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Obama Wars Title: Petraeus Says U.S. May Ease Rules of Engagement in Afghanistan General David Petraeus today said he’s concerned the U.S. military’s rules of engagement in Afghanistan are too restrictive and putting American forces at risk. General Stanley McChrystal, in an effort to curb civilian casualties, issued directives that sharply curtailed the use of lethal force. Civilian casualties are down, yet some troops have charged that the restrictions make them more vulnerable. U.S. and allied soldiers in Afghanistan are dying at the fastest pace in the war, now nine years old and the longest in U.S. history. “I am keenly aware of concerns by some of our troopers,” Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said he discussed the issue with President Hamid Karzai and other top Afghan officials “and they are in full agreement with me.” “Those on the ground must have all the support they need when they are in a tough situation,” Petraeus said as the committee opened a hearing on his nomination to succeed McChrystal as head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Petraeus praised McChrystal for his “contributions in leading the coalition endeavor in Afghanistan over the past year.” McChrystal’s Strategy McChrystal reoriented U.S. strategy and built “the organizations needed to carry out a comprehensive civil-military counterinsurgency campaign,” said Petraeus, who now commands U.S. forces throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. President Barack Obama dismissed McChrystal last week for remarks disparaging administration officials that were published in Rolling Stone magazine. Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has said he supports Petraeus and hopes the panel will vote later today to send his nomination to the full Senate for confirmation. Senator John McCain of Arizona, the ranking Republican on the committee, told Petraeus: “You’re an American hero, and I’m confident you will be quickly and overwhelmingly confirmed.” Petraeus will lead a force of 142,000 U.S. and allied troops who are in the midst of a possibly decisive offensive to push Taliban insurgents out of their heartland of Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. Taliban Remains Strong Petraeus said the Taliban, even with their losses, “continue to show an ability to adapt and respond” to NATO’s changes in tactics. “The size and intensity of the insurgency has increased in proportion to” NATO’s expansion, he said. The Taliban’s “increasing ability to project its influence” in the south, southwest and east “indicates the Taliban suffer no shortage of manpower,” Petraeus said. “They likely believe they will be able to maintain their current strength and possibly grow.” Petraeus sought to assure lawmakers that the president’s planned drawdown of U.S. forces in July 2011 would be “based on conditions on the ground” and he would have a voice in the decision. Obama “assured me that he expects and wants me to provide forthright advice,” he said. “July 2011 will mark the beginning of a process, not the date when the U.S. heads for the exits and turns out the lights,” he said. “It is going to be a number of years before Afghan forces can truly handle the security tasks in Afghanistan on their own,” Petraeus said. “The commitment to Afghanistan is necessarily, therefore, an enduring one.” Disagreement Over Timetable Levin and McCain, in their opening statements, disagreed on the wisdom of setting a date. That strategy worked in Iraq and will work in Afghanistan, Levin said. It “imparts a necessary sense of urgency to Afghan leaders.” McCain said he “would argue it is having the opposite effect: It is causing Afghan leaders to hedge their bets on us. “This is not only making the war harder; it is making the war longer,” McCain said. “If the president would say that success in Afghanistan is our only withdrawal plan -- whether we reach it before July 2011, or afterward -- he would make the war more winnable and hasten the day when our troops can come home with honor, which is what we all want.”
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
Changing the ROE is the only glimmer of hope in winning the war. If they keep trying to 'fight nice' ala Liberal theory, they should just pack up the troops and come home. Because thats a losing strategy. It didn't work in Vietnam, it won't work here.
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