defending themselves against the evil it creates, real or imaginary.
NO IT WOULD NOT.., Gen. it would cut the wars where you killing innocent peoples…, David Petraeus is saying that for two reasons, first is about his rank and file.., if there is a budget cuts then he would lose his job because there is not going to be any war.., second he would consider that a lost .., lose his kingdom in Afghanistan.., where he is.., a solder in his rank never lose.., like a solder he is always at war.., war is his passion for living.., he always wines the heart and mind of people by killing their children.., loves what he do, he is a General for god sake, many officers and solders are under his command and he loves them as his sons and daughters’ how could he live without them.., all the time he ask himself that question.
At the same time there is a possibility that he might own some shares here and there, like ohm, few war manufacturing companies, so if there is war budget cut he will lose them as well.., beside he is a very good friend of Saudis, Hamid Karzai and king of Kuwait.., he always welcome to stay with them at their privet palaces.., that is if the budget cuts comes and he is without job.
Petraeus must be a Keynesian & his view is ass-backwards. Economic reality is what really "jeopardiz[es] the ongoing war". Congress should ask the Romanoff family about the consequences of war in the face of national bankruptcy.
"uh, what's my next command?" said the generals
"oh, what a lovely war", said the colonels
Get out of Afghaniscam! There's NO war there. Nope. There's slaughter, idiocy, graft, corruption, lies, scandal, waste, butchery, grotesque stupidity, military failure, US/NATO failure, and quagmire. Lots and really lots of quagmire.
Get out of it and bring America's service boys and girls home. Now!
CUT CUT CUT!
Oh, but of course, General Al Mighty Dollar, we're all aware of that. We realize how you're winning that war…any day now and we must continue to pour truckloads of tax dollars into that black hole. But don't worry, we can fire all the teachers and all the schools in the country and re-distribute the money to you. If you hang in there a little longer, we can also train those kids that won't have teachers or schools and send them to you. Child soldiers would be an invaluable asset in your war and since we ain't using hem here, we may as well use 'em over there.