CNN

NO! Something this serious cannot always be decided in a nanosecond.

No. He's doing the smart thing and gathering all information before moving. He's not a cowboy. If he waits another year before making a decision, thats when I will have a problem with it.

Thank heavens we now have a President who takes the time to evaluate the changing situation and thinks long and hard about sending young men and women into danger. The last administration was completely incompetent and Mr. Bush – whose primary contribution to the cause was cheerleading – made snap decisions off the top of his head. That worked out well, didn't it?

Jack

I would rather have him take time to review the situation, reflect upon the Soviet Union's experience and really look at what is our end game here before making a rushed decision because others want one now.

Matt
Rockford

We are not surprised as we reviewed his records when it came to making "decisions" in his career......he loves to "not make a decision".
Massively stupid again.
Joan
WI

Not at all and we have not heard yet about other specific related subjects that needs to be addressed to finalize the right distribution of resources.

It has been said that a bad leader is not one that makes bad decisions, rather one that does not make any decisions at all. If he cannot make the tough decisions, he should not have run for office.

I've said it before and I will say it again, Jack, none of us, including you have the knowledge, details on what all is going on in Afghanistan.
I am glad our president is taking his time in making a decision involving the lives of our American men and women.
If the previous administration had taken more time and put educational thought into wars we would not be in the mess we are
in.

pres. obama is very sharp and shrewed...I am glad, I voted for him...

Tired? How about profoundly disappointed? He's been in office for 10 months and on the campaign trail supposewdly studying these things for 3 years. Every day, Americans are at risk in Afghanistan and every week some die. I appreciate that he wants to be thoughtful - but why didn't he be thoughtful in January when the most important issue on his plate as CiC was that our people are dying out there!!!! Amateurish, lack of leadership experience

Not nearly as tired as I imagine our troops, who are struggling to hold on, are getting. The first job of any miltary commander is watching out for his people. Obama has failed spectacularly at that (as well as everything else he's tried).

I'm tired of bad decisions on Agganistan & Iraq, not waiting for the next. The real question is not how many tropps are need to avoid losing, it is how many will guarantee success and how long would we be occupyoing? When this question is answered, it will be obvious that more troops are a step in the wrong direction.

I am tired of Obama in general. Time to withdraw and start focusing on the economy. Very tired of him.

I think he should stop and dithering and send all the Neocons to Afghanistan.

Ed
Texas

Jack,

We have no animus with the Afghan people. We never have. Our beef is with a small band of extremists who lived there, with the then government's support. By all accounts, they are long gone. So, why are we still there?

Obama was for the war before he was against it. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

NO! Not at all Jack. I would rather have someone that thinks things all the way through and not someone that jumps into a possible extention of a war that may not mean anything anymore. We lost our chance with the last administartion by breaking our forces in two and going to war in Iraq when all the bad guys at that time were in Afghanistan. Two wrongs will not make a right.

Jack all we have to do is look back at the past eight years before president Obama was elected and all the hastily decisions that were made without much thought given to the consequences. To appreciate a president trying to make sure they get it right. How quickly we forget the invasion of Iraq and what that fast decision cost us and is still costing us.

Hi Jack
No I perfer the thinking approch to the shoot from the hip one.
Mike CA

No I'm not.. He should take his time when it comes to peoples lives.

I just hope after all this dliberation and rejection of the proposals he's gotten thus far he finally says: I think it's time to bring our troops home.

Jack: No, I can wait for the right decision, rather than one made from his gut. President Obama is a carrying individual and this decision will follow him well pass the 2016. President George W. Bush may have made decisions from his gut, but the decision for the surge in Iraq took 3 months to make. I would rather take the necessary time than move to quickly in making the wrong decision.

Jack the way I see it there is not much to decide it is more like when. When do we bring our troops home. Without having a solid honest government supporting our efforts in Afghanistan there is nothing America can do on the battle field that will yield positive results. Sending more troops into a country that does not want them there is a fools errand. Look at history Jack. Afghanistan has been fighting themselves for ever and every country that has tried to intervene has lost respect and lives in the process. Jack we don't have a whole lot of respect left anymore internationally . We are having to borrow tomorrows military payroll from China. Enough is enough.

Waiting........are we still waiting? Seems as if Obama is waiting for the problem to just disappear so he won't have to deal with it. Life was so much easier for him when he could just vote "present" and call it a day. Obama has always been against anything for our troops and he is sending a message that the lives of those over there now aren't worth protecting, they are dying while he "thinks" about what to do. He has been briefed and involved with Afghanistan for over a year, and to date he has NO strategy.

The longer Obama waits with his decision, the better the chance that he comes to see that the US military cannot achieve anything in Afghanistan. As Frank Rich wrote in the New York Times: if we cannot distinguish between the good and the bad Muslims in our own army, how are we going to distinguish between the good and the bad Muslims in Afghanistan? The US cannot get out soon enough.

No, I would rather wait for the RIGHT decision - one that is well thought out and based on input from all the experts, than have some shoot-from-the-hip decision like his predecessor made.

No I am not. Making a decision prematurly will get more soldiers killed in the long run. This decision he will make could define American foreign policy for decades to come. If needs time-give him time.

When it comes to Afghanistan, are you tired of waiting for a decision from President Obama?

Our previous president shot from the hip and got us into 2 wars with no exit plans, so I can wait for the Right Decision!

See how fast the Republicans forget that a request for troops in Afghanistan sat on GW's desk for over 9 months and that it was president Obama that signed the request and sent the troops?

If everyone in the GOP is so "concerned" about how we are going to pay for things, then how come there is no concern for the monetary cost of both wars??

Jenna
Roseville CA

Jack we learned before making haste war decisions costs many lives in iraq. Let the president take his time and make the right decision.

Why send troops into a country without a stable government? With no end in sight? This president respect lives much more then the former president...Do you get it Jack?

Jack, I'm tired of him not doing what he said he was going to do but that's politics for you, lie, lie and lie. If I was in the oval office, first I wouldn't be in China, I'd be working to develop good jobs in the US and all of our troops would already be home.

When it comes to Afghanistan, are you tired of waiting for a decision from President Obama?
NO SIR JACK, not at all, give the president a brake he's not george bush..OK

Yes, the clock is ticking away, our soldiers are dying and we are waiting for our commander in chief to take charge of the situation and act like he knows what he is doing. The rest of the world is watching how weak and naive we have become. Afghanistan should be a top priority and dealt with NOW.

No. But I do favor bringing the troops home. The truth is we just can't afford to prop up a broken country. Let's spend the money propping up our own broken country. If al Qaeda takes over Pakistan, let them all blow each other to kingdom come.

No, I'm not tired of waiting for a decision concerning Afghanistan from President Obama.

We've rushed to too many decisions. Unlike our previous president, President Obama is getting all the facts and advice, and will then make a decision. Let the man do the job we elected him to do.

Jack,on this one I think I have to agree with Dick Chaney,President Obama dithers while soldiors lives are in greater danger and the war effort becomes less winnable.It just proves the left has been and always will be soft on national security!

And how long did it take George to decide to actually do the "surge?"

No, I'm just hoping he takes his fourth option, which hopefully will be bring them all home. Its been a long time, with no end in sight. Time to end this fiasco. I have read that there are only about 100 Al Qaeda left in Pakistan or Afghanistan. So why don't we put a bounty on their heads and let the tribal system in the area handle it?

Better to wait and make a good decision than to shoot from the hip. I hope that proper deliberations are going on at the White House and that any number of troop increases goes beyond political interests and fits in with a comprehensive strategy for the region.

NO. This President is looking at a situation that is changing and, unlike the previous President, Obama is planning instead of just the "Kill them all now and let God sort it out" mentality.

President Obama campaigned on the promise that he would get us out of this war. He can take as much time as he wants as long as he lives up to his campaign promise.

No, on the contrary. I thank God everyday we don't have the likes of Cheney and Rumsfeld deciding the strategy our troops have to survive through and carry out. Today our President is not trying to make the best political decision – instead simply the best decision. Remember, this is not only about Afghanistan but also Pakistan, a nuclear nation. I just hope we continue funding the covert operation inside Pakistan so as to take out the "head" of this monster and plague upon this planet, Osama Bin Laden and the upper echelon of Al Quaida.

I don't think I ever expected him to make one, so I haven't really been waiting. Mr. Obama hasn't done much of significance yet, in the United States or Afghanistan – and he won't. He is a politician, not a leader, doing his best to get re-elected. Actually leading, actually making a decision without being forced, would get in the way of those terminal hopes.

I suspect we will largely pull out. Obama is probably weighing the words of the ambassador. Spending American lives and American treasure for a corrupt goverment in Afghanistan is pointless and expensive at a time when we don't have the luxury of doing so.
Cheryl
Houston

NO. Unlike the Bush/Cheney administration this President thinks before he acts. He understands that he will be sending some men and women to their deaths, that is not an easy decision to make. And is it worth the price.

Tired of waiting for any sane leadership from Obama!

He has accomplished nothing, and created nothing but hot air!!

The longer any decision takes the better usually the decision.

Anyone who has ever dealt with establishing strategic objectives should know what the President is going through at this stage. He should absolutely take all the time necessary to formulate a coherent plan. First a Vision must be established that would define the ultimate goal and there are infinite possibilities, One could be simply to seek revenge for the terrorist attacks on US soil and the MIssion could be to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden. Or the Vision could be to install a legitimate democracy in Afghanistan free of corruption and the Mission would be to reduce the Taliban to total ineffectiveness, stop the Opium trade and conduct a legitimate election. This is a totally different effort than the first Vision. It's a tough choice that is eight years overdue. Take your time Mr. President and get it right.

The longer he waits the more effective the decision better be. I certainly grew tired of the last guy shooting from the hip at everything that peeped while blind folded.

We can't keep asking our "Volunteer" Army to keep going to war over and over again. These multi-deployments have to be putting a strain on our citizen soldiers and they need a break.
I'm all for killing off al Qaeda and Bin Laden. But, I think we need to start the draft again. And build a huge Army that can get the job done swiftly.
The last eight years have been a disaster, no direction, no leadership and no troops. So, I am in favor of a well thought out plan along with a exit strategy. Let's get the job done!

Jack,
The President is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. But doing NOTHING makes him looks spineless. Like Reid or Pelosi.
Rory Murray
San Bernardino, CA
ps. Viva La Raza CNN!

No sir Jack.

Politicians, civilian Americans including media talking heads and average Joes should stop pretending to be armchair Generals and trying to tell President Obama what to do about Afganistan. Especially Republicans who seem to be bent on him following some ill gotten advise so they can bask in him making the wrong decisions, as if he should trust them.

President Obama should only take advise from those who are
qualified to advise him, and fellow civillians, IT AIN't US.

In other words, leave it to the military professionals.

Well, Jack! I think its a comfort that we have a Pres. that actually uses that thing above his neck for more than a hat rack. Thinking is good, if previous Pres. had of used his hat rack instead of his bum for thinking Pres. Obama might not now have to think so long on the mess! Give the man some time. I'm sure it will be worth it. Imagine having to clean up so much after someone else. He needs a huge poo scooper and a laundry clip for his nose.....I feel sorry for the Pres.

As someone with buyers remorse, I am very tired, although not nearly as tired as the military, of waiting. It’s a simple choice; either go in there to win with overwhelming force and get it over with, or pull out and be done with the mess. Then we’d have the option to go after the Taliban and al Queda where they are currently hiding – in Pakistan. Oh, and I’d get out of Iraq too. He is looking more like a clown every indecisive day after every indecisive day.

No. I want him to get it right. We took our eyes off the ball 8 years back and now it must, I repeat it must be down right now. We cannot solve the world. Bring the troops home and get jobs going for our people now and quit wasting money on these lost wars.

No. Indeed, I wish he would take time and consider more options, like partition so we can either focus our attentions on the Pashtun area (which should either go to Pakistan or partially ceded from Pakistan) or have the Pakistanis do it so we can get out.

not tired at all., compared to what bush and cheney crammed down our throats the " WMDS" FIASCO .. he is probably weighing all options on whether to send more troops into a hell hole (afganistan).. the whole area reeks of political crooks and not to be trusted.. i would hope that unmanned drones would continually hit the poppy fields and take the revenue out ot the picture.. do like in vietnam, use agent orange as defoilant and if anybody is there so be it

Not at all. There are many lives at stake. While you cannot have all the facts it's preferable to have as much as you can in a reasonable amount of time before committing to a strategy. It’s far better to know the situation rather than have a Bush strategy of go in without a plan, like he did in Iraq.

Jack,

Absolutely not! When it comes to war, rushing to a decision is not recommended (Vietnam ring a bell? How about Iraq?) Obama is absolutely correct to explore all sides of the question of additional troops to Afghanistan. If he concludes that a troop surge really can turn things around and lead to a viable exit strategy, I'll back him 100%.

Jim
Reno, Nevada

Jack, Pre. Obama recently sent a message to his critics especially to the GOP and the military pressuring him to increase troop level in Afghanistan, "I cannot be intimidated". I want the president to go further and fire the general who openly oppose Biden position. It is amazing how some of my fellow Americans want to spend $1 million on a soldier per year in Afghanistan but will do anything possible to stop health care reform that will benefit most of commom Americans being used as instruments to kill the reform. I just do not get it, Jack can explain it to me? MacFab Texas

It's obvious Obama doesn't have any family in Afghanistan. His lack of support for our troops is nothing new, his voting record as a junior senator has been clear. Obama has ZERO military experience and apparently doesn't trust the advice of those who do. There aren't a lot of options, either we send in more troops to finish the job or pull the troops out and bring them home. Time to protect those that are over there while Obama "thinks" about a strategy. Everyone, Democrat and Republican alike are tired of this indecision. Afghanistan and our soldiers should be his number 1 priority.

No I am not tired of waiting for Obama,s decision on Afghanistan, He needs to think long and hard before we commit more money... which we dont have.... more of our fine men and women of the Military who are battle weary.......for an enemy we cant see, and a country where we have no friends.......

I'm not tired of waiting but I'll bet the troops are.
They deserve an answer more than anyone.
Maybe Obama should ask the privates and corporals for their input since they are the people at risk ,not Gen McKrystal.
McKrystal is not walking point on combat patrols.

President Obama listens more than he talks and thinks before making a decision. That is a good and refreshing thing.

I'm not a soldier. I didn't ask him or the soldiers to fight in this war. I have no economic gains to be had because of this war. Afghanistan has been drawn out for eight long years, many men have died, all on the quick decisions of a failed administration. Obama has every right to fully examine every aspect of this war, and its going to take much longer than a day to fully understand this entire armed conflict. The soldiers and the people of Afghanistan are the only ones who really matter at this point...and any man woman or child who is not over there, or doesn't have a father, brother, sister, mother, daughter or son over there has no right to demand more out of our president when he is trying to hard to do the job right. If you ask me, its a pleasant change from the flip-a-coin tactics of the Bush years.

When you hire someone who's resume is cleary void in the qualification department, this is what you get. We should not be surprised. Our commander in chief/President should be required to have minimum qualifications for the job. Obama doesn't seem to trust the opinions of the military personnel on the job in Afghanistan and he has no idea what to do. Truly scary for our soldiers who are fighting a losing battle until he takes action. Act now, their lives depend on it.
Debbie
Tucson, AZ

When are people going to understand that it is SERIOUS when we decide to commit troops to a hostile environment? No, I am not sick of waiting for President Obama to make this choice, he should take all the time he needs to take to come to a sound conclusion. I would hope that any president would do the same thing, instead of just going by the seat of their pants and deciding to commit troops. Hopefully he won't commit those troops, but if he does, we can at least realize he did so for a real reason, not just because of a hunch (see: "WMD in Iraq").

Not if in the end he makes the right one and cuts our losses. People's lives are at stake.

No. After 8 years with no apparent strategic plan for Afghanistan, it is time to take a well-reasoned approach to this war. I am tired of those on the right who seem eager to rush Obama into making bad decisions on this war. Lately I find it hard to stomach some of my Republican friends who seem more interested in Obama's failure than America's success.

My nephew lost his legs in Iraq. I wish Cheney and the rest had 'dithered' a bit longer over that decision. If they had, a lot of our kids would still be alive and whole; moreover, we wouldn't be in the quagmire we're in now in Afghanistan. And where were Romney, McCain and the others for the last seven years? Oh yeah, McCain was saying we could "muddle our way through" Afghanistan & Romney had nothing to say other than he was the candidate of 'family values'. The president should listen to Colin Powell, don't get pushed by the left or the right, take your time and make the best decision possible. When Obama makes that decision, I will support it because I will know that every option was considered carefully.

Who's waiting? The decision has already been made. My nephew is already scheduled to go to Afghanistan in December. He was given his orders a long time ago. Obama needs to stop stalling. He needs to inform the American people about this very soon. In his campaign he promised to get us out of Iraq. He should have included Afghan-istan too. This war will cost him reelection – and should.

Frankly Jack, there are three hundred million or so people with a view on this, but only one who was hired by a majority to make the decision: one B. H. Obama. That one person is also the only one of us who's well-informed enough to make the call. I trust that he knows how long he can wait, and will make the best decision he can. What i'm really tired of is the complaining of folk who don't know what he knows, or who are actually responsible for the mess. I'm looking at you, Mitt Romney and Dick Cheney. Those two, and the rest of us, should shut up and let the man do his job.

Americans should not be in that wasteland at all. Just like LBJ before him, Pres. Obama seems not to want to "lose face" so we are continuing to lose our young troops instead.

Jack, what I'm tired of is every body and his brother and then some, wanting the President to do what they want him to do, when they want him to do it, and how they want him to do it. We'll acting like a bunch of spoiled brats pitching a tantrum because we can't get what we want, and GET IT NOW! Grow up Americans! We'll up a poluted tributary without proper propulsion. If we jump into the mess without thought and examination of ALL of the facts, we may find ourselves in a worse mess. We need to chill and trust the President to be President.

As a Viet Nam veteran, I think the Presidend needs to take as long as necessary to to answer the following questions:

What is the definition of a "WIN" as to the war against the terrorists?

How will we "KNOW" when we have won?

What is the "MISSION", the "OBJECTIVE", the "STRATEGY" for our troops?

Without these answers, the troops have got to be extreemly stressed because they cannot envision "PROGRESS"

Having spent a year in Afghanistan as a civilian contractor, I know first hand their frustrations and I don't want this generation of troops to experience the betrayal we felt in our "WAR" against communism in South East Asia.....we all know how THAT turned out.

I guess if you are the one making the decision to put thousand more troops in harms way you might want to give it a long, hard think. Bush was blamed for things he did that seemed impulsive and killed a lot of soldiers. Now President Obama is taking too long according to some. True he has had lots of time to think about it, It is not an easy decision Jack, either way he loses, I am sure not enough people are thinking about that.

Sadly Jack, I think the President is suffering with the decision on Afghanistan because he knows he's damned no matter what decision he makes. The Republicans will crucify him as a matter of course. Why can't they just shut up? The old men like McCain want to continue sending young men & women to their death. Obama should bring them home. He knows it is the right thing to do, but is afraid to make the decision. I sympathize for the Commander in Chief, but the time may have arrived to let the chips fall where they may.

If he decides to get the hell out of there, than it's worth the wait. Has anybody done a cost study to compare what the U.S. is spending compared to what the tal-ban and al-quad, I'm willing to bet that for every doller the enemy spends it cost us upwards of a million dollers!
And lets not forget about the lives, we care about the lives of our troops, were as our enemy doesn't! This is not a winnable equation.

Dave from NH.

The decision made by the former president is what the problem is in Afganistan...that problem was taking the pressure off the Afgans and Pakistani's and going into Iraq, and for what reason? No WMD's or "mushroom" cloud as stated by Bush and Rice and no active terrorists until we got there. If McCain, Cheney, and Romney have an idea of not getting more troops killed and getting the job done then so be it.....BUT, the burden is not on them is it? Would YOU want to make the decision about life and death? Probably not....and since the Republicans have managed to not send too many of their kinfolk to war then of course they want to increase the possibility of more American dead.

Jack–
I am glad that the president is taking his time to make an informed, and hopefully positive decision. There shouldn't be a rush to judgment when American lives are at stake. I want him to take all the time that he needs–unlike our previous knee-jerk decision president.

I don't get it. Back in 2001 good ol' George Bush and co invaded Iraq and Afganistan after planning out the four phases of war necessary for victory: Initial invasion, force buildup, major offensive, and post war occupation. Well, they actually didn't get to the last part – and yet nobody was concerned. America is still in the 4th phase today and now people are complaining that Obama is actually trying to cautiously hammer out a successful occupation? Give him a little credit for not just throwing more money at the problem.

I'd like to see us get out. I'll settle for a little dithering followed by a withdrawal. I wonder what things would be like today if we dithered a little before throwing ourselves into Iraq without a plan for anything beyond the destruction of that country's infrastructure.

I'm getting there, but I think Prez Obama is doing what we elected him to do. Not rush to judgement, bi-partisan and allied talks. He's made up his mind. He's just trying to withdraw so it doesn't look like Vietnam, and still put pressure on the U.N. to increase their troops and let us get out. IMHO.

Maria
Brunswick,MD

I think I would rather see this approach than the old "bring'em on" approach we had recently..These are real lives and dollars that are being dealt with, not some video game that Cheney and those clowns thought it was

I think we have been there 8 years. Maybe he is trying to prove it is time to come home. Hopefully. Let him take his time. At least he is trying ..........to do something..............right.

I tired of hearing from the media that he's taking too long. This is an important step with huge consequences; no place for armchair quarterbacks, Jack.

Heaven's no. The poor guy's in over his head already with weighty decisions and having generals badgering him about stuff he knows nothing about takes time.

Gary in Scottsdale, Arizona

No. I am in two classes right now, both given by retired State Department officials who have who have long and extensive experience in that part of the world, and I have learned that there are huge geopolitical consequences to be taken into consideration. The President is right to get himself well-informed before making a decision. My personal opinion–Pres. Bush dropped the ball in Afghanistan for six years–why should we expect Pres. Obama to make a snap decision? Barbin, Arlington, VA

No I'm not tired of waiting because unlike some people I have a lot of confidence in President Obama. I'm sure he is weighing all the facts and is taking this awesome responsibilityit very very seriously.

I think that President Obama is thinking this through first. There is one General saying not yet and others saying now. I know it is hard for our soldiers and no one has more dying love for them than me but lets let the President do his job. We definintely do not know everything. And for Mr. Romney sit down and shut up. You lost. No one is perfect not even you.

For 7 years our previous CIC provided no clear mission for US forces in Afghanistan. Instead, he sent thousands of more soldiers to die in the invasion of another country in another unclear mission. I thank God every day that our new CIC is taking his time in making a decision regarding sending or not sending our men and women to risk their lives on another foggy mission. Our gallant and brave troops perform their best when those who lead them have clear objectives for success. And in this complex world it's going to take intelligence and time to determine that.

No, he should take all the time he needs before he commits more Americans lives to a lost cause. I don't think he should bend to the will of the opposite party, nor the media. Most times being more deliberate is the best way to do things, as our last President should be proof enough for you to go by.

Jack,

Yes. It's been over two months since General General McChrystal gave his assesment on the war. Enough with the discussions already. President Obama, decide what you are going to do.

No, I am not. I hope he decides to pull our troops out. Even if we eradicated all of Afghanistan, Al Qaeda would just relocate to Sudan or Indonesia or Wasilla. It is a futile effort, killing military personnel and civilians for nothing. We need to fight a war of idea, not a war of mountainous caves.

NO – He will make the right decision – You can not make a fast decision regarding war – we know what will happen if we make a fast decision. I support the President 100%

No I'm not Jack. Much rides on this decision and I'm glad he's taking his time, gathering all pertinent information, and then making a decision. That's so unlike Bush and Cheney who in my opinion, were reckless and irresponsible. We need a reliable ally over there and an administration free from corruption which has tainted their past, and I'm not sure we have that now. Al Quadi originally said that their goal was to destroy this country financially, and they pretty well did under Bush and Cheney. Finally, it's time we had a plan to extracade ourselves from that quagmire and I think any plan approved should contain such a provision.

When a decision has to be made whether or not to escalate a war that will further entrench our stay in afghanastan, I hope they have at least 20 hours worth of thought put into it.

Yes, I am tired of waiting for Obama to decide what to do. If the general in charge, who was picked for his experience and knowledge, says we need more troops, then we need more troops. My husband is not on his first deployment out there, but if Gen McChrystal gets the troops he wants, I am hoping it will be my husbands last deployment and he can come home safely and for good.

No, I'm tired of Presidents that make stupid decisions out of haste. It's truly stupefying that this country can't understand that decisions like this don't happen as fast as their microwave popcorn.

President Obama should make a right decision, not a hasty one. Rushing to judgment is what got us into two wars based on unverified intelligence. If we send forty thousand new troops, we should bring forty thousand existing troops home. Increasing the number of U.S. targets will accomplish nothing, which is what we've accomplished so far.

Why would any American have issues with a President being thoughtful and careful about using Americas best assets , Its People and its Treasure, in a war zone! Maybe GWB should have spent a bit of time thinking instead of acting like a reckless cowboy. Give Me a break, so tired of this GOP nonesense.

no,president obama is not going to rush to a decusion "pell mell" as president bush did ,it was bush who got us into this mess in the 1st place and who is primarily to blame for all the deaths of young american soliders we have had

Are you kidding? I am thrilled to see him taking this decision so seriously. Watching him go to Dover to see the Dignified Return of our fallen troops, to Arlington Cemetery (Section 60) to see people mourning their lost family and friends, to Ft. Hood to comfort those who lost friends at the hand of a fellow soldier, and rejecting ALL plans given to him because none of them had plans for an exit of our troops, make me prouder than ever to have Obama as my President.

Tired of waiting for war? This isn't a video game, Jack. The last President who was in rush to war got us into a carnage that w're still trying to get out of – real people got killed.

the Question should be
why Bush send young kids to died in Afghanistan?
President Obama didn;t send those small amount of troops there
so he is just trying to see how will be better to finished what Bush started
Obama is not Solo in the WH and if you guys see some of the powerfull
guys in the Army were with Bush too,he is not weak the President is strong and smatter than most of you think.
thanks
montreal canada

If the question to President Obama is, do we send more troops? Or should we pull out? I would say yes, decide already. It is so much more than that. I am personally glad he is taking time to research all angles to this quagmire the last administration got us into. Complicated by the Karzi corruption, his brother in charge of the poppy fields and funding the Taliban, honestly it has become the worst mess, and they the Karzi government has had plenty of time to undermine all the plans we have envisioned. If only more troops were the only answer, but I am afraid we have Pakistan, AlQueda, Taliban, and corruption. I know he is considering not only entry, but a exit as well. Would not want this on my shoulders, we should be more patient and let the man do his work

No! The less people that go over there anytime soon the less have to die, becasue Bush took his eye off the mark!

It is good that we finally have a President who is not making kneejerk decisions with other peoples lives.

Yes I am Jack,
In the president's defense, this is his first major decision as president. But it's a decision that now needs to be made.

Jack,

When President Johnson and President Nixon increased our troops level in Vietnam in the 60s, it did not happen overnight. Why is all the fuss about now.... with Afganistan?

Let's not forget the phrase; "Haste makes waste". Before sending more troops to Afghanistan we have to have a clear understanding and know exactly what we want to achieve in the next 2 to 3 years and that we are not sending our men and women to a "slaughterhouse".

Charles

As Senator Obama did in the Senate, President Obama is voting "Present".

No...let's not get it wrong like Pres. Bush and V.P. Cheney did. We have no business there. They just want Pres. Obama to mess in their nest so they can then blame him for their sins.

Hell has frozen over. Dick Cheney's "dithering" remark is right on target. Obama needs to define our mission in Afghanistan as one that builds that nation's infrastructure and replaces poppy with pomegranates and other viable crops. Build roads and schools and hospitals. Go to the farmers and offer them the chance to make decent American dollars for their produce. If we need our troops there to protect the people trying to do good work, then let that be their mission.

I think this is the most intellegent decision maker in our presidency for a long time, just look at the recent past!

No, Jack. The president saw the total mishandling of the Afghanistan war by the previous administration which was diverted by Bush's vendetta against the impotent Saddam Hussien. But unlike Bush, he won't be swayed by military brass and seeks the best way out of this quagmire his predecessor created. He remembers that another young president, John F. Kennedy was duped by the military establishment at the Bay of Pigs. Strangely enough, he wants an exit strategy best for the soldiers and our security. Cogency aways trumps impulse.

It is a bunch of rash decisions that got us into Afghanistan without a good plan of what needed to be done while there, as well as for getting out. If Obama needs a little time to figure out what would be in the troops and this country's best interests for proceeding, so be it. Why would a quick decision be the best answer for a complicated situation?

For those that have lost loved ones in battle he is doing the right thing by carefully examining all options. There is no perfect situation in war therefore, the probable consequences and the cost monetary and human cost have to be weighed. From the beginning of time there have been wars. Prudence dictates that we employ civilized, patient strategies that can deliver real and lasting results-less we become no greater than those we seek to punish for their horrible deeds.

probably not as tired as the young men and women who are fighting there. our soldiers are the ones caught in the middle of all this. they are the instruments of political policy and they have little say in the matter. i just hope no more of them die while they wait for this decision to come.

It was a rash, one sided, narrow minded decision that produced this quagmire that is called the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

And for a commander to bow to esoteric pressure from the ignorant would in itself also be rash.

He's (Obama) doing fine, he knows the consequences of delay and he also knows the consequences of getting this wrong. So let us all stop the second guessing, the assumptions and the ignorant judgments.

Jack,

Pathetic, our youth is dying and all this administration can seem to do is guess. Simply Pathetic leadership...Democrats and Repubicans..

Yes, but I'm hoping that President Obama's decision will be to get the hell out of Afghanistan. We need to stop wasting lives, both the innocents there and our marines and soldiers for a country that really has no ligitimate government.

I am tired of hearing from the media that he's taking too long. This is an important step with huge consequences; no place for armchair quarterbacks, Jack.

In my opinion there should not be much thinking required. Osama bin laden attacked us on 9/11. He has still not been captured so until he is caught (and executed for his crimes), I do not believe we should back down from our mission in Afghanistan. Of course we would not be discussing this issue if GWB & Chenney had left the majority of our Military in Afghanistan instead of sending them to Iraq for no apparantly decent reason.

I think that no matter what decision he makes or when he makes his decision many people will disagree with that decision. Therefore he should make his decision when he feels that he has found the best possible decision that will most benefit our country as a whole.

No, I'm not tired because I believe that President Obama will take time to find out all that he can before putting our troops in harms way. I truly belive that he cares enough to not make a drastic decision. Unlike his predessesor.

Dee

Houston,TX

I am not tired of waiting as he is gathering all possible information to make the best possible decision.

Now people feel it's just a easy decsion like deciding whether to get Combo #1 vs. Combo #2, but it's a little more complicated than that my friends.

This is where this war started and this is where it should end, so it's vital the right decision be made on this matter.

Jack,
It is becoming clear that Afghanistan is a war of choice that accomplishes nothing. We are spending $2,700 per soldier per day to prop up a regime whose leaders have no other goal than to steal as much money for themselves as they can. There are no clear paths to, or even a good definition of, victory. If we cannot win, we can only lose. Obama can take his time as long as he comes to the conclusion that we have to get out of Afghanistan.

No!! We rushed into two wars, according to the experts one was totally unneeded. The war lovers on the right should spend some time with the people who do the fighting. Now,and in the future we should think carefully before we act.

Listen, Jack. This is a very BIG decision. I wish him all the time he needs. Thousands of American lives can be lost if he makes a very wrong decision. You know, I think this country got so used to the George Bush, cowboy, , knee-jerk, shoot first and don't ask questions later way of doing things, that it's not used to a president actually deliberating on something. Let's all stop whining and let the President do what we hired him to do-THINK, then act. Which is something we were sorely missing for the past 8 years.

Jack...the very reasons you listed...low moral, suicides, depression, post traumatic stress and spousal abuse are all reasons for President Obama to NOT rush into a decision that would put more of our young men an women in harms way in a "war" that we CAN'T an WILL NOT "win". Bring them all home now would be a better decision!

I am tired of waiting because of politics. The President while campaigning stated we should be in Afghanistan. He doesn't want to send in more troups now and take the chance of loosing some of his Democratic followers. Are you sure he isn't waiting to make a decision until after the Health Care is past?

It is derilict of duty to take this long. Either we are in it to win it, or pull our troops out now, do not waste another life on indecision. Perhaps if Obama had to attend every funeral of a fallen warrior he would take the decision more seriously and make a decision.

He can spend a trillion dollars and give congress less than a week to read it, debate it, support it, and vote on it. He can decide to redesign our national health care system at the drop of a hat, but he cannot make a decision on sending more troops or if he wants to win or run from this war. Somebody needs to remind him that he is the Commander in Chief, not the Commander of the Economy, not the Commander of health Care. It is time that Obama realizes what his constitutional duties are. He needs to focus on what matters.

Absolutely not! So glad we have a President that is actually thinking before he does something. 40,000 lives are at stake not to mention the ones already there. And these are Reserves–don't even belong there.

In war, victory goes to those army whose leaders uniforms are least impressive How long will the American people [ knowing it is costing us a million dollars a man each year ] to fund this war . Over 1000 officers were killed by our own men in Vietnam and over 65000 killed them self after the war. That the true cost of war. We are not England in WW2 and Obama is not Churchill

The President should definitely not shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe he shouldn't shoot at all-not with the current level of corruption in Afghanistan.

No, he is not going to get into a big hurry unlike the previous jerks that jumped at the chance to start a war and look what the hell it got us, a never ending war mostly to keep the defense industry making a giant sum of money for Bush and Chaney's buddies.

Nope, I'm not tired of waiting, because more and more information about the current and new government is coming to light, and more and more military strategists are recommending strongly that we make as graceful a departure from Afghanistan as possible - and as quickly as possible.

I actually think what the President is doing is very clever...he is letting public opinion to GET OUT build up high enough that he can make the decision that I believe he really wants to make, which is to get out, without serious political repercussions. He knows that we do not have the available manpower to send 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan, nor do we have an economy that can tolerate the continued strain of the action there. But he also knows that the right wingers will scream and holler - but NEVER VOLUNTEER. So he lets them scream and holler until they get laryngitis or get drowned out by the more reasonable element that wants the senseless continuation of the conflict ended.

When we invaded Iraq, all we heard was about how President Bush didn't have an exit strategy. I'm not aware that he had any well thought through strategy. Now that President Obama wants to spend some time gathering data, thinking the situration through and developing a strategy, we hear about how he is dithering. No president does his job right. You should know that by now.

Whats the rush? Lets get it right. Why is the right wing rushing our
soldiers to be in harms way. Let those rushing to get more troops
to afghanistan volunteer their own sons and daughters to go to this god forsaken country.

Jack, I was tired of waiting about a month or two back. Obama is holding off, trying to figure out how to get the Dems to support his health care before he shoves Afghanistan down their collective throats. It ain't happening, because the health care is huge deficit problem, and he can't continue to hold off McChrystal and the military, so he looks bad in both arenas, and don't know what to do about it. Let's face it, Jack, he is a whimp, and whenever it takes something other than a fast tongue, he waffles until someone inside makes the decision for him.

I just thought he was voting "Present" on the issue.

Definitely, it is so unseemly, all of the leaks and the semi-public bickering. It has made the President appear to either be dithering, I guess even a blind hog can find a few acorns, or that the leaks are intentional and that the President is governing by trial ballon. Neither is what is expected of a Commander in Chief.

How long has he been in office now? Why is he acting like he only heard about Afghanistan 2 months ago? He appointed his own guy to run the war, who everyone agrees is a great leader, but he has left him hanging for how long now? This is not good leadership. I'm not sure it could even qualify as below-average leadership.

Jack;

Yes I am. As a veteran I very much appreciate having a commander capable of making a decision in a realistic amount of time.

My problem with President Obama is that he spends so much time jet hopping around being involved with everything that is happening he is loosing site of the big picture. It is not his job to be the "be all, end all" say something to everyone over everything.

If he shortened his list of to do's he might actually get something done.

There are very few big priority items and they should be his only focus....... Afghanistan, Iraq, states in America going broke, the national economy as a whole, fixing Medicare and fixing social security.

If he has any time left over after that.......... he can add more to his list.

Kate in California

So what's the hurry? No decisions were made for 71/2 years, a few more weeks isn't going to matter.

Bush had seven years to find Osama bin Laden. That was the mission in 2001. Nobody at the time said anything about nation building. Now is the time to get out and let it be Bush's failed war. Let Homeland Security, the NSA and the CIA monitor the Taliban. Let's keep our troops and our money at home.

Tired ???

Not at all. I would rather he take his time, and get it right, than do like his predecessor , who rushed into the conclusion that Hussein had WMD´s, and led us into a war, only to find out that Hussein had none. No need to elaborate how many lives and dollars, rushing to a decision cost America.

Perhaps, he should go to Afghanistan, and hear waht the privates , corporals and sargeants have to say, much like Cronkite did in 1968, who found that the war was unwinnable, while the generals had been telling LBJ, that it " was winnable, but they more troops "

I have been tired of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq long before Obama took office. We do not have areason or a right to be over there and it was up to the past administration to end our invovlement long before 2008 and it was up to Obama to return all of our troops immediately upon taking office. to contemplate staying and even adding more troops is not why I voted for Obama. To plan a pullout years down the road from now is accepting the guilt of the Bush regime and becoming a willing participant in the deaths of innocents and troops from the past 8 years and the lives of those yet to be taken in an illegal act of war. Do they not realize they are responsible for all those who have died for contrived and immoral wars and killing those who are not responsible for 9/11 and profess justification for doing so while those who are go unpunished? Innocent deaths can never be justified.

Thom Richer
Negaunee, MI

A thoughtful, contemplative president. Imagine that!! An exit strategy. How novel!!

At this point any decision President Obama makes regarding a course of action in Afghanistan is going to have major drawbacks and negative political consequences for him. So why not make a quick decision in favor of the troops and bring all of them home before the end of the year. It might be a real coup: saving American lives in Afghanistan and improving health care in this country - all before the sun sets on 2009.

Not yet but getting there. Logic dictates that if one can’t decide, then doubt exist and that is grounds to back off and bring our troops home.

No, I am not tired of waiting. We live in a country of knee jerk, poll driven "decisions". A considered approach? I'll take that

Not yet. I still trust Obama's judgement and believe he is weighing all the options as well as gathering all pertinent information. The clock is ticking though and he needs to get our strategic direction defined.

I am not tired on waiting on President Obama's decision. It is important that the decision he makes is a good one and a rushed decision is not always the best.

To make it short Jack, YES

I'm relieved President Obama is taking his time. Look at the mess we are in because President Bush rushed the decision to go into Iraq!

The question should be what is the point of this war? In the beginning it had meaning such as terrorism but as the time went on, the meaning became more pointless and wasteful of American tax dollars.

I'm sure the decision is not an easy one for President Obama, a lot of people thought he would instantly fix the United States, which is just absurd, so no I'm not mad at him for not making a decision, he has a lot on his plate, I'm more mad that the American public is kept in the dark when it comes to anything the government is doing.

This war cost more than the new health care bill and involves people dieing. Making a snap (AKA Bush) decision would be nuts.

I would rather the President gets it right than fast. We need to get behind him and stop attacking. This issue matters to all of us. If he come up short, it will touch all of us.

Yes, I am very tired of waiting for a decision on Afghanistan from Pres. Obama. The only possible advantage I can see is if we are waiting to see if Hamid Karzai will clean up his act and root out corruption in his administration. My guess is, Hamid Karzai will play us for fools if we can. We should still bomb the bejeezus out of the Taliban and al Qaeda, regardless.

Yes, I am tired of waiting for the President to make a decision on Afghanistan policy but much more tired of hearing the people who made the mess and did nothing about it for so long complain about how long it is taking the guy to fix their mistakes.

Tired of waiting? No. I'm not tired of waiting. Not when tens of thousands of troops' lives could be at stake. If President Obama made a decision in two weeks, we would call it a snap decision; if he takes a bit longer because he is thinking this through and weighing all of the options, then we just have to trust that he is going to do the right thing. I voted for Obama because I was sick and tired of watching the Bush Administration distort the truth so that they could justify the invasion that got us into this mess in the first place. Did I hear someone say Iraq? They may have made decisions quickly, but they made all the wrong ones. How quickly we forget...

I think the Presdient must answer for the many promises made to the People of the United States. Playing with the emotions of those awaiting their loved ones is appauling. The President has NOT made a good impression and NEEDS to act fast. The Americans are counting on it.

How can you expect a man who needs a year to choose a dog to make a national security in less time?

Tired is not exactly the word. I would say frustrated, angered and extremely sorry for all the troops dying while Obama takes his sweet old time. He is certainly no Commander in Chief as far as I can tell. Perhaps he is too busy with doing tv shows, Pitiful.

It's the classic "rock and a hard place" scenario. He'll be called a quitter if we pull out, a warmonger if we send huge numbers of Americans into harm's way, and a waffler if he doesn't decide soon.

This isn't a decision that should be made quickly and hastely. This has gone on for 9 years. That decision was made quickly to enter this war. Considering the president's schedule and all he has to deal with I believe he's making an informative decision as quick as he can and this isn't something that should be rushed into.

A decision this important – whether to allow more of our sons and daughters to die – is far too important to rush. And those who support more troops, or those who want to withdraw, will never be satisfied!

AS military general told me last night- it is military!! Take it very slow.

No, because until the decision is made, there is still hope that we will withdraw. What the President is probably trying to figure out is just where to withdraw to. The bordering nations are not exactly friendly. Enclaves didn't work in the past. Where can we base forces outside of Afganistan so that we can strike tactically against activities that might threaten US security?

I would say, just get the hell out of Afghanistan. BUT there's this big hugh BUT...........All this is spilling over into Pakistan. My worry is Pakistan's Nuks. If Pakistan is over run because of us leaving then who is in control of those nuks.
For President Obama's decision........He's got to make up his mind now.....I'm just glad it's not me.........

I am sure the President wants to make the right decision. Maybe he is just as conflicted as the rest of us. The Taliban are not global jihadists, and by most accounts, not too bright. They just want to rule their own place with their own rules. Al Qaida should be the target. I am not sure that an all-in strategy in Afghanistan is the best tactic. Maybe Obama has the same reservations.

No, I'm not tired of waiting for a decision regarding increasing troops in Afganistan. The fact of the matter is that we should never invaded Afganistan or Iraqi. Both wars were initiated to fill the pockets of Bush/Cheney cronies, and gain control of Iraqi's oil. No that that's accomplished at the cost of billions of U.S. Dollars and thousands of lives both U.S. and Iraqi, we now focus our attention on Afganistan.

Pres. Obama should take all the time he needs to make the RIGHT decision, and I sincerely hope he decides to bring our troops home.

Why are we in Afganistan anyway?

Gerald

We have seen the catastrophes that rushed decisions lead to, as with the Bush administration. We can wait another 20 hours or 20 days to finalize a plan that will have an
impact over the
next 20 years. Patience.

It is imperative to reach the right decision and not a hasty decision. Obama is intelligent enough to understand his critics are trying to pressure him into making the wrong decision, in which they will use as ammunition against him in the future.
Have we forgot about Iraq and the WMD blunder?
Brian
(Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Jack
I support the President thorough examination of the issues before making a final decission about Afganistan. That why we elected him President and not you. Regards JT

My husband and I are both Marines and I think its about time for him to send more troops over. How many more of our military need to die before we realize that the number of troops we have over there now isn't enough to go up against the enemy in Afghanistan?

I'm sick and tired of waiting for that decision, mr Obama pull the troops out of afghanistan or stay there,Cafferty tell him"obama" to stop acting as an harvard student and instead act as a President.what 's up with this guy

No, I'm not tired of waiting at all. If anything it confuses the enemy and makes them concerned about their actions as well. It's sort of like a football game where you keep taking time outs before the big play you need to make. The opponents become very confused and usually are not ready for your decision and action. You won't get another chance to take another time out before making the play of the game.

No A big no.I hope he want send all those troops over there.We need to slow down and work ourself out of there.They are going to fight till they die.That all they no and nobody is going to change them.

Let's not have another Vietnam. I want to know what is are overall strategy of the war on terror. What Is our goal in Afganistan. And what is our exit strategy with or without achieving our goals.

No I am NOT tired of him taking his time. It's about time someone say, "hold the presses!" and makes people justify their position. Compare this to the last administration... Ooooh... they have WMDs, we should bomb them. "OK" Ooooh... we need to dig in more in Afghanistan. "OK"...

These are tough decisions and I'm glad there's finally a president who isn't just a cute, toy dog that sits up and does what the military/industrial complex wants. If you're going to recommend harming someone else for ANY reason, you'd better know why, and you'd better know how you measure "done".

So get off his back, Jack. I generally agree with you, but on this, I couldn't disagree more. Every single life lost, both ours and theirs, is WORTH some serious consideration.

at least he isnt rushing into decisions like the last president did. when you say 7 and a half years , it wasnt obamas war for 7 and a half, it was bush/cheney fiasco. Obama wants to be sure , the american people are lucky to have a president now that is sure of himself and doesnt rush them into the harsh war they are in now.

As a veteran Jack, it's about time the commander-in-chief deliberated long and hard making the decison to stay or leave Afganistan.

Jack,
No, we need to take the time to do this right. The last administration waited for almost 8 years and never made a real commitment to Afghanistan. The president is wise to first have a plan with an exit strategy before we throw more troops into harm's way. Afghanistan is a VERY tough problem and we need to have good plans for our military and our civilian infrastructure programs in order to defeat the terrorists.

I think President Obama's hesitaion in making a decision for more troops in Afghanistan is a disgrace. Our soldiers are in a country where they do not even want us there in the first place, losing their lives for what? My feeling is send him over there and let him fight. If there was one of his family members over there, I bet he would send more troops. What is he waiting for. They need help!

Absolutely NOT. This is possibly the most important decision the president will make this year. The lives of so many of our finest youth hangs in the balance of his pronouncement. Let's get it right, not fast !

Yes! Our commander-in-chief is underquilified to make this decision, having never been exposed to Military Life, and doesn't have the guts to make any decisions, he just continutes to campaign! God Bless our Military

This is indicative of Mr. Obama's 120 PRESENT votes while in the Illinois legislature. He is unable to make tough decisions. He has had the report from his General on his desk for 3 months now, yet until it was leaked to the press, he basically did nothing about. Now we are seeing meeting after meeting. If this is the "good" war and the "war of necessity" that Mr. Obama told us that it was, why all these endless meetings? It seems we are seeing stall tactics taking place, or merely the overly intellectualizing of the issue.

I am glad he is talking to Asian world leaders before making that decision, because world cooperation is what could solve the troubles of Afghanistan. Finding out how serious the rest of the world is about Afghanistan, is extremely important.

No, that's exactly what he should be doing. The situation is so complex it is going to take much more than a troop surge to even dent what needs to be done. The past 8 years have proven to be unsuccessful and this is a situation that is going to require a different strategy than American troop dominance once again.

At least the last eight years were quick, decisive, and fearless. But this? This is getting ridiculous...

given our serious economic crisis here in our own country, withdrawing from Afghanistan, securing our borders and interior would be a much better wiser decision, late or not.

I say let him take as long as it takes to make an intelligent decision. We spent many years and lives in Iraq as a result of a shoot from the hip decision by the Republican Administration....no "dithering" there was there? It's enlightening to have an intelligent president who looks at the real facts.

What Pres Obama needs is a little bit of George Bush and Dick Cheney in him. His indecision and endless analysis is dangerous for our troops over there and this country. BTW I have a son-in law and a daughter in the Army in case anyone is concerned that I have no skin in the game.

The president isn't "deciding"...he's stalling. He said during the campaign that he would end the wars, withdraw the troops, and shut down Gitmo...he's done none of that because he's finding out the hard way that BEING President is very different from RUNNING for President.

Jack, I have yet to see this guy make a decision on anything.

What's the hurry? We have to get it right, look back over the last 8 years remember the Bush blunders! Do you want another re-run?

I think he's doing the right thing by taking his time. This is the only chance we got to make things right, since our former administration did not do their job and on the other side Pakistan/Taliban are getting more involved and more of the dilemma.

What is wrong in taking one's time to make life and death decisions? That's a very caring, smart President. After all, a quick, no thought decision has got us where we are today in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The ones who call for a quick decision affecting people;s lives do not appear to have ever gone through an event such as we have now.

No, I'm not, but I am tired of the news media talking about it. President Obama will make the best decision possible, in the time that he needs to take! Better than, the Bush administration jupping the gun and bombing Bagdade, without any thought!!!

funny how the soldiers are less bitter about the war than civilians that just complain about everything. I have tons of pals that are in the army in their second and third deployment and they feel that there is an insurgence and to be honest, I assume they know more than some nut job liberal that dreams of an unobtainable peace in the world. Figure it out

I am unutterably tired of waiting for the US to get out of Afghanistan, but I'll be happy to wait as long as it takes for the Administration to decide on a strategy if it starts us on a path toward a withdrawal.

When the lives of American soldiers are at risk the President needs to take as much time as possible. The United States sacrificed over 5000 men and woman in Iraq, a needless and unjust invasion; let's take our time and make the correct decision in Afganistan.

No, I am most certainly NOT "tried of waiting" for Presdient Obama to make a decision on Afghanistan. What I AM tired of is hearing all the BS about him supposedly "dithering." Finally, we have a president who is willing to consider all reasonable options and insist on a plan with an exit strategy. For crying out loud, we've been there seven years! Can't we wait a few more weeks so he can get it right, instead of rushing in half-cocked like Bush did?

Why has there been no meaningful national dialogue, led by Obama, regarding whether or not troops and more troops in Afghanistan is in our national interest? Why?

If a position in Afghanistan isn't in our national interest, let's cut and get out. If it is (and, with nuclear Pakistan destabilizing, it might just be), then GET ON WITH THE DECISION, put the troops in there, station them near the Afghanistan/Pakistan border and lock things down.

As for democracy over there...fuggetaboutit. It isn't going to happen. Don't waste time cutting out fraud or worrying about elections. Just concentrate on what is in our national interests. The rest doesn't matter. Why are we so pious about our national policy? I think the world takes our waffling for proof positive that we are fools and moralists doomed to continuing policy mediocrity.

Early reports OBahma is studing Truman, Kennady, Johnson, Nixion
and asking the questions his military won't provide,
if u get or don't get the troops you want what's the exit stradigy, I think he's duing the prudent thing
Charles
Mukilteo Wa. 98275

When President Palin takes charge, Jack, you will no longer have to worry about dithering and delays. She will have her six-shooter out in a snap. President Obama has repeatedly said that he is taking the time to try to come up with the best strategy to accomplish a completion to this war. He does not want to put the U. S. in further danger or to let our troops down, but he is also unwilling to sign up for Vietnam, Part II. If you have the answers to the problems with which he is struggling, for God's sake give him a call.

Quathiaski Cove, B. C.

Tell you what Jack. Lets get this huge banner, string it across the bridge of the USS New York, saying "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!"

We don't need a quick decission. We need the right decision. Knee jerk reactions are what got us into this mess in the first place.
.

You must be kidding!

LBJ rushed into Vietnam without a clue – we spent 50,000 lives and countless dollars on a futile effort. There is NO WAY that 20,000, 30,000 or 40,000 more troops are going to do the job, so we should DEMAND that planning be sufficient to determine a viable course of action. Or we could follow England, Russia, and many others down the rat hole of Afganistan.

I agree with the majority here, in saying that Im happy that the President is taking the time to think things thru and get it right. Haste does make waste, and Afghanistan is not a black and white simple issue.

Jack: No, I am not tired of waiting for President Obama to make an informed, thoroughly thought out decision regarding Afghanistan...I am tired of Afghanistan and I am tired of the loss of precious American lives in a futile civil conflict> I hope the President takes all the time he needs if it results in getting us out of this mess. Just think of the money we could spend here in beefing up homeland security if it was not being over there where no one is secure!

No, this is a mess and will continue to be a mess for many in our military and their families.

No, I'm not tired of hearing that Pres. Obama is taking his time thinking about sending my brother to possible death or likely psychological post-traumatic stress as a result of escalated warfare in Afghanistan. I think we know from (recent) history that a little more political and strategic planning before military engagement is a necessary thing.

For goodness sake, why would anyone concern themselves with what Chaney has to say? He was pushing Bush's buttons for 8 years in Afganistan (sp?), and went nowhere. Maybe someone taking a little time to get ALL the angles exposed will result in something. Who knows, it may happen that we will walk away and let them sort it out themselves.

The "what if" nay-sayers will have a field day, and the "suppose" doom and gloomers will string a scenario about the whole far east collapsing because aren't there wasting lives. But they said that about Viet Nam. Remember?

Jack:
I wonder if Cheny thought Bush was Dithering, week, etc... when it took W more than three months to decide to send more troops to Iraq? I don't recall hearing him make that statement then? Did I hear correctly that the Bush administration did their first serious review on Afghanistan in August of 2008?

I am proud that we have a president that will take the time to try and get it right when he has a choice! I would like to see us get out of this war al together as I don't see it helping us or anyone else.

I wish all presidents took such decisions seriously and worked to make the right choice rather than just knee jerk reactions or buckling under the presser of the public at large to do something even if it is wrong. Let's finally get this one right!

Jack,

Tired of waiting? No. Frustrated as hell? YES. When you live next door to Fort Bragg and knowing lots of soldiers (both active and National Guard) in country, you get mad, really mad, that the President is forcing our guys in harms way without the tools and men that are needed for success. Either give them what they need or get the hell out! Man-up Obama. Make a decision! A real decision based on need, not on politics.

As a former Marine, the Father and uncle of two Marines currently serving i just want to people to begin to start looking at the people serving as humans and not just numbers. If you ask us to do a job, then give us what we need to accomplish our mission.

Semper Fi

Obama should take all the time he needs to make a decision. He's dealing with decisions that will affect Afghan and US lives as well as US treasure to the tune of $1 million per US soldier per year in Afghanistan.

If the previous administration had taken more time to plan the initial invasion of Afghanistan and put some adults in charge of preparing for the occupation and rebuilding, we wouldn't still be there.

What's the rush?

Jack, a better question is...."if the previous Administration had taken some of thes same concerns into considerations would we still be so heavily involved in two wars?"

Yes, I am tired of waiting for Obama's decision. He has little or no choice however. Any decision he can make is Wrong. There are no good decisions. When your dog craps on your living room carpet you can throw the carpet out and replace it. Our military are asking for more df the same stupid Iraq solutions. We are in an untenable situation in Afghanistan. The military wants 10,000, 20,000,30,000, 40,000? Fools. Less than 120,000 to completely clean the country of Taliban AND kill all foreigners found is a waste of time. And you still have the problem of what to do with the country after we destroy it. Our military are not nation builders. And neither does this address Pakistan.

Obama is a long range, profound, strategic thinker; he should take as much time as needed. 20 hours deliberating is nothing compared to 8 or 9 years of war!

I'm starting to think there is something to Obama's lack of decision making ability. Maybe Hillary had it right in the campaign when she criticized Obama's 130 votes of "present" in the Illinois State Senate. "Present" just doesn't cut it when you are commander in chief and our soldiers are dying.

I'm sure the people who are complaining of the presidents speed on making a decision, wouldn't hold the same idea if it were their children been sent into harms way!
Abubakar,
Manchester, UK

No, I'm not tired of waiting. As a wife of an Army Specialist whose current deployment depends on his choice in this situation is happy to have the President take the time to review all options available even if he is sent over there now or 6 months from now.

There's a reason why Afghanistan is considered the forgotten war that's cause not only did the US forget about it but so did the terrorists. Now that we're starting to leave Iraq and move to Afghanistan it's no longer forgotten and terrorists are now digging their feet in Afghanistan. I'm very tired of waiting for a decision. To me waiting shows a lack of confidence in both the generals and troops on the ground. In addition to that I think every day that goes by gives terrorists a better change of winning there as they dig in deeper. Not only does it give them a better chance of winning but it also keeps us there longer then had the decision been made sooner.

C'mon Jack and people, kick the BS out of this conversation; of course we are all fatigued by the situation in Afghanistan, nonetheless we should carefully consider our next move. We should absolutely give our Commander in Chief the space and time he needs to make a decision and in my opinion this has Vietnam written all over it. That being said let's put our cards on the table, play tough and give some of the key players a short rope to get something done or get out.

Jack,

No, it takes time to do things right. Maybe making quick poorly informed decisions is why we are in the current mess.

David

I am glad to see President Obama taking all the time he needs. I also think he's using it as leverage to pressure Karsai to improve his new Afghan government.
And when would these troops actually be deployed? Probably all this extra time won't make any difference to that time line.

Jack,
I'm just tired of Obama. I'm tired of unfulfilled campaign promises that we were lied to about, I'm tired of him denying his Muslim affiliation, I'm tired of his bowing to terrorists, I'm tired of the huge deficit that he is piling on us.
I'm just plain tired

Brent from Idaho

As a soldier and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, I am thankful that our President is weighing the options and taking his time with this difficult and complex decision. It's easy and convenient for those who have not served in this war to make judgements about his actions. Military families and military members bear the brunt of the burden. For those that are so anxious for an answer, I have an option: Why don't you suit up and volunteer for the call!

all things you say are true– the stress on our soldiers-etc,- all the more reason to be prudent and THIS TIME do it right– give this president a break , it isn't a sign of weakness to consider ALL the options– of course the republicans are anxious for him to make a mistake– to make him rush into something that isn't necessarily the best for this country. –he won't do that you can be sure

Absolutely not! I am thankful that a smart and steady man is weighing complex issues before committing lives and money to endless war because of 100 or so Al Quada operatives.

This President has shown a willingness to address difficult issues facing this country, and he has done it with seriousness, calmness and thoughtful consideration, unlike the "Cowboy" mentality of the last administration. The Afghanistan situation is a complex problem and I am glad he is taking the time to at least try to get it right. It is tough for him in this "instant gratification" culture to take the time as we can see.

Maybe Obama should be rushed into a decision to add troops like Johnson was so we can get out after 30,000 deaths like Vietnam rather than recognize that we have no business killing people in every corner of the world. Remember we went into to find Ben Laden and stop a country from harboring terrorists. Afganstan is no longer harboring terrorists and we can't find Ben Laden. Why are we still there?

I looked up the definition for dithering and found it to mean "to be indecisive". So where is Cheney inaccurate? If he waits for all the information he thinks he needs, the decision will be made for him – by the Taliban. I'm glad Obama wasn't present when the decision was made to land at Normandy.

I spent 14 months in Afghanistan from May '07 to July '08 at Camp Keating, the base where 8 US service members were killed on October 3rd, 2009. I think this is a classic situation of "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Either send 100,00 more Soldiers or pull all of us out. Commit to something.

Oh course we are tired of waiting. He is personally causing our troops to die by doing nothing!! Rather bring them home or give them more help!!! At least Bush listened to his generals. Obama has no military experience but acts like he is George Patton. Help our troops out Obama, we need a leader!

My son is proudly serving Afghanistan. Concerned for him and his fellow soldiers, I am NOT upset over President Obama takiing so much time. This is not a simple issue. We went to that country to defeat Al Quida. Instead we are fighting the Taliban. Al Quida has fled to Pakistan. Do we follow? Is there a better way to get them than throwing a handful of soldiers at them? What risk does the Taliban present to America? Is the corrupt Afghanistan government capable of leading? Is the Afghanistan Army capable of defending the people? See the problem? We either need to get out or throw half a million soldiers to get the job done correctly. I never understood why there were never many soldiers assigned to fight the war there in the first place. Why does that country only get a fraction of our military force that we sent to Iraq? And, do we even have the military capability to boost the troop levels to where they need to be if we decide to get serious about Afghanistan? Multiple tours need to STOP!!! No soldier should be made to serve more than two tours. So, you see??? I applaud President Obama for not rushing in and throwing more soldiers at what may be a "no win" solution. It is a serious dilemma and deserves a serious contemplation, running and re-running options. Rushing in and making snap decisions based on opinion and media polls is not the way to run a country or a war. The right decision is not always the most popular and neither you nor the public knows what the actual situation and raw data is, so stop jumping in and pointing fingers.

I'm not tired of waiting for a decision, I'm tired of listening to all the different reasons why American troops are there in the first place. Through the years of Blah Blah Blah and American political posturing, we've lost sight as to why we even went there to begin with! In case you've all forgotten It was to get Osama Bin Laden and drag him back here to put him on trial for master-minding 9/11. It wasn't to bring democracy to the Afghans, It wasn't to help the needy or crippled of Afghanistan and it wasn't to control the Tribal/ Opium Lords of War of Afghanistan... It was to locate and extract Osama Bin Laden. Period!

We've been delayed and delayed on a decision. I think we've gone past indecisive and into wishy-washy territory. I understand this is a big thing with a lot of pitfalls, but at this point, any choice at all will be better for national morale and international confidence than this overthinking.

we are tired of waiting for Pres. Obama to send more troups to Afgan.
We believe that is one reason why the morale of the soldiers are down. They do not believe the Pres. will help them.

Ever watch the movie dirty dozen? In this situation, either go for it with some sort of clean sweep operation or get out and let remote controlled military devices handle it.
Maybe we should bring all the troops home and fix problems here before trying to fix other country's problems.

I am only tired of waiting for his decision to bring the troops home.

I am not tired of waiting.

Afghanistan is a thorny problem, and I expect they are probing lots of possible new "mission statements", many of which give rise to more questions which also need to be answered, which give rise to more questions... .

(McChrystal's first ideas were obviously based on an old, possibly Bush era, mission statement" which may now not be the preferred solution.)

It's not like he doesn't have anything else to deal with.

While Bush took off months, at least Pres. Obama isn't taking off much time – maybe not enough for his own good!

I want a decision which, on balance, saves coalition and Afghani blood and treasure, and leaves a strong, independent, and preferably non-extremist Afghanistan. I'll wait a while for that. There is no reason to hastily rush a bunch of fresh "targets" over there to bleed while we make plans which should have been made and implemented nearly a decade ago.

yes he needs to act know

Jack, i just want to know why everybody is so politically inclined now with this particular president? if we'd have paid this much attention to the current political events 10 presidents ago this country would be much more economically sound, safer, and our freedoms would be secure.

He knows more than any of us, media included. To hurry up and send more troups without the exit strategy in hand as he has requested would be a waste of lives and money. He has stated that none of the proposals presented thus far are acceptable. The proposal that will be acceptable will trigger his decision, AND is not our business in detail form.

"As a dog to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly". Haven't we learned anything from how badly hasty decisions can turn out? We ran into Iraq without knowing enough, and I think it's safe to say it hasn't turned out well. Afghanistan is just as difficult a call, and I for one am happy that Obama is willing to give the decision due diligence, despite the inevitable criticism of 'being weak' he is bound to endure. Adults consider. Children worry about looking tough.

No Jack,but what i am tired of is the anxiety of the press in wanting to Pres.to make a quick decision.I prefer a commander in chief who takes him time to make a decision about sending young men and women into harm's way rather than one who shoots first and ask questions after.

I think the President should all of the time necessary to make the RIGHT decision. History shows us what happens when there is a rush to judgement. After all, we are talking about people's lives and BILLIONS of dollars leaving the United States.

This falls in the Real Men Eat Quiche file.

Could Afghanistan be a more complicated issue? I wholly appreciate Obama's deliberation. Any of the other candidates, were they in the White House, would have felt compelled to rush to a decision precisely so as to not look weak. The trees that grow fast are weak. Obama's list of considerations includes the majority of Americans not wanting to stay in the war, Kharzai's leadership, societal development, our role in the world, oil issues, and a Commander in Chief's need to have the resolve to send men and women into danger.

I disagree on Obama's economic policies, and his Health Care, however I think and hope that he will ask the question? – What is the benefit to the US to stay in Afganistan and do the Afgans really want us to stay there –(other than our dollars)! And if we stay to help, how do we ever solve their long term problems! Maybe a significant analysis will help! If the reight questions are asked – otherwise – get out!!!! Rusty

it took me a couple years to get upset at are last president.
we have made a mistake with this one . More and more of or men a women will die with no real objective . I do not trust this man to do the right thing at all.

Sunny Ar.

What's to decide? We sent over 550,000 troops into Kuwait to liberate it and it was a tiny country. Afghanistan is way bigger and we send in slightly more then 100,000. What is wrong with this picture? This is a no brainer for Obama. Either he goes in with enough troops to win or he brings them all home now. Anything less will end in failure. We either learn from history and others failures or we become one of those failures.

What I'm really tired of is people expecting a quick decision. It is report to cost 1 million dollars per troop which is going to add to the federal deficit. War cost money so I think we better decide what we want. Obama is acting fiscal responsible – something Cheny doesn't know anything about. He probably still has his hand in the cookie jar with Halliburton. We've gotten all kinds of reports of different things that are affecting troop moral. The troop need a well-defined mission with a high probability of success.

For eight years Bush and Cheney and all the Republicans ignored Afghanistan and diverted troops and treasure to the needless war in Iraq.

Now these same people are criticizing Obama because he wants to study all the options. Just think if the right wing Republicans had study history before invading Iraq a county that had nothing to do with 9/11. The very people who are criticizing now are the people who got us into this mess.

President Obama should take as much time as needed.

Gee, a president that wants to wait before comitting troops to conflicts,wars. Doesn;t he realize this is the age of instant gratifacation, messaging, texting,pizza and everything else.

Why is it that everyone assumes we are privy to all of the information Obama has? There may be several very good reasons why no decision has come to the surface yet... negotiations going on behind the scenes, etc.

On the other hand, the last administration made much faster decisions regarding invading Afghanistan and Iraq and we see how well THAT has worked out.

No Jack. I'm glad the President is carefully evaluating all options and wanting to make certain the Afgan leadership is really in a position to carry its fair share of the responsibilities involved. After years of previous reckless decision making in Iraq, often under false pretenses, we all had better expect a decision that doesn't put our service men and women in harms way until and unless such an outcome so merits their being there..

I find the fact that Pres. Obama has procrastinated on making a decision in support of a request by the Afghanistan field commander a blatant disregard for human life. Our soldiers are on the ground, making sacrifices and dying for a cause that was in reaction to aggression in our land, terrorism, born in Afghanistan.. Is President Obama now apologizing by not acting? Make a decision and follow through!

President Obama is qualified and capable of leading our country.The mess of our nation did not happen quickly and if he needs a little time to make sure he is cleaning these messes up correctly then let's show a little patience.If people would stop being so critical of everything he does(or doesn't do fast enough), stay out of his way , let him do his job and show some support and confidence it would be much easier.I have two sons deployed in the middle East and I want this decision to be well thought out and all options considered.

This proves that Obama is not and was not prepared to be Commander-in-Chief.

Let the President do his job! I'm tired of polls and Republicans telling me how the american people feel about this and that. When Bush was president Rumsfeld ran the war. He didn't listen to the genenerals, in fact he got rid of them if they disagreed with the administration. We have a thoughtful, intelligent man in office now who is actually attempting to put together an exit stratagy. Or are we now just going to remain in a perpetual state of war courtesy of the Republican Party.

I think it is time to consider getting out of Afghanistan altogether. There is no such thing as "winning" this war and I believe it can't be done. Just remember how powerful the British army was when the American colonists rebelled against British rule here. And also remember that all we had was a ill equipped rag tag army against a powerful British "Occupier" and this rag tag army was able to defeat the British and kick them out of the country! Do any of you war hawks see the comparison in Afghanistan?? Just think about it! Let's get out now, I believe Russia had 400,000 soldiers in Afghanistan back in the 1980's. And they were smart enough to get out. We cannot win against religious fanatacism

Hi Jack,
I support and voted for Barak Obama...I am disappointed that he has not addressed the American people with SOMETHING...regarding this most important decision...My young son Aaron who is now 22 yrs old is training with the Army National Guard in Louisiana, and is headed for Afganistan on January 3rd and I would like to know that he as all the men there now and in the future will not be impacted for life because of what they will endure in this situation....

I'm a dem. and I'm getting tired of obama. He just sets around and does nothing to help our troops.

Obama stalling? Hell no! I for one am hoping he takes as much time as he needs to get the free world to support effort - or the US should pull out of Bush/Chaney wars.

I believe that he was elected to make considered decisions. In contrast to those in the Bush administration. He can take forever as far as I am concerned, really. I think that we have mucked it up since Charlie Wilson's War. I totally believe that Pakistan is a much bigger problem. Afghanistan is a sparsely populated backwards country. We could certainly buy their cooperation cheaper than we can beat it out of them. Pakistan is densely populated, unruly, unnecessarily preoccupied with India and most importantly has the BOMB!
Let's get our priorities right!

As a veteran of two tours in South East Asia (Nam) and of one South West Asia (Desert Shield/Storm) tour, I fully expect the CIC to make an informed decision based on the best information and intel available in country.
Unlike a conventional war based on a response to a national security threat, the current war in Afghanistan is another " I dont like them leader" war like Iraq was. The dynamics are different than the circumstances that surround a conventional war, and Afghanistan also has it's particular set of specifics to deal with, the geography and history of the country/region.
I personally would withdraw the troops since the orignal mission of catch Bin Ladin and crush AL-Qeada was put on the back burner to play around in Iraq for reasons unknown and has left the situation in Afghanistan a vague make up a 'fraq order' as you go type of campaign.
The troops did what they were asked to do and then the last CIC put them in an untenable position.
If the argument is that their dignity and honor would be stripped from them. Then the blame rest squarely on the shoulders of former President Bush, when we diverted troops and money to start an unnecessary war in Iraq.

I wish Obama would make a decision–a decision to completely withdraw from
Afganistan. It is an impossible situation. We can never win. It is just a waste of our young people and money. Even if we won it wouldn't mean anything. It would take years and then we couldn't change their basic
religions & culture.

It took President Roosevelt, General Marshall, General Eisenhower and the British parties months, if not years to decide on strategy to decide on strategy in Europe and North Africa during World War II. A few weeks or even months will not make much difference in an eight yearlong war.

When President Obama was a senator on the Arms Services Committee, he was able to lead General Petreus to contradict himself in testimony. My explanation of the delay is that after President Bush, the military leadership got in the habit of presenting plans that were sloppy and complete.

Please that your time, Mr. President.

My husband is currently serving in Afghanistan and I am extremely grateful that our President is looking at this situation long term and refusing to give in to the pressure of politicians and journalists. Too many lives have been lost as a result of the recklessness of the Bush Administration. Am I tired of waiting for a decision? No. Our men and women in uniform deserve a commander in chief that values their lives enough to refuse to give in to pressure.

no ,he is deciding our future and that of our brave young men and women in the armed forces . .

I look at Barack Obama as a very smart and intelligent man. If he decides to send more troops, I would be very disappointed in his decision, because Afghanistan is a dead trap and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine that the war is unwinnable. What suprises me is that people with a lot of education and experience are saying we need to win this war. Oh the navietety of some Americans. Why are we in Afghanistant? The lame duck excuse I contantly here is to protect Americans and to defeat the Taliban and Al Queda network . Well Al Queda is located in at least 12 countries. Are we going to these countries to disrupt the Al queda network? We need to get out now. This is a senseless war.

The Bush administration decision making process involved making a quick decision and sticking with it even if the consequences necessitated a change of direction. In the case of Afghanistan, President Bush chose to do very little decision-making. We now have a president who is deliberate and makes sure the decision takes into consideratioin the ever-changing nature of war and the complex work of supporting a new nation. We have been in Afghanistan nine long years. The least we owe President Obama is twenty-plus hours of meetings to figure out the right course of action.

We have become accustomed to quick, uninformed decisions in recent years. Having a leader who is studying all options before making a decision should be a positive in this case. Afganhistan will have issues for years to come, I'm glad the President is spending the time to look at the present and future situation, both for our armed forces as well as the Afgani peoples sake.

Jack:
As a Vietnam veteran I wish Johnson and Nixon would have been as deliberate as President Obama. After so many failed years it is about time someone begin to question the war. The generals always want more and more troops for a longer and longer war. We are no longer fighting terrorists, we are fighting Afghans in their country just like we fought Vietnamese in Vietnam. I hope the President takes all the time needed to get us out of these two wars rahter than waste another generation to a futile and needless war.

Deliberate, careful analysis by our president is a breath of fresh air after years of Yosemite Sam-Bush. Take your time Mr. President.

After eight years of a war with no real plan after the first six months, it is going to take time to come up with a strategy that will really work. We’ve lost enough treasure and blood over a mindless battle. Let’s get it right and over with. The Afghan government is the major player and with all their corruption we have to make sure we aren’t supporting something that will come back to bite us. If there isn’t a way to make it work then we have to get out. Obama can take all the time he wants.

Our President is doing the right thing by thinking and not just sending troops, this is what the Republicans like to see more troops, our President is a smart bright man I trust Hem, even if he made up his mind to sent 40.000 troops today they will not be ready to go till the end of next yr, also in my opinion the problem is Pakistan not Afghanistan,

People are complaining that the President is taking too much time in making an important decision. I would be complaining if President Obama didn't take enough time to make the right decision when it comes to Afghanistan!

There is so much for him to consider from the needs of the troops already in country, to the "war on terror", and viable strategies for either putting more troops in, or pulling them out. Not to mention the political ramifications of any decision he makes, all of this on top of the enormous amount of things that the President deals with on a day to day basis. (The economy, health-care, etc.)

If Obama needs more than 20 hours in 8 formal meetings with advisers then he should take the time needed to make the best decision possible. All politics and opinions on Afghanistan aside, why are people complaining that our President is actually taking the time to think about an important issue?

-Dave, Connecticut

the obama administration has repeatedly stated that their decision on additional troops should be carefully weighed and not rushed, because we it to our service members in the war theater to get it right. in the meantime our boys and girls are putting their lives on the line in regions of this country that are in dire need of additional troop support. get it right mr.president and send them whatever they need to keep them safer from harm. THATS WHAT THEY DESERVE! and they require this now!

Someone has to expain to this President there is a war going on. Wars do not have scripts to follow and situations change at a moments notice. A commander in chief needs to have the ability to adapt quickly to changes and be able to make calculated risk decisions quickly. Imagine if Eisenhower, Roosevelt and Churchill took this long during WWII to make decisions, where would we be now?

Jim

Canada

In eight years the previous administration failed to establish an exit plan – something that should've been done before going there. This is an important decision that should be carefully thought through. It shouldn't be rushed because too many lives depend on us getting it right this time.

I spent 14 months in Afghanistan from May '07 to July '08 at Camp Keating. Either send 100,00 more Soldiers or pull all of us out. Commit to something.

The right decision is worth waiting for we have dead soldiers who attest to the wrong decisions . I know of no one with the credibility or responsibility to criticize our President's deliberations. The buck stops with him and he knows it.

Mr. Obama appears to be a victim of ADD- he acts like a child and just runs from speech to speech, meeting to meeting without making a decision. As a military mom- and as one who knows many other military moms... he is making a HUGE mistake waiting and waiting and waiting to make a decision. He talked about the importance of the war in Afghanistan and stressed its importance when running for the White House.

Tucson, AZ – Impatience is NEVER a virtue. Every textbook in management science instructs the wise manager to take all the time available to come to a decision, because once made, you have to stick to it. The W Administration made many snap decisions, in order to appear decisive. Too bad that so many of them proved to have been wrong. Defense logistics does not need its instructions until December, so a decision is not needed unitl then. Better to get it right than to make it quick. If everyone else is too stupid to understand that, so what? They are not the President!

Jack,

Who likes the decision to rush to war to Iraq? President Obama knows that he could easily send any number of troops to Afghanistan, but he wants to make sure that exit strategy is in place because American soldiers cannot and must not remain in Afghanistan for ever. I support President Obama to take all the time he needs to make a great decision. What ever decision President Obama takes, his opponents must shout and scream like kids feasting on bitter ice cream.

Hey Jack: As a former Republican, I far prefer someone actually taking the time to look at all the consequences of making a decision than the former vice-president blathering on about dithering over the president having to clean up the mess made by his former administration. I also tire of the "talking heads" allowing Cheney to set the length-of-time debate rather than pointing out that Bush/Cheney had the full eight years to take sensible action and only provided knee-jerk decisions. Thoughtfullness far outperforms ridgid dogma.

Both, in Boot Camp and Officer Candidate School, I learned that a good decision today is better than an excellent decision tomorrow...later that truth was manifested in twenty years of service. I don’t have the same intel that 44 does, and I don’t know what the right answers is. However I do know what indecision is, and how it kills morale. I am beginning to wonder what happened to the American people. Why have we elected a draft dodger (42), a MIA reservist (43), and a non-participant (44)? Can America at least produce a leader from one of the parties who hasn’t lost their minds, or their values or their fortitude? Maybe 41 made a bad decision WRT Saddam, but he made a decision (attack & withdrawal)…from a view point of someone who went to war, nearly died in that war, and out of concern for people, Iraqi and American.

Johnny Mac

I can see how many people could be concerned about pres. Obama's slow handling of Afghanistan.....but wouldn't it have been nice if another president (nine years ago) would have given a lot more thought to going into Iraq.

I'm glad that President Obama is thinking about the troops. If the former VP is so concern he should volunteer to lay his life down in Iraq for the war that his administration started which allowed American companies to profit. The former VP should be forced to send his children to die over there on foreign soil. Everyone on Wall Street should be sent to serve in the war. If they make it back, they should be sent back until the war is done!!! The poor and dying middle class shouldn't be the only ones dying over there on foreign soil. So take all the time that you need President Obama!!!

No, this is a linchpen decision that needs to be taken seriously. This a good example of the true responsibility of being a Commander in Chief. I believe opponents of President Obama (Cheney being one of them) are smarter than the soundbites they lay out on our national stage. They're making these situations sound very simple to solve when all they're really doing is sparking distrust and distane in the less fortunate who listen to them out of pure devotion.

Perhaps the Peace Prize Committee was paid to give the Peace Prize to Mr. Obama. Perhaps those behind the prize knew he would 'waffle' even more in making a decision about Afghanistan.

I prefer intelligent thought over the ignorant disregard shown the troops by Bush. It’s funny how Republicans only care for the troops when it suits them, politically. They vote against funding vets, don’t arm them properly, use them to bash President Obama, rarely send their own kids off to war, then pretend we’re too stupid to notice the hypocrisy.

Jack, I am thankful that we have a president who takes the time to think before sending our troops into harm's way instead of just reacting to whatever events happen to come our way. President Obama has told our troops that he will not commit them unless it is in our nation's strategic interest. Because we failed to close the back door into Pakistan before we ever went into Afghanistan, our enemies are now no longer in Afghanistan; they have moved across the border into Pakistan and points beyond–scattered like leaves in the wind.

Remember Jack, patience is the key!

I'm not tired of waiting for such an important decision. I'm sure Cheney gave the same advise to Bush that he gave to Obama. "Quit dithering and let's get those troops over to Irag" That worked out well didn't it?

I would prefer you ask that question to the troops in Afghanistan!!

Taking time to make a decision but this taking time has turned into pure procrastination. His inability to make a decision makes Brett Farve look decisive. Before he gets hung up on an exit strategy he needs to decide on the entrance strategy. Unless he is Psychic it is going to be hard to set a day and time when the war is going to be for ane exit strategy.

Mr. Cafferty:

While it is unfortunate that humans seem to have a desire to take up arms against one another, it is even worse when a country decides to escalate a conflict like Afghanistan but does so on a limited basis while talking. If you're going to a fight, you take the biggest bat you have and kick some backside; meaning you go with all the resources you can spare and forget what others might say and keep the fight as short as possible and keep losses to a minimum.

Thank you,

Ernie
Grafton, WI

I'm tired of hearing everyone talking about how long it's taking to make a decision. Maybe if we had taken a little longer to decide we would not have gotten into some of the disasters we have seen in recent years.

Yes!! It is Past Time to make a decision. Our military needs Help!! Soldiers are dying and some are developing more Mental Problems because of Obama's stalling. He appears incapable of making this Important Decision. He is proving –he isn't up to being the President.

I personally think that President Obama should take all the time he needs to make this decision, and not let the media, public opinion, or some of his republican critics rush him into a very important decision. There are so many outcomes and possibilities to come from this, that he really needs to weigh it out carefully. I think he is smart enough to do that, and in a reasonable about of time without being rushed. After all the best decision he decides on, is what important, and not the amount of time he does it in.

As the mother of a soldier who is now serving his third deployment to Iraq, I am SO glad to have a President that is actually thinking before he sends anyone else into harms way, in either Ir. does something. 40,000 's obvious Obama doesn't have any family in Afghanistan. His lack of support for our troops is nothing new, his voting record as a junior senator has been clear. Obama has ZERO military experience and apparently doesn't trust the advice of those who do. There aren't a lot of options, either we send in more troops to finish the job or pull the troops out and bring them home. Time to protect those that are over there while Obama "thinks" about a strategy. Everyone, Democrat and Republican alike are tired of this indecision. Afghanistan and our soldiers should be his number 1 priority.

The president and his advisers should should take all the time necessary to come up with the best plan for success in the field, training the Afghan police and military and bringing our troops back home .

Jack, all we've been hearing from the republicans and a lot of news agencies is: make a decision! Why shouldn't the President take all the time he needs to make a decision like this? Don't the republicans care about our troops? They're trying to send them into harms way without a plan! Hang on, I forgot who I was talking about. They're only doing what comes natural for them...make snap decisions without any thought to the possible consequences and then blame everyone else when it goes badly. I hope the President gets all the advice he needs and a good night's sleep before he makes this decision. Our troops' lives are in his hands.

After eight years of Republican arrogance and utter disregard for the human cost of two unjustified wars, I find it incomprehensible that we even have to have this discussion now. Almost a year into a democratic presidential administration, why is this even a question? Why are we not out of Afghanistan AND Iraq yet?
I regret not having supported Dennis Kucinich.

No, I don't want him to make a quick decision that makes him look dicisive for political purposes. We had a "decider" who did that for 8 years and look where it got us. I hope he takes as much time as he needs to get the decision right. I know our Generals and most Republicans believe that what is good for the military is good for the U.S., but sometimes what is good for the U.S. is not good for the military.

Mountain Home ID

No. Had the Bush administration taken the time necessary to actually think through the ramifications of an unprovoked war in Iraq, instead of focusing on Afghanistan, the capture of Osama bin Laden, and bringing those responsible for 9/11 to justice, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. There is nothing simple about Afghanistan. There should be nothing simple about the President's decision. Oh, and Mr. Cheney? Perhaps you should have dithered a bit before you took our country down with your administration's self-serving agenda that had nothing to do with the best interest's of this nation.