Biden Extols “the Successful Counterinsurgency Strategy in Iraq;” No Apologies to Bush

Dateline Indianapolis: WIBC Indy’s News Center

Vice President Joe Biden addressed the National Conference of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Monday afternoon:

Vice President Joe Biden says the U.S. is just beginning what he calls a “daunting” challenge in Afghanistan.

Biden told the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ national conference in Indianapolis the transition of command this summer to General David Petraeus marks the true start of the push to “reverse the momentum” of Taliban insurgents.

“General Petraeus now — only now — has all the resources the strategy called for. So all this talk about the inability to succeed is premature,” Biden declared.

The administration plans to begin reducing troop levels next July. Biden emphasizes it’s not a withdrawal, but a province-by-province transition to Afghan control, based on the government’s ability to do it.

Petraeus addressed the VFW separately via a video hookup, and declared there have been “important gains” in Afghanistan, while warning progress remains “slow and uneven,” especially in establishing economic stability. He says security gains will only be sustainable if the government can deliver basic services.

The general warns violence is likely to continue as the U-S cleans out Taliban strongholds.Less than a week after the victorious withdrawal of American troops from a self governed Iraq the result of the much maligned “Surge” which President Bush bravely championed and deployed.

In his remarks…

Biden hailed the departure of the last American combat forces from Iraq this month, and said President Obama will keep a promise to remove all troops by the end of next year. He says the drop in violence since 2005 has been so dramatic that Iraq is practically a different country.

What Biden fails to note is that the strategy in Afghanistan is modeled after the successful “Surge” in Iraq, which was adopted and deployed by President George W. Bush. This military operation was opposed, much maligned, and envisaged as a failure by Biden, Obama, and fellow Marxists.

Thank you, troops, we are very grateful for your sacrifices. We know what this has cost you and us. We won’t forget those who have given the last measure for our freedom.