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Typical Republican response – one hand says "Agree to send more troops NOW!" while the other says "We'll never be able to win unless they can do the work themselves." The two options seem mutually exclusive to me.

Hmm...well maybe after 8 years, what the Afghan people want will finally be heard. Instead of America telling what the Afghan people want.

Karzai was Bush's guy........that alone would make me very suspiciuos of him. Time to cut bait and come back home.

Why did this news leak out? That one of the president's concerns in not sending troops is the corruption of the Afgan government (though may be a fact.).

I worried immediately, that of all the conciliatory speeches he gave with political correctness to appease the muslim nations, this question has got to rile up the Afgan people, especially if we decide to move out. That sounds like an insult (even if the concern is merited) which would undo any bond between our countries for good.

Who leaked to the media? Of course the media will not think twice about the effect of reporting such sensational news for sensational news value.

Irresponsible, regardless of decision to send or not send.

Thank goodness he is making a deliberate, well thought out decision, instead of going with his "gut" like his ill equipped predecessor would do. We are so blessed to finally have an intelegent leader!

I am glad President Obama is thinking about how and when he send troops to a country that would not welcome their present. People if we send the troops like the Repubs wants, we will be killing our young people for nothing. Why are we there in the first place? You Republicans started this mess so why can't you guys clean it up and get our troops out. Republicans like war, but if it was your child what would you say?

Jack Nicholson was right:

"We can't handle the truth'.

The spin is ridiculous.
The facts non-existent.
The photo-ops are limitless.

Does ANYONE know what is going on with these fellas?

I'm glad our President is seriously weighing all options before making this decision. It's easy for us civilians to sit on our butts and criticize him for not immediately sending more troops, but what some seem to forget is that many of our troops are already serving their 3rd, 4th, even 5th tours in Iraq & Afghanistan. Think about how you'd feel if it was your son, daughter, husband, wife, father, mother that was going to be sent back as a result–quite possibly never to return. Yes, that is their job, and it is a noble one, but let's make sure it's worth it before sending them to possible death.

Thank you Mr. President, for having the calm and cool temper that is needed in these times. When everything is up in arms, there has to be a sensible person around to keep peace. No need to go rushing into the burning building when someone yells fire. Reason: You'll get burned... Duh!!!!

The ambassador knows what he is talking about. We should cut Karzai loose...NOW!

Our soldiers shouldn't give their lives to protect this corrupt and incompetent dictator.

There is No mission, No reason and No purpose!

If Bush wasn't so preocupied with IRAQ, this conversation would have been academic! Either we would have concrete results by now, or we would have simply been forced to leave. Cannot fight 2 wars simultanously!!! I wish all our stupid Politicians would read a little history. We had no choice in WW11 but now we have. Iraq was a problem but not one where we had to go to war. Bush really screwed our country for a long time, And its going to take a long time to get back to a bit of normalcy.

Glad Obama is being cautious.

Afghanistan is a non-win war. History shows that this cannot be a ground troops war either.

Bush did not get Osama as promised. Bush chose to focus on Iraq under false premises.

Now the issue has evolved and threats to us have grown.

Afghanistan must be fought smarter not just throwing more troops there. More troops will equal more bloodshed but not a win. Winning wars is a very WWII idea.

Today is very different because of the atomic bomb and its destruction. To use the A-bomb would be to not only start WWIII but the end to the world. So we look at war (evidence in Korean War) as to success/win to mean something very different than in the 1940's. It might be a DMZ zone, slow withdrawal, etc.

Our troops are beyond brave and should be appreciated. And we show our thanks to them by saying thank you as we meet them, and we do not send them into harms way without a mission and a withdrawl plan.

This is what happens when campaign donors are given ambassadorships. Kind of like Saddam playing the female ambassador like a fiddle before he invaded Kuwait.

Idiots

This administration might as well hold their high level talks on the set of Saturday Night Live. Their 'strategy' sessions are a strategy unto themselves. Lights... camera... inaction...

War never give the anticipated results. Lives of those needed got lost and can not be replaced again. Better other solutions than using a gun. History has shown this!

Careful, these guys are all about playing both ends against the middle to get what's best for them, not the US, not the West, or any other person on this planet.

Barry votes present again....Happy Veterans Day.

Karzai needs to take leadership in his own government which he hasn't done before questioning whether our President is going to send more troops. It's important that President Obama is taking his time which lets Karzai know this is a different administration with a different direction.

Bring our Troops home, PLEASE!!!!!!! Glad The President is thinking before acting.

We should remember why we have been in Afghanistan and why we were attacked on 9/11. Short memory is danger and results as ignorance.

Do not try to show tough on our friends to please our enemies, which will result in having more enemies and less true friend.

Do not under estimate the terrorists, they are intelligent and are able to create good causes to justify their actions. Obama's supporters seem to look down on people around the world, thinking that with nice words and promisses will make people to fall in love with Obama. Maybe American will but not foreigners

A good call from the president,,

This issue is too important for "cowboy" politics.

It is a complex issue and I am glad the POTUS is taking his time to make sure it is the RIGHT decision, not just and emotionally fast one.

We've more than worn out our welcome– if there ever was one– in Afghanistan. So did the Russians and the Brits. It's time to stop trying to oppose puppet governments in countries that clearly view us as an occupying force and don't want us there.

More troops? No! Get out now, Mr. Obama, before you really have your very own Vietnam.

People need to think any President ,Thats Good President thats considerate will not rush to send any toops in to harms way; people talking about he need to stop stalling and go ahead and send more of our troops to a country where we are not even sure that the enemy is present there maybe if we would have Dithered in the first place before the war began we wouldnt be talking about this now.My heart goes out to our troops and their family and just throwing them into harms way without any stratergy is irresponsible for any Presidnet so with that said Thank GOD for President Obama, Yes he have to make a decision but im glad he is not rushing to make it.

The best course of action is for us to leave Afghanistan ASAP. However, the President will not do it and the Right Wing will not allow it, because that will be too damaging to their imperialistic world view. What the President should do is work with the Pakistanis to squeeze both the Taliban and Al Qaeda form both sides until they have nowhere to go. This will require more troops, which will be escalating the war and besides, we can't trust the Pakistanis, especially their military, because they are in bed with the Taliban. There are no easy answers here. If there are, George Bush, as dumb and as incompetent as he was would have found it. The best we can hope for is to disrupt, dismantle, and destroy Al Qaeda as much as possible.

I don't understand. Why would you send more troops to fight for and die to protect a corrupt government from brutal extremists.

It's a lose lose situation. Bringing everyone back makes more sense to me.

It is another Vietnam. So many die, and there is no end in sight. Bring them home. Too many have died. The money saved can be used to secure our borders and protect our country.
If Karzai were normal, and not a corrupt leader, some gains could be made, but he can not be trusted. Look at his election. Was all fraud, then his opponent backed out because I'm sure he was threatened or his family was.

We still need to send in more troops to effect a safe withdrawal of those we have there...after we get our people out safely...then we can just bomb the crap out of them and be done with it.

I agree No more troops. THE MEDIA NEEDS TO STOP LEAKING!! THESE TALKS SHOULD BE DONE WITHOUT PUNDITS AND HIDEN AGENDAS.

WE TALK TOO TOO MUCH!!!

If we send more troops, it will only benefit the "War Machine" and the drug Czars. We need to start thinking about bringing our men and women back. This would be a moral value that their familys need to cling to, and not to the "moral values" of those that would not want this to proceed. It would be nice to see our men start marching home, instead of them returning in a "Coffin". "Forgive them Lord, for they do not know what they are doing".....

How does a soldier answer his family when they ask why he is going to Afgan? To help its people? They do not want us there. To fight AQ who attacked us 9/11? At this time, there are about 68K US troops there with about 10K other NATO troops to fight about 100 AQ troops. To keep the country from being take over by the Taliban thereby giving AQ a base to operate from? According to a Newsweek article, the Taliban feel betrayed by AQ because AQ never informed the Taliban they were planning 9/11. It is very doubtful they would trust them again. To support the Karzai government? Two senior officials – one UN and the other, the US Ambassador to Afgan – have proclaimed that the Karzai government is ineffective and corrupt and will not change.

Again, why are we in Afgan?

Hamid Karzai is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Karzai and his brother are the biggest drug lords and must be replaced by a decent human being that America can work with. I say ,NO MORE TROOPS until Karzai is TOASTED.

I'd rather the President take his time and get it right the 1st time instead of being decisive and screw it up (BUSH) even more that it already is!

Apparently, Obama has come to see the stupidity of sending more troops to die in the worthless armpit of the world! Afghansitan is hopelessly lost and steeped in a rotting culture. Bring our troops home, there was never anything to win over there.

If the numbers I heard last night are true....we are putting alot of resources in an area for no clear reasons.....

100 Taliban in Afganistan and 300 Taliban in Pakistan......

Our presents alone will start a stir, recruitment and alot of anti sentiments albeit western or religous....

A clear mission with budget accountability is what the PARTY OF NO (REPUBLICANs) should be calling for. Isn't it funny I haven't heard anyone make that statement in regards to this WAR topic.

What really does the Afganistan people want and does it makes sense to us?

Fiscal responsibility as well as National Security must be TOP PRIORITY for us.

More delaying tactics by Obummie the spineless one. Karzai was president when he was running for office, was president when he made his strategy known in March. He knew what type of leader he is all along. He is looking for any excuse to cut and run to keep his voting base.

President Karzi knows the moment American troops pull out of Afghanistan, his Presidential role and residency in Afghanistan is over.

Its likely that President Karzi is working in the background to insure that American taxpayers pay for his luxurious exile for the rest of his life.

Some booking agency's should run on where Karzi is going to relocate at.

Paris, Bora-Bora, Hawaii, or the American mainland?

You helped the CIA flood Russia with cheap heroin President Karzi, the CIA will see to it that you are handsomely paid by American taxpayers for the rest of your life.

A. Smith
Oregon

Good to see the President is carefully evualuating every aspect of the war and how to proceed. This is the mark of a true leader. His methodical and metciculous review of every detail may frustate some, but in the long haul, it will have been time well spent.

It is paramount that Obama take all information and suggestions into consideration before making this decision. He is doing the right thing by hearing both sides. For those that complain and cite the current general in charge wanting more troops, the guy in their previously that had been there longer suggests NOT sending more troops.

It's convenient to be ignorant, and only prop up the guy that supports your desire to send more of our sons and daughters to die. But our President is in the business of being extremely cautious with the lives of our american fighting men and women. Unlike the repubilcan critics, he actually CARES whether our soldiers are killed senselessly and with out proper thought.

- One million dollars per year for each US soldier sent to Afghanistan.
- An inhospitable terrain that is impossible to control.
- A nation in disarray fraught with corruption and almost completely lacking in infrastructure and stable government (them, not us).
- A population unwilling to fight for its own freedom from religious fanatics.
- Incalculable human cost to our military and their families from getting involved in another Vietnam type,unwinnable war.
Other than an opportunity to quench the blood lust of chicken hawks and keep some cash flowing to defense contractors, what is in this for America?

Obama seems to be putting his community-organizer skills to good use. By having meeting after meeting, he gets to put off actually doing anything.

The sword makers will lose money,wa wa wa.

I'm glad he is being sensible and seeking wisdom before acting..this has to be done right, for the benifit of our citizens, and for the benifit of the honest citizens of Afghanistan.

Good Good Afghan doesn't want any more US Troops.

Why die in Afghanistan?

Why burn out America for a War with no purpose?