Analysis: Obama's Afghanistan Withdrawal Speech - Text & Subtext

Obama: We are starting this drawdown from a position of strength. Al-Qaida is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11. Together with the Pakistanis, we have taken out more than half of al-Qaida's leadership. And thanks to our intelligence professionals and Special Forces, we killed Osama bin Laden, the only leader that al-Qaida had ever known. Interpretation: Again don't forget that it was  Barack Obama and not George W. who got Osama bin Laden. We are not retreating with our tails between our legs but essentially victorious. This paragraph and the next mention Al Qaeda no less than nine times with zero mention of the Taliban that gets a brief mention two paragraphs down. In other words, the sole index for victory or defeat is how much we have hurt Al Qaeda. Obama: In Afghanistan, we've inflicted serious losses on the Taliban and taken a number of its strongholds. Along with our surge, our allies also increased their commitments, which helped stabilize more of the country. Afghan security forces have grown by over 100,000 troops, and in some provinces and municipalities we have already begun to transition responsibility for security to the Afghan people. In the face of violence and intimidation, Afghans are fighting and dying for their country, establishing local police forces, opening markets and schools, creating new opportunities for women and girls, and trying to turn the page on decades of war. Interpretation:  The idea that US allies also increased their commitments runs directly counter to to the address by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that accused America's NATO allies of failing to meet their minimal commitments. This paragraph also runs counter to the attempt at portraying the war in Afghanistan as a war for protecting American security rather than nation building. Perhaps Obama was forced into this wording because otherwise his decision to intervene in Libya, prompted by humanitarian considerations, would have appeared suspect as Qadafi posed no threat to US security. Obama: So as we strengthen the Afghan government and security forces, America will join initiatives that reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban. Our position on these talks is clear: They must be led by the Afghan government, and those who want to be a part of a peaceful Afghanistan must break from al-Qaeda, abandon violence and abide by the Afghan Constitution.

Get selected! for special forces, how to successfully train for and complete special forces assessment & selection

U. S. Special Forces

Montell's 5th Special Forces Group received the nod. To meet this requirement, Montell selected forty Special Forces troopers from within ...

The Unthinkable, Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why

Special Forces are an elite population: less than a third of those who try to join get selected. What was more surprising was how different the Special ...

United States Special Operations Forces

With this book, Tucker and Lamb dispel common misconceptions and offer a penetrating analysis of how these unique and valuable forces can be employed to even ...

Popular Mechanics

HANDGUNS An example of the right tool to get the special ops job done is the ... SUBMACHINE GUNS Another weapon category for selected special operations ...