Obama’s War With His Commander’s in Afghanistan

To contact us Click HERE


Commentary by Lt. Colonel John Lewis Cook, USA(ret.)
While it has gottenlittle coverage in the main stream media, President Obama seems to be at warwith his top commander’s in Afghanistan. It started early in his first term when he fired General David McKiernanin May, 2009.  The official reason forrelieving McKiernan was a need for “fresh ideas.”  McKiernan was, without question, old school,who believed that the enemy must be destroyed and wars must be won.  He was not a big fan ofcounterinsurgency.  Rather, he believedin combat operations to destroy the enemy. As a result, he was replaced by General Stanley McCrystal who believedin a kinder, gentler approach to combat. McCrystal was a big fan of counterinsurgency, of winning the population’s“hearts and minds,” and hoping they would turn away from the Taliban andsupport the corrupt Karzai regime.  WhatMcCrystal failed to realize, and what McKiernan understood perfectly, was thatthe average Afghan feared the Karzai government more than the Taliban.  
Unfortunately,McCrystal fell victim to an unflattering article in Rolling Stones magazine andObama promptly fired him in the summer of 2010. This led to Obama selecting General David Petraeus, the author of the currentfailed strategy of counterinsurgency and he looked like a perfect fit for Obamawho desperately wanted to look like a real wartime president without actuallyconducting real war.  In September, 2011,Pertaeus turned his command over to General John Allen, a four star Marine, androde off to take over as the Director of the CIA.  As we now know, Petraeus did not have to befired by Obama, he managed to fire himself by banging a camp follower.  
General Allen led thecoalition forces in Afghanistan until February, 2013, faithfully carrying outthe administration’s policy of conducting limited combat operations which putcoalition forces at increased risks on the battlefield,  resulting in more casualties without anyappreciable gains.  By now, any hope ofsuccess was long gone.  That hope diedwith the firing of General David McKiernan back in 2009.  As for Allen, he became caught up in the sameweb that snared Pertaeus and he has now announced his retirement.  The racy emails he exchanged with an upwardlymobile  socialite in Tampa proved to behis undoing, and he took the gracious way out by claiming family commitments.
Now the torch has beenpassed to General Joe Dunford, another Marine four star, selected byObama.  He is the fifth war-timecommander for Obama in Afghanistan in less than four years.  By comparison, President Bush only had twosenior commanders in almost eight years, and he fired no one.
So how much progresshave me made under Obama?  Unfortunately,we have steadily lost ground in spite of his desperate efforts, including thesurge and the constant rotation of commanders. During Obama’s four years, we have suffered over 65% of all casualties inover eleven years of combat. Even worse, we have given up on winning underObama’s leadership.  
The last time anAmerican president relieved a war-time commander was done by President HarryTruman when he relieved General Douglas MacArthur  during the Korean War.  How did that turn out?  As history has shown, not very well.  
Through all of thisturmoil and incompetence at the highest level, the troops in the fieldfaithfully carried out the orders given, which is what the troops alwaysdo.  They are the best in the world andthey deserve better leadership.  Thetragedy is they are not going to get it and they will continue to die in thisGod forsaken country for no reason other than propping up an interlockingcriminal enterprise which is what the Karzai regime has become.  
So now the question hasto be asked.  Why are we stillthere?  A very good question, indeed.
 About the AuthorLieutenant Colonel JohnLewis Cook, United States Army (Retired), “served as the Senior Advisor to theMinistry of Interior in Kabul, Afghanistan, with responsibility for developingthe force structure for the entire Afghan National Police.  As of 2012, this force totals 157,000.  From March 2008 until August 2012, his accessand intimate associations with all levels of the Afghan government andcoalition forces have provided him with an unprecedented insight into thepolicies which will determine the outcome of the war.  It is this insight, coupled with his contactsand associations throughout Afghanistan that form the basis of Afghanistan: ThePerfect Failure.
Click to read moreabout Lt. Colonel John Lewis Cook