American infighting

[compak]

Barack Hussein Obama II, the 44th President of the United States, is nothing but politics these days. For America, the most important day for calendar 2010 will be Tuesday, the 2nd of November 2010 -- the day that the battle for Capitol Hill takes place. All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives, 37 of the 100 seats in the US Senate and 38 governorships will be contested that day.
Everything that comes out of the White House these days means little more than politics meant to save the centre-left Democratic Party from being taken to the cleaners. Imagine; the 'war in Afghanistan is going well'. There is 'no need to change strategy'. The 'economy is doing well'.
Obama wants to create an October surprise. But nothing is working either for Obama or for the war in Afghanistan. The war turned nine and the Taliban have fought the lone superpower to a stalemate. The way that the storm is brewing the Democrats, who currently have a 77-seat lead in the House and a 16-seat lead in the Senate, would almost certainly lose their majority in the House and the right-of-centre Republicans may even win a majority in the Senate (the Democrats are projected to lose up to 7 governorships as well).
The war in Afghanistan is not going well and the strategy would have to be changed. Obama just waits for the November storm to be over.
In the midst of the electoral storm the Department of State and the Department of Defence are at each other's throats. And, the CIA, having borrowed dozens of additional MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers, is playing with fire. Can the CIA take fire in its bosom and not get its clothes burnt?
The State wants to negotiate, with Pakistan's help, an honourable retreat from Afghanistan while the CIA is adamant on testing Pakistani limits to manned incursions. Six months ago, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, the 67th United States Secretary of State, along with Anne Woods Patterson, United States Ambassador to Pakistan, plus Robin Raphel, referred to as Hillary's agent provocateur in Islamabad, all wanted to send ot a message that the chief executive of a civilian government in Pakistan is capable of bringing in his own chief of army staff.
Six months ago, at the Department of Defence, Robert Michael Gates, the 22nd United States Secretary of Defence, along with Michael Glenn Mullen, the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plus Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke, United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, referred to as the 'Balkans Bulldozer', all argued that a cautious, experienced, steady, old hand will better steer Pakistan in this time of great strife. No prize for guessing who won!
America's Pakistan policy is in a mess. The 'Hillary effect on ambassadors' is fading off as the 'Balkans Bulldozer' had their nominee confirmed by the Senate. Af-Oak is now becoming a multi-headed monster. Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates, Ambassador Holbrooke, Ambassador Patterson, Ambassador Raphel and Director Panetta are all cooks bent upon spoiling the broth.
The end-game for Afghanistan is around the corner. Its all about control over Afghanistan after Uncle Sam beats a hasty retreat. India wants to encircle Pakistan. The US and Saudi Arabia want to isolate Al-Qaeda from the Taliban. The Taliban want a specific withdrawal timetable. And, Pakistan wants to flush out Indian stamps in Afghanistan plus a share in Kabul for Pakistan-backed Afghan elements. Afghanistan will fall back to freestyle warlordism of yesteryears.
What would Obama be after November 2 ? What would Obama be after the storm is over?

Capital suggestion

 

[muse]

In the midst of the electoral storm the Department of State and the Department of Defence are at each other's throats. And, the CIA, having borrowed dozens of additional MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers, is playing with fire. Can the CIA take fire in its bosom and not get its clothes burnt?

The State wants to negotiate, with Pakistan's help, an honourable retreat from Afghanistan while the CIA is adamant on testing Pakistani limits to manned incursions. Six months ago, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, the 67th United States Secretary of State, along with Anne Woods Patterson, United States Ambassador to Pakistan, plus Robin Raphel, referred to as Hillary's agent provocateur in Islamabad, all wanted to send ot a message that the chief executive of a civilian government in Pakistan is capable of bringing in his own chief of army staff.

Six months ago, at the Department of Defence, Robert Michael Gates, the 22nd United States Secretary of Defence, along with Michael Glenn Mullen, the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plus Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke, United States Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, referred to as the 'Balkans Bulldozer', all argued that a cautious, experienced, steady, old hand will better steer Pakistan in this time of great strife. No prize for guessing who won!

America's Pakistan policy is in a mess. The 'Hillary effect on ambassadors' is fading off as the 'Balkans Bulldozer' had their nominee confirmed by the Senate. Af-Oak is now becoming a multi-headed monster. Secretary Clinton, Secretary Gates, Ambassador Holbrooke, Ambassador Patterson, Ambassador Raphel and Director Panetta are all cooks bent upon spoiling the broth.

The end-game for Afghanistan is around the corner. Its all about control over Afghanistan after Uncle Sam beats a hasty retreat. India wants to encircle Pakistan. The US and Saudi Arabia want to isolate Al-Qaeda from the Taliban. The Taliban want a specific withdrawal timetable. And, Pakistan wants to flush out Indian stamps in Afghanistan plus a share in Kabul for Pakistan-backed Afghan elements. Afghanistan will fall back to freestyle warlordism of yesteryears.

What would Obama be after November 2 ? What would Obama be after the storm is over?

Excellent piece of analysis - and yet look at events inside the US and among the US electorate, they are more interested in a non-issue such a whether a Masjid can be built on privately owned land and understanding the events that have brought the American state to near ruin, is something they are least interested in -- in such a milieu, is it any wonder that civilian - military relations in the US are so strained that the US military, if Bob Woodward is to be believed, not only withholds information, it actually lied to the American president to pressure him into providing more troops - this same military establishment now seeks to "externalize" it's Afghan mess by exporting it into Pakistan - My guess, Obama will not have the nerve nor the support to withstand the challenge from the US military establishment.