{"id":6094,"date":"2009-09-07T10:36:14","date_gmt":"2009-09-07T18:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/?p=6094"},"modified":"2009-09-07T10:36:14","modified_gmt":"2009-09-07T18:36:14","slug":"from-the-people-and-sarah-palin-who-brought-us-the-iraq-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/07\/from-the-people-and-sarah-palin-who-brought-us-the-iraq-war\/","title":{"rendered":"From the People (And Sarah Palin!) Who Brought Us the Iraq War"},"content":{"rendered":"

The same neo-conservatives (and some new ones like Sarah Palin(!), plus Amb. Ryan Crocker) who created the Project for the New American Century<\/a> (PNAC) 12 years ago and subsequently campaigned ceaselessly for the ouster and invasion of Iraq have just called on Pres. Obama to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fully resource\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the war in Afghanistan in their new guise as the more modest sounding Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI)<\/a>. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s remarkable that more liberal interventionists did not sign on to this, as the letter, according to Politico<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ben Smith<\/a>, has been circulating for some days, and PNAC had a history <\/a>of reaching out to their political cousins on the liberal side of the political spectrum, as during the Iraq War when they, like some at Brookings and elsewhere, felt Rumsfeld wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as committed to the war and remaking Iraq as he should have been.<\/p>\n

The fact that this list of signatories is so ideologically narrow suggests that the neo-conservative brand is still considered toxic, even to those who agree with them on Afghanistan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s importance. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s much else to observe and speculate about this document \u00e2\u20ac\u201d such as how its focus on Afghanistan may affect FPI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interest in promoting confrontation with Tehran over the next few months (Iran can make \u00e2\u20ac\u0153winning\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Afghanistan much more difficult) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but, for now, you can just read it and note the signatories, especially Palin:
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c
\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\nSeptember 7, 2009
\nFOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:<\/p>\n

Jamie Fly – (202) 360-2802
\nExecutive Director
\njfly@foreignpolicyi.org<\/p>\n

President Obama Urged to Properly Resource War Effort in Afghanistan<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u00e2\u20ac\u201c A distinguished group of Americans active in the foreign policy debate expressed support today for the U.S. effort in Afghanistan, and called upon President Obama to continue to provide the necessary resources requested by his commanders on the ground to ensure success. In an open letter organized by the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), the group offered its appreciation for the president\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision earlier this year to deploy 21,000 additional U.S. troops to the country, and urged him to continue to properly resource the war effort. Given increasing public concern about the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan, the letter also suggests that the President make it a priority to explain to the American people why it is important to remain committed to winning in Afghanistan, and why such a victory is feasible.<\/p>\n

The letter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s signatories write: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The situation in Afghanistan is grave and deteriorating\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6Since the announcement of your administration\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s new strategy, we have been troubled by calls for a drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan and a growing sense of defeatism about the war. With General McChrystal expected to request additional troops later this month, we urge you to continue on the path you have taken thus far and give our commanders on the ground the forces they need to implement a successful counterinsurgency strategy. There is no middle course. Incrementally committing fewer troops than required would be a grave mistake and may well lead to American defeat. We will not support half-measures that repeat the errors of the past.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The letter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s signers so far are: Steve Biegun, Max Boot, Debra Burlingame, Eliot A. Cohen, Ryan C. Crocker, Thomas Donnelly, Eric Edelman, William S. Edgerly, Jamie M. Fly, David Frum, Abe Greenwald, John Hannah, Pete Hegseth, Margaret Hoover, Thomas Joscelyn, Frederick W. Kagan, Robert Kagan, William Kristol, Tod Lindberg, Herbert London, Clifford May, Robert C. McFarlane, Joshua Muravchik, Sarah Palin, Keith Pavlischek, Beverly Perlson, Danielle Pletka, John Podhoretz, Stephen Rademaker, Karl Rove, Jennifer Rubin, Randy Scheunemann, Gary Schmitt, Dan Senor, Marc Thiessen, Peter Wehner, Kenneth Weinstein, and Christian Whiton.<\/p>\n

About FPI<\/p>\n

FPI is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to promote an active U.S. foreign policy committed to robust support for democratic allies, human rights, a strong American military equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and global economic competitiveness. The organization is led by Executive Director Jamie Fly. FPI was founded by Robert Kagan, William Kristol, and Dan Senor. For more information, please visit www.foreignpolicyi.org<\/a>.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u201c<\/p>\n

The Honorable Barack Obama
\nPresident of the United States
\nThe White House
\nWashington, DC<\/p>\n

Dear Mr. President:<\/p>\n

The situation in Afghanistan is grave and deteriorating. This is in part the legacy of an under resourced war effort that has cost us and the Afghans dearly. The Taliban has retaken important parts of the country, while a flawed U.S. strategy has led American forces into secondary efforts far away from critical areas. However, we remain convinced that the fight against the Taliban is winnable, and it is in the vital national security interest of the United States to win it.<\/p>\n

You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve called Afghanistan an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153international security challenge of the highest order, \u00e2\u20ac\u009d and stated that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the safety of people around the world is at stake.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Last month you told a convention of veterans, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Those who attacked America on 9\/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which al Qaeda would plot to kill more Americans. So this is not only a war worth fighting. This is fundamental to the defense of our people.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

We fully agree with those sentiments. We congratulate you on the leadership you demonstrated earlier this year when you decided to deploy approximately 21,000 additional troops and several thousand civilian experts as a part of a serious counterinsurgency campaign. Your appointments of General Stanley McChrystal as top commander and David Rodriguez as second in command in Afghanistan exemplified the seriousness of purpose you spoke about during the campaign. We are heartened to see that the much needed overhaul of our military operations has begun.<\/p>\n

Since the announcement of your administration\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s new strategy, we have been troubled by calls for a drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan and a growing sense of defeatism about the war. With General McChrystal expected to request additional troops later this month, we urge you to continue on the path you have taken thus far and give our commanders on the ground the forces they need to implement a successful counterinsurgency strategy. There is no middle course. Incrementally committing fewer troops than required would be a grave mistake and may well lead to American defeat. We will not support half-measures that repeat the errors of the past.<\/p>\n

This is, as you have said, a war that we cannot afford to lose. Failure to defeat the Taliban would likely lead to a return of al Qaeda to Afghanistan and could result in terrorist attacks on the United States or our allies. An abandonment of Afghanistan would further destabilize the region, and put neighboring Pakistan and its nuclear arsenal at risk. All our efforts to support Islamabad\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fight against the Taliban in Pakistan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tribal regions will founder if we do not match those achievements on the other side of that country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s porous northwestern border.<\/p>\n

As you observed during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t muddle through the central front on terror and you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t muddle through going after bin Laden. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t muddle through stamping out the Taliban.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d We completely agree. Having \u00e2\u20ac\u0153muddled through\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Afghanistan for years, this is no longer a politically, strategically, or morally sustainable approach.<\/p>\n

Mr. President, you have put in place the military leadership and sent the initial resources required to begin bringing this war to a successful conclusion. The military leadership has devised a strategy that will reverse the errors of previous years, free Afghans from the chains of tyranny, and keep America safe. We call on you to fully resource this effort, do everything possible to minimize the risk of failure, and to devote the necessary time to explain, soberly and comprehensively, to the American people the stakes in Afghanistan, the route to success, and the cost of defeat.<\/p>\n

With the continued bravery of our troops, and your continued full support for them and their command team, America and our allies can and will prevail in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

Steve Biegun
\nMax Boot
\nDebra Burlingame
\nEliot A. Cohen
\nRyan C. Crocker
\nThomas Donnelly
\nEric Edelman
\nWilliam S. Edgerly
\nJamie M. Fly
\nDavid Frum
\nAbe Greenwald
\nJohn Hannah
\nPete Hegseth
\nMargaret Hoover
\nThomas Joscelyn
\nFrederick W. Kagan
\nRobert Kagan
\nWilliam Kristol
\nTod Lindberg
\nHerbert London
\nClifford May
\nRobert C. McFarlane
\nJoshua Muravchik
\nSarah Palin
\nKeith Pavlischek
\nBeverly Perlson
\nDanielle Pletka
\nJohn Podhoretz
\nStephen Rademaker
\nKarl Rove
\nJennifer Rubin
\nRandy Scheunemann
\nGary Schmitt
\nDan Senor
\nMarc Thiessen
\nPeter Wehner
\nKenneth Weinstein
\nChristian Whiton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The same neo-conservatives (and some new ones like Sarah Palin(!), plus Amb. Ryan Crocker) who created the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) 12 years ago and subsequently campaigned ceaselessly for the ouster and invasion of Iraq have just called on Pres. Obama to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fully resource\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the war in Afghanistan in their new guise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-6094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"meta_box":{"disable_donate_message":"","custom_donate_message":"","subtitle":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6094"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6095,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6094\/revisions\/6095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6094"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.antiwar.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=6094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}