President Obama on Afghanistan: ‘Now Is the Time for Us to Transition’
- Posted on March 6, 2012 at 9:29pm by
Becket Adams
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WASHINGTON (AP/The Blaze) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the accidental burning of Qurans in Afghanistan and the retaliatory killings of U.S. troops gave “new credence to the need to end the war,” the Associated Press reports. He also said the violence aimed at Americans in Afghanistan that followed the accidental burning of Qurans on a U.S. base was “unacceptable.”
“I think that it is an indication of the challenges in that environment, and it’s an indication that now is the time for us to transition,” the president said during a White House news conference.
However, the president was careful to note that his administration probably wouldn’t speed up of the NATO-backed plan to end combat missions in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, saying “that continues to be the plan.”
As reported earlier on The Blaze, six American service members have been killed in retaliatory violence. In a move that he claimed “smoothed things 
over,” the president offered his apologies to Afghan President Hamid Karzai. His apology has been fiercely criticized by conservatives as “weak“ and ”unnecessary,” The Blaze reported.
Twenty-three senators, mostly Democrats but including two conservative Republicans, Sens. Mike Lee (UT) and Rand Paul (KY), sent the president a letter urging him “to accelerate the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan,” the AP reports.
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), who circulated the letter with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), said in a statement that there “something fundamentally wrong with spending $88 billion for national building in Afghanistan while we’re asking Americans to make tough cuts here at home.”
Later in the press conference, President Obama turned his attention to Iran, insisting that “diplomacy can still resolve the crisis” over the country’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. He also accused Republicans of “beating the drums of war.”
“Obama said he emphasized that message in his private meetings with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu this week,” the AP’s Ben Feller writes, “and implied that Israeli pressure for urgent action was not supported by the facts, saying that a decision was not necessary within the next weeks or months.”
Later on, the president referred to the violence in Syria as “heartbreaking” but hinted that intervention by the U.S. military is out of the question.
“Obama said unilateral military action by the United States against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad would be a mistake,” the AP reports, “And he rejected a comparison to Libya, where the United States and allies did intervene last year, saying the situation in Syria is more complex. In Syria, Russia has blocked a U.N. Security Council resolution against Assad’s government, and Assad’s military is better equipped and more powerful than the Libyan force.”
More than 7,500 people have been killed in Syria during the year-long government crackdown on the opposition.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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canadianlady
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 3:44pmLook at the liar in chief, once again, placing himself against a backdrop of military personnel, with that smug grin plastered all over his face. This is nothing more than a carefully crafted photo-op aimed at creating the impression that the military stands behind Obama. The irony is the hatred for him in that room is probably palpable.
Report Post »canadianlady
Posted on March 10, 2012 at 3:40pmI don’t believe a single thing this liar says anymore.
Report Post »Akbarjonnie Shaheed
Posted on March 8, 2012 at 11:17amA clueless commander will get you killed.
Report Post »De Oppresso Liber
smokeyridgerunner
Posted on March 8, 2012 at 12:12amOh one more thing why not kill 6 afgan for the killing of six americans.
Report Post »smokeyridgerunner
Posted on March 8, 2012 at 12:09amWhy not let Israel use the air space before we move out of the country. We can loan them the jets to do the job and that way they don’t have to fly as far.
Report Post »woodyb
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 10:13pmGOD has spoken!!!!!!!!
Report Post »I never before realized that ‘transition’ was a VERB (OBOZO likely does not know a verb from a baked potato!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nana1212
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 5:16pmLet’s face it….Obama has screwed up everything here and abroad. How he EVER got into office still amazes me. WHO? put him here and in office? The main thing we have to do to rectify his blunders NOW is to GET HIM THE HELL OUT OF OFFICE AND OUT OF THIS COUNTRY!!
Report Post »rodamaa
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 10:59amTell you what Mr. Obama, now is the time for you to transition and leave us alone.
Report Post »ThinkFool
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 4:05pmDoes anyone think we should stay in Afghanistan and continue to pour in money and lives?
Report Post »eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 9:44amObama “Now is the time for us to transition”.
WATCH…
He’s going to make some kind of ANOTHER EXECUTIVE ORDER move-
WITHOUT the approval OR knowledge of Congress until AFTER he does it.
AND, it will probably INVOLVE THE BRUNT OF THIS “TRANSITION” -
WILL BE PUT UPON THE AMERICA PEOPLE.
Don’t under estimate him – when he OPENLY SAYS something like this.
Report Post »There’s SOMETHING he intends to do that WILL BE UN-ACCEPTABLE.
G-WHIZ
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 11:27amThis is his great-excuse to pullout and allow “Democracy” to take hold=muslimbrotherhood- takeover. Oh, this just means Isreal will be in even a tighter “squeeze” of incirclement. Bho might be waitin’ for the accidental war with Iran-etc.. so he has-to “temporarrilly” suspend elections under marcial-law. until “we” get through this. Guess-what…can you say…“soft tyrinni” or “dictatorship”? The same thing–exactly–happened to the Roman Republic… one of OUR founders stated…”a Republic, if you can keep it.”.
Report Post »countryfirst
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 8:36amAmerica to OBAMA – Come November “Now Is the Time for Us to Transition”
Report Post »dianna9490
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 7:22amHe is such a LIAR – THE TRANSITION NEEDED TO THROW HIS BUTT OUT OF THE WHITEHOUSE IMMEDIATELY – HE IS A FRAUD!
Report Post »mercenary4freedom
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 2:06amhahahahahaha.. good one PATRIOT! I’ve never heard truer words about this clown.
Report Post »Grawpy
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 1:37amTime for you to transition back to Chicago.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 1:20amThe weakest Commander in Cheif in the history of our country. Yes we need to get our troops out of the dangr that HE has put them in. Israel is sure to defend itself and our troops don’t need to be in the area. We need to stand with Israel and build our military just like Russia and China are doing.
Report Post »TDOM
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 12:03amThe expectations of bad decisions is over whelming . zero truth = zero trust
Report Post »ripvanwinkle
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 11:50pmTransition to what? I know what Obama wants me to think, but he’s lost my trust. All I see is a forked tongue. All I hear from him is doublespeak.
Report Post »PATRIOT802
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 10:27pmIf they dont want to be Free, lets get the heck out and let them live in the Stone Age. We can still fly in and slap the Talliban and Alqueda whenever we want. Who’s going to stop us !
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 12:28pmAfghanistan is a good example of the intransigence in Islamic Culture. Unless we are willing to conquer and colonize and make this land an outpost and garrison representing American culture and Western Civilization, then we should leave.
I would definitely support a war of total conquest and colonization. Which is how we should engage the Islamic Empire from this point forward.
Total War. Conquest. Colonization.
Reverse Jihad. Unearth what Islam has buried.
Report Post »POdVet
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 10:27pmOf course the Traitor In Chief thinks it is time to leave. Afghanistan is once again under Sharia law! That was his goal for Afghanistan all along, to return it to the extremists as he did Egypt. Everywhere Obama has done anything the Muslim extremists have gained control.
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on March 8, 2012 at 10:10amAnd Obama is not getting his directions from Soros, he is getting them from Saudi Arabia.
Report Post »momprayn
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 9:58pmHappy to see that two Repubs. requested the step-up also — hopefully, that will grow. A lot of them are against being there but I read where they are afraid to speak up b/c we will think they are “unpatriotic”. All of us Consvs./Repubs.who are against the wars, need to contact our Reps. and let them know we will NOT think this – just the opposite. This is not to say there are times when we might need to go to war to protect our country but no more of the wars we’ve gone into since WWII….and especially NO Islamic nations and no nation building.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 9:44pmWe shouldn’t have went in there in the first place.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 9:56pmFor the first time I agree with Democrats on a war issue. There is no need to be there anymore. Furthermore, I am fed up with it being called an accidental burning, they were burning contraband as per guidelines, and the damn things had been desecrated by the prisoners when they wrote in them. Why aren’t the savages beheading THEM as prescribed by their holy book? The apologies from Obama followed by an investigation into the soldiers who did it is pathetic and screams to the world that our leader has NO intention of keeping us secure and no intention of doing anything to help Israel. Note that the timetable is in 2014, we need to get out ASAP. You can do nothing for this nation. Nothing. Time to leave.
Report Post »flyoverbob
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 10:16pmGive them all an assault rifle as we leave
Buy Popcorn
make sure we get film to watch
When they are done killing one another,kill the last one
Before anyone disputes this ,I am a Vietnam vet I know what it means when the people of a country don’t want freedom enough to stand up
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 6, 2012 at 9:40pmI can just see it now, Obama and Biden will put their rings together and yell “Wonder Twins Transform.”
Obama: Into a big Dog.
Biden: Into a fire hydrant.
You can see how this is going to go wrong.
Report Post »SketchFinster
Posted on March 7, 2012 at 6:42amThe nation transforms into a doormat.
Report Post »