With the Libyan War, Obama Neglects the Troops Dying in Afghanistan

While Obama is "concentrating" on Libya, the president is neglecting another important or "good" war in Afghanistan. This "good" war is unjust because Obama doesn't have a clear mission for our troops. He actually added more soldiers to Afghanistan without an objective. The travesty of the war is the incompetence in the leadership by Obama. The president is deliberately ignoring the war in Afghanistan while trying to concentrate the war in Libya for political expediency. It is an election year cycle, you know.

(CNSNews.com) – At least 858 U.S. soldiers have died in the Afghanistan war since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009. That equals 60.13 percent of the 1,427 American soldier fatalities so far in the ongoing 10-year war in that country.

For March 2011, there were 26 U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan, including 4 non-combat related fatalities. That brought the total combat and non-combat deaths for 2011 (January, February, and March) to 70. Those fatalities include 57 combat-related deaths and 13 non-combat deaths.

For the 858 U.S. deaths since Obama’s inauguration, 791 have been combat-related. This means that for the 1,241 combat-related deaths that occurred since the Afghanistan war began in October 2001, about 64 percent happened in the two years since Obama took office.

Last year was the deadliest for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, with 497 combat and non-combat fatalities. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), or homemade bombs, continue to be the number one killer of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

Why Not Gut Our Military and Let China Take Over as a Military Superpower

It is so easy to attack the military as the scape goat. It is apparent that Obama dislikes the military. Making apologies to the world of our military strength, repealing "Don't ask, Don't tell," and continuing to gut the military budget are strong reasons for Obama's contempt toward American exceptionalism. Obama rather allow China to be the military superpower over the USA. As Obama pressured Defense Secretary Gates to trim their budget, Gates had successfully found $100 billion in savings over the next five years by culling low-priority programs, thinning command structures and reducing overhead at the Pentagon. Only if the government could do the same thing.

(Washington Post) Under direction from the White House, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Thursday announced that the Pentagon will cut projected spending by $78 billion over the next five years and shrink the size of the Army and Marine Corps. The changes mean that the military would see annual budget increases that barely exceed inflation in coming years and that its budget will effectively remain frozen in 2015 and 2016.

Gates said the cuts are a result of the "extreme fiscal duress" facing the country. But they are also an acknowledgment of a rapidly shifting political sentiment on Capitol Hill, where senior Democrats and Republicans alike have suggested in recent weeks that defense spending -- which accounts for a fifth of the federal budget -- is no longer a sacred cow.

Members of Congress have traditionally protected the defense budget with zeal, mindful of the economic benefits that the military brings to their districts. The new Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon of California, said he was "not happy" with the proposed cuts. "I will not stand idly by and watch the White House gut defense when Americans are deployed in harm's way," McKeon said.

Gates said the armed services had successfully carried out a directive in May to find $100 billion in savings over the next five years by culling low-priority programs, thinning command structures and reducing overhead at the Pentagon.

But in recent weeks, the White House privately told Gates to come up with the additional $78 billion in budget cuts over the next five years.

POEM OF AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER (HIS VERSION OF TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS)

I heard this on the radio and it gave me a very heavy heart. To all my boys in Iraq and Afghanistan, we shall remember you in our prayers during this Christmas season. To every veteran, a job well done and your service will never be forgotten. God Bless you and God Bless the USA!

This poem was by an unknown soldier and it became an Internet sensation. The poem is another version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." The story tells of Santa delivering gifts on Christmas Eve, only to find a army private on his own without presents or decorations. Please copy and paste and spread this around. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

It was the night before Christmas

He lived all alone

In a one-bedroom house

Made of plaster and stone

I had come down the chimney

With presents to give

And to see just who

In this home, did live.

I looked all about

A strange sight I did see

No tinsel, no presents

Not even a tree

No stocking by mantel

Just boots filled with sand

On the wall hung pictures

Of far distant lands

With medals and badges

Awards of all kinds

A sober thought

Came through my mind

For this house was different

It was dark and dreary

I found the home of a soldier

Once I could see clearly

The soldier lay sleeping

Silent, alone

Curled up on the floor

In this one-bedroom home

The face was so gentle

The room in disorder

Not how I pictured

A true British (American) soldier

Was this the hero

Of whom I’d just read?

Curled up on a poncho

The floor for a bed

I realised the families

That I saw this night

Owed their lives to these soldiers

Who were willing to fight

Soon round the world

The children would play

And grown-ups would celebrate

A bright Christmas Day

They all enjoyed freedom

Each month of the year

Because of the soldiers

Like the one lying here

I couldn’t help wonder

How many lay alone

On a cold Christmas Eve

In a land far from home

The very thought brought

A tear to my eye

I dropped to my knees

And started to cry

The soldier awakened

And I heard a rough voice

“Santa don’t cry,

“This life is my choice

“I fight for freedom

“I don’t ask for more

“My life is my god

“My country, my corps”

The soldier rolled over

And drifted to sleep

I couldn’t control it

I continued to weep

I kept watch for hours

So silent and still

And we both shivered

From the cold night’s chill

I did not want to leave

On that cold, dark night

This guardian of honour

So willing to fight

Then the soldier rolled over

With a voice soft and pure

Whispered: “Carry on Santa,

“It’s Christmas Day, all is secure.”

One look at my watch

And I knew he was right

“Merry Christmas my friend

“And to all a good night.”

Photo of the Day

US Operations in Iraq is Alive and Strong

Even though military operations in Iraq ended in August 2010, there is a strong US military presence in the region. There are 50,000 US troops serving as advisers and trainer. Among them include 5,000 special forces to quell any disruptive actions from insurgents. However, no one knew that the US is nearby to act at any given moment, which is relief knowing we didn't give up on the war effort.

(MilitaryWorld.net) US fighter jets have reportedly pounded a region in Iraq's central governorate of Babil months after Washington declared an end to combat operations in Iraq late August.

Iraqi security sources said that on Monday, US warplanes shelled a region lying north of the provincial capital of Hilla, Aswat al-Iraq news agency reported.

The US involvement in a military operation comes despite the expiry of the mandate of US combat troops in war-torn Iraq at the end of August.

Upon the expiry, Washington withdrew its troops from the Iraqi soil after seven years of military presence in the country, but left some 50,000 US troops for what it calls "training and advising" purposes.

DREAM Act hunger strike spreads

(San Antonio Express-News) University students across Texas this week joined San Antonio students in a hunger strike aimed at pressuring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to vote for the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for students and soldiers brought to the country illegally as children.

Started two weeks ago by a dozen students at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the hunger strike spread this week to UT campuses in Austin, Dallas, Arlington, Brownsville and Edinburg, as well as the University of North Texas in Denton, according to members of DREAM Act NOW!, the UTSA student group that organized the strike.

The group is part of a national coalition called United We DREAM, which brings together activists in each state. Universities in Florida and Indiana have also begun striking in solidarity, members said.

Known Illegal Aliens attending our colleges on tax payer's money demanding to be citizens of the United States is an outrage. Also, Illegal Aliens serving in the military are demanding to be United States citizens too. Not to digress, I didn't know Illegal Aliens are allowed to serve in the Armed Forces. That is completely new to me. This Dream Act is another Amnesty program. If these student want to starve themselves, by all means, go right ahead!