Reader comments
Rep. Jason Chaffetz wants Obama to bring troops home from Afghanistan

I'm surprised Chaffetz message to Obama's not:

'Don't you know who I am???'

Chaffetz needs to closely analyze what will happen to Afghanistan if we pull out immediately. I think the military needs to stay and stablize the country, rebuild schools and hospitals that have been destroyed, and then leave CIA operatives in Afghanistan to find the Taliban insurgents, something that George Bush did not do.

I have never till now agreed with anything Jason Chaffetz has said. I hope our president agrees.

Hey Congressman Clown, will you condemn the Bush Administration for getting us into this disasterous mess and leaving it to his successor (whomever that might have been) to clean it up? Will you criticize the Bushies for letting Bin Laden go when they had him? Will you apologize for the GOP for criticizing Clinton for trying to take out Bin Laden? Where is the GOP responsibility in all this? I seriously doubt you have any clue as to what is going on, and your comments are merely partisanship.

So true, a politically correct war is a lost war. Get out or get serious and take out the enemy once and for all. "Measured steps" is lunacy when you are talking about physical conflict of this type.

Maybe Jason should challenge the Afgani's to a leg wrestle. That would be productive. Unfortunately we do know who he is.....

This is dangerous position. Chaffetz would hand a victory to Al Queda and Bin Laden. He needs to study-up on radical islam and the dangers it poses to the US and the West. This would be seen as a humiliating defeat and triumph of radical Islam, allowing Al Queda to get legitimacy in the islamic world and recruit more people to kill us here at home. This fight is bigger than just Afghanistan. But if we leave afghanistan in a mess by just walking away, it would hurt the US in the long run more than anything. The surge worked in Iraq, so maybe Chaffetz ought to listen to the military generals.

I agree with Mr. Chaffetz desire to obtain some definition about the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. However, if the goal was to ensure Afghanistan is not a haven for terrorist activity that could threaten U.S. interests, then removing a U.S. presence eliminates the ability to keep it that way. And, if Iran is the threat he believes it is, where better to have a U.S. military presence than in the country next door. If the full truth were known, we would probably see a significant influence in Afghany afairs from its Iranian neighbor. Read state sponsored terrorism.

Afghanistan is less country than a political boundary drawn around and through multiple tribal groups. I am not sure I completely agree with Rep. Chaffetz that there is not at least some value in nation building attempts, but it certainly is true that this will be a very difficult task in a culture where democracy has not existed for thousands of years.

As long as al-Qaida is operating in the mountainous regions of Pakistan and Iran is a potential nuclear wildcard we will have U.S. muscle power in Afghanistan in one form or another.

The ULTIMATE politican without a clue.
What is your military background Jason????
What is your experience with foreign policy???
How many briefings have you had with the CIA, NSA or the State Department???
Or is it how many hours have you watched Fox News and listened to Sean Hannity??
You are a freshman congressman without experience or knowledge but you do have a big mouth.
Maybe you should hire Max Hall to take care of your public relations. What a team that would be....

problem, the U.S. government under the direction of the libs in the white house and congress are prosectuting the same people you think we should use to stabelize Afganistan. Namely; the CIA or special forces. the problem is they can't do anything/prosecute the war under the PC leadership we have back home.
Chavetz is right...bring them home or destroy our enemy!

You had better check what your party wants to do, before you spout off Jason.

Your incorrect on your facts. It is a well known fact that Clinton was to blame for not taking out Bin Laden. This is something he has defended over and over to which it has fallen on dead ears. He had the chance and decided not to take it.

I think our current situation is due to so many variables that you can not place blame on a single president or administration. War NEVER goes the way we intend. As Chavez iterated, war is ugly and can effect generations of men and women, both from our country and the country the war is being played out. We need to forget our pride and do what is right! We need a thorough evaluation of the current state of affairs... of where it's best to put our troops and where we need to focus our attention...

we need to either give our troops the ability to help maintain the freedom we have fought for, or start pulling them out.

At least Chaffetz went there to personally see what is going on.

It took electing Obama for the GOP to start becoming an new anti war movement. :-) On the count of three: Liberals show their weakness during America's wars!

"We either go big, or go home. War is ugly. It is difficult. It is gruesome. It is brutal. You try not to do it (wage war), but when you do, you go big or don't go. You go with everything you can possibly bring to bear, win the fight and go home," he said.

Chaffetz=Republican in name ONLY!

Pulling out of Afghanistan compromises our national security and fight against terrorism. Why is Chaffetz being SOFT on terrorism?

"What is your military background Jason????
What is your experience with foreign policy???
How many briefings have you had with the CIA, NSA or the State Department???
Or is it how many hours have you watched Fox News and listened to Sean Hannity??"

I believe in Jason Chaffetz case, the correct answer to all of these questions is, "not much (many), but more than BO."

A true republican fool. Just like the previous president who left the mess for democrats to cleanup.

I commend you on your message but I have only one question.. What is your position in Jason Chaffetz office?? Your poor spelling didn't match with the obvious knowledge that the writer has to spin a subject.
Better luck next time on the spin game!!!

Some here sound more like Sen Kerry: " I voted for the war, before I voted against it". We went into Afghanistan with much popular support in 2001, but all of a sudden some would change history and claim that there wasn't any popular support. Those pesky facts keep getting in the way of the loud and repetitive claims to the contrary. Sen Chaffetz made his statement according to his opinions, not those of the GOP because he doesn't speak for the GOP, RNC President Steele does.

If we aren't willing to do what it takes to accomplish the mission, then let's make the changes needed. Troop levels were considered in light of the lessons learned by the Soviets in the 80's. We don't want to be percived as an occupation army like they were, we want the Afghans to solve the problem with our help.

Revisionist history doesn't help, it only obscures the picture.