Fred Thompson adopts the Reid Doctrine

The Reid Doctrine™: The bold declaration of pre-emptive surrender made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in April 2007.

It was quickly echoed by both Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Joe Biden, as well as Barack Obama, John Kerry (who served in Viet Nam), and a host of other Democrats.

At The Politico, Ben Smith reports that a Republican, Fred Thompson, has adopted the Reid Doctrine™ in his criticism of Obama’s handling of the “overseas contingency operation” in Afghanistan …

“It really doesn’t matter how President Obama divides the Afghan baby, how he splits the difference between McChrystal and Biden. Because the war has been lost,” Thompson said on his radio show today. “I say this because of one sad and simple fact. The president does not have the will and determination to do what’s necessary to win it. His heart’s not in it, and never has been. The Taliban knows it. Al Qaeda knows it. Our allies know it. And the American people know it. {snip}

“Take your time, Mr. President,” Thompson said. Unless you have a total change of heart and mind, it really doesn’t make any difference.”

Obviously, the irony of accusing Obama of delivering a half-hearted effort is lost on Big Fred.

Regardless, this rhetoric is no more acceptable coming from a Republican than it is from a Democrat.

Shame on you, Fred Thompson.

More at HotAir

British MOD cancels Michael Yon embed

Reporting from Helmand Province, Afghanistan:

The British Ministry of Defence cancelled Michael Yon’s embed privileges, shortly after Yon posted today’s report.

Read it here:  “Bad Medicine“

And be sure to hit Mike’s tip jar while you’re there!

The forgotten war

Another great post from Michael Yon … “Night Into Day”
posted by sat-phone from Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The photography is outstanding, and the writing is everything we’ve come to expect from Micheal Yon.

While you’re there, be sure to hit Mike’s tip jar!

Taliban plans to teach Marines a lesson

Tuesday, July 07, 2009
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN:
Operation Foladi Jal, Pashtu for “iron net”, would teach the Marines “a lesson”. Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone from an unknown location.About 4,000 Marines poured into the southern province on the border with Pakistan on Thursday in an operation called Khanjar (dagger) that is the first test of a beefed-up US strategy to tackle extremist militants in the region.

“In response to Operation Khanjar by the invading forces, we have launched Operation Foladi Jal,” Ahmadi said. “Their Khanjar will get stuck in our Foladi Jal,” the rebel spokesman said. “In this operation we’ll teach them a lesson so they will never again dare to come into our areas,” he said.The operation would include improvised bomb explosions and “hit-and-run guerrilla attacks”, Ahmadi said.

“Their Khanjar will get stuck in our Foladi Jal,”

Heh™

Yeah, I hate it when that happens.

/Snort

Yon interview NRO

Michael Yon is interviewed by Kathryn Lopez.

Good read.

Darwinian Splodeydope

We have an early favorite for the 2008 Darwin Awards, and winner of posthumous Splodeydope Merit Badge, while wounding three others in the city of Khost, Afghanistan………

A WOULD-be suicide bomber fell down a flight of stairs and blew himself up as he headed out for an attack in Afghanistan, police say.

It was the second such incident in two days, with another man killing himself and three others on Tuesday when his bomb-filled waistcoat exploded as he was putting it on in the southern town of Lashkar Gah.

Yesterday’s blast was in a busy market area of the eastern town of Khost, a deputy provincial police chief said.

The would-be attacker tripped as he was leaving a building apparently to target an opening ceremony for a mosque that was expected to be attended by Afghan and international military officials, said Sakhi Mir.

“Coming down the stairs, he fell down and exploded. Two civilian women and a man were wounded,” Mir said.

source