Obama Extends US Afghan Mission

A promise made . . . and . . . a promise betrayed! In May, Pres. Obama told us ". . . this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan.... America's combat mission will be over by the end of this year." Friday we learned he secretly authorized at least another year of combat operations. The president is listening to the Pentagon and arms industry.  He needs to hear from us. TELL OBAMA: END IT, DON'T EXTEND IT!
The Promise May 27, 2014 - NY Times U.S. Troops to Leave Afghanistan by End of 2016 In a presidential address to the American people, Barack Obama said this:  "2014, therefore, is a pivotal year. Together with our allies and the Afghan government, we have agreed this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan.... America's combat mission will be over by the end of this year.  "Starting next year, Afghans will be fully responsible for securing their country. American personnel will be in an advisory role. We will no longer patrol Afghan cities or towns, mountains or valleys. That is a task for the Afghan people.... "At the beginning of 2015, we will have approximately 9800 U.S. service members in different parts of the country together with our NATO allies and other partners. By the end of 2015, we will have reduced that presence by roughly half and will have consolidated our troops in Kabal and and on Bagram Airfield. One year later, by the end of 2016, our military will draw down to a normal embassy presence in Kabul, with a security assistance component, just as we have done in Iraq.... "The bottom line is that it is time to turn the page on more than a decade in which so much of our foreign policy was focused on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.... "We have to recognize that Afghanistan will not be a perfect place and it is not America's responsibility to make it one.  The future of Afghanistan must be decided by Afghans."  more	The Betrayal November 21, 2014 - NY Times In a Shift, Obama Extends U.S. Role in Afghan Combat WASHINGTON —President Obama decided in recent weeks to authorize a more expansive mission for the military in Afghanistan in 2015 than originally planned, a move that ensures American troops will have a direct role in fighting in the war-ravaged country for at least another year. (emphasis added) Mr. Obama’s order allows American forces to carry out missions against the Taliban and other militant groups threatening American troops or the Afghan government, a broader mission than the president described to the public earlier this year, according to several administration, military and congressional officials with knowledge of the decision. The new authorization also allows American jets, bombers and drones to support Afghan troops on combat missions.... Mr. Obama’s decision, made during a White House meeting in recent weeks with his senior national security advisers, came over the objection of some of his top civilian aides, who argued that American lives should not be put at risk next year in any operations against the Taliban — and that they should have only a narrow counterterrorism mission against Al Qaeda. But the military pushed back, and generals both at the Pentagon and in Afghanistan urged Mr. Obama to define the mission more broadly to allow American troops to attack the Taliban, the Haqqani network and other militants if intelligence revealed that the extremists were threatening American forces in the country. more PROMISE BROKEN Instead of a plane ride home, U.S. troops will be treated to more of this:
The president is listening to the Pentagon and arms industry.  He needs to hear from us. TELL OBAMA: END IT, DON'T EXTEND IT!

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