Lynn C. Woolsey: “About a year ago, the President of the United States quite clearly laid out a plan to begin redeploying troops out of…”

“About a year ago, the President of the United States quite clearly laid out a plan to begin redeploying troops out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. It was not soon enough for me, but it demonstrated at least the recognition that this could not go on forever and a commitment to do the right thing, the thing that the majority of Americans want, bring our troops home was on the table. But now top officials are telling us not to start planning our welcome-home parades for our soldiers, that U.S. combat troops would actually be on the ground in Afghanistan until 2014. The Commander in Chief has said that this war will begin to end next July, and it appears that the generals who work for him are actively trying to undermine that deadline by painting a rosy picture of conditions on the ground, often in direct contradiction of intelligence reports. The most galling moment and the most galling comment of all came from Lieutenant General William Caldwell, who leads NATO's training of Afghan security forces. He not only talks of the 2014 date as it's established policy; he says he needs more resources and more military trainers just to get Afghanistan ready to provide for their own security by that date.”