U.S. general: Obama's 'legacy is already shot'
5,500 troops in Afghanistan 'not necessarily the right number for what he's trying to achieve'
Published: 9 hours ago
President Obama says thousands of U.S. troops will stay in Afghanistan beyond his initial 2017 withdrawal date but will not be resuming combat operations. A decorated U.S. general says the troop decision is a good one, but Obama is being disingenuous about the mission.
On Thursday, Obama announced that troop levels will remain at about 9,800 through most or all of 2016. Instead of drawing down at that time to a force needed to secure the U.S. Embassy, Obama said about 5,500 troops will stay in Afghanistan since the government forces there are not ready to secure their nation alone.
While the decision reflects ongoing challenges in Afghanistan, some military experts are glad to see him adjust his withdrawal plan to meet specific threats.
“I’m glad to hear it. He has obviously has listened to the commanders on the ground there and has made this decision,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin, who served as commander of all Green Berets and later as deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence.
Boykin said he’s heartened that Obama apparently learned a lesson after failing to secure a Status of Forces Agreement in Iraq and conducting a complete withdrawal that Boykin and others believe triggered tremendous instability and allowed for the rise and success of ISIS.
“His legacy is already shot and is not recoverable with regard to Iraq,” Boykin said. “I think he’s trying not to make the same mistake in Afghanistan.”
Listen to the WND/Radio America interview with retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin:
Despite being pleasantly surprised by Obama's decision, Boykin does have several lingering concerns about U.S. policy in Afghanistan, starting with the residual troop numbers being approved.
"I don't personally think that the 5,500 number or even the 9,800 number is not necessarily the right number for what he is trying to achieve," he said.
Another irritation for Boykin is that U.S. forces will be engaged in dangerous missions, but the president insists America's combat days in Afghanistan are over.
"It's inconsistent to say the combat mission has ended and then say we're going to keep forces there to do counter-terrorism," Boykin said. "What that means is we're going to stay there and try to kill the Taliban. We're going to search out terrorist leaders. We're going to probably target ISIS. Tell the guys on the ground that's not a combat mission."
But the general is encouraged that Obama appreciates that the job is far from done in Afghanistan.
"It's very clear from the fact they've taken Kunduz that the Taliban is resurgent," he said. "As we have pulled back into, essentially, our bases, the Taliban has gone back into the countryside and recruited more, gained a lot of strength and that's why they were able to take the city."
However, if the U.S. forces are going to be tasked with hunting and killing terrorists, Boykin said military rules of engagement should be adjusted to allow troops to do their jobs.
"Our rules of engagement have to reflect the tactical considerations and not the political considerations," he said. "We know what the rules of warfare are. We know what the international laws require. We know what our military is supposed to do, but we have got to let them have the rules of engagement that will not only protect them but will give them the margin for success."
Many military figures both active duty and retired have complained about restrictive rules of engagement that prevent effective operations in an effort to eliminate any possibility of civilian casualties or collateral damage. A recent case in point was the missile strike that recently hit an Afghan hospital. Boykin said that is deeply regrettable, but it can't be an excuse to hamstring the U.S. mission.
"They have to be able to engage," he said. "There are bad things that happen in wartime. That hospital the other day was a terrible situation, but it was not deliberate. These kind of things happen, and, unfortunately, rules of engagement have been so restrictive that our troops on the ground there – all you have to do is talk to them – the troops on the ground there are frustrated by the fact they can't engage the enemy because of the rules of engagement."
Read more at
http://www.wnd.com/2015/10/u-s-general-obamas-legacy-is-already-shot/#8Wjx89eT6OiCbkVK.99
