HILLARY CLINTON: We’re not talking about an exit strategy or a drop dead deadline. What we’re talking about is an assessment that in January 2011, we can begin a transition. A transition to hand off — responsibility to the Afghan forces.ROBERT GATES: We’re not talking about an abrupt withdrawal. We’re talking about something that will take place over a period of time. (Emphasis mine)
Get that? The withdrawal won’t be “abrupt,” and 2011 is not a “deadline.” Oh noes! it must be time for progressives to wail and gnash their teeth over Village wisdom, since this contradicts what Robert Gibbs said about the July 2011 date being “locked in.”
Except that it doesn’t.
The president said he wanted the surge to start bringing down forces in Afghanistan after 18 months. He only gave the month, and not the precise date, during which he aims to begin a drawdown. His intentions are “locked in,” but the details are necessarily going to be fuzzy. That is the nature of military operations; you don’t move 100,000 troops and their gear all at once. The logistical realities alone are staggering, never mind the operational realities.
In fact, we may become familiar with a new concept: mission drag. As opposed to ‘mission creep,’ which is the tendency of military adventures to get further entangled in rising intensity, any mission left unaccomplished after July 2011 will be a drag on his plans — and an object of annoyance.
If you’re still unconvinced of Obama’s intentions, there’s this:
He held up a chart showing how reinforcements would flow into Afghanistan over 18 months and eventually begin to pull out, a bell curve that meant American forces would be there for years to come.“I want this pushed to the left,” he told advisers, pointing to the bell curve. In other words, the troops should be in sooner, then out sooner. (Emphasis mine)
Sooner either way. The man wants out, and the worrywarts of the progressive movement are examining every word out of everyone’s mouth for signs that he doesn’t.
As for what Hillary said about there being no “exit strategy:” she also said the month would be January. I think she’s just losing it.
