Mitt Romney Calls Leon Panetta’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Announcement ‘Misguided’
EmailLAS VEGAS – Mitt Romney offered harsh criticism of a plan outlined by Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to possibly withdraw U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan in 2013, calling the administration’s decision to announce its military plans to the world “misguided” and “naive.”
“The president’s mistakes, some of them are calculated on a philosophy that’s hard to understand and, sometimes, you scratch you head and say: How can he be so misguided and so naive?” said Romney during a visit to a Brady Industries warehouse, where janitorial supplies lined the shelves.
“Today, his secretary of defense unleashed such a policy,” said Romney. “The secretary of defense said that on a day certain, the middle of 2013, we’re going to pull out our combat troops from Afghanistan.”
Panetta told reporters en route to a NATO meeting in Brussels that the administration hopes to remove combat troops by 2013 and continue a training and advisory role with Afghan forces through 2014.
“He announced that. He announced that. So the Taliban hears it, the Pakistanis hear it, the Afghan leaders hear it,” said Romney. “Why in the world do you go to the people that you’re fighting with and tell them the date you’re pulling out your troops? It makes absolutely no sense.”
“His naivete is putting in jeopardy the mission of the United States of America and our commitments to freedom,” he said. “He is wrong. We need new leadership in Washington.”
Romney has said repeatedly on the campaign stump that his own decision regarding withdrawing troops from Afghanistan would be based on advice from generals on the ground.
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His naivete? Sorry, but I’ll throw my national security chips in with the guy who killed Bin Laden. Romney really falls flat on this line of attack; I hope he keeps saying things like this, it will only turn off voters. Let’s face it: Obama is one of the best foreign policy presidents of the last fifty years.
And btw, Romney, why WOULDN’T a Commander in Chief foreshadow a withdrawal? There’s a hell of a lot of coordination that has to happen, and Afghan troops don’t need to be surprised when they’re told to step up to the plate and protect their own country.
Posted by: Jon Bull | February 2, 2012, 9:00 am 9:00 am
Is Romney serious about cutting our spending? Why is he wanting us to STAY in Afganistan? This makes no sense to me. I heard a figure that the U.S. sends $15 Billion to that country every month! Romney is not serious about cutting spending. If he were, he would have agreed with this move. Then again, he’ll probably say he never disagreed with it when it’s convenient. I don’t see him beating Barack Obama.
Posted by: Lui | February 2, 2012, 9:05 am 9:05 am
If Romney don’t want the troops to leave then let him take his fortune and support the war and send his sons.
Posted by: Carla Nelson | February 2, 2012, 9:06 am 9:06 am
Romney is a pro-war guy, just like everyone else. I’m almost certain that somewhere down the line he’ll reassure us he was always for pulling troops out of Afganistan, if he hasn’t already said it. He scares me because he can be a bold-face liar and then turn around and try to justify his position. What really caught my attention is how UNCOMFORTABLE he is during interviews. He makes me feel like he’s hiding something and the only reason he’s getting so much attention is because he’s got Goldman Sachs and friends backing him up with multi-million dollar TV advertising. Are we that ignorant in the U.S. to fall for whoever shows up the most on TV?? I’m NOT voting for MItt Romney.
Posted by: Lui | February 2, 2012, 9:10 am 9:10 am
You go Romney. You are exactly what we need in Washington. Another politician that is in total denial about his foreign policy initiatives. Another politician that wants to sacrifice the lives of American soldiers to fight a war against a ghost.
Wake up. This is not the battlefield that we should be fighting on. This is a war against terrorism and is meant to keep Americans safe. It is not a war to take over Afghanistan or rid the world of the Taliban. Anyone with any sense of history knows that neither are possible. Mr. Panetta has the right idea. This is a fight that will be won through intelligence and guerrilla tactics.
I agree that by announcing our withdrawal we may send the wrong idea to some of our enemies around the world, but more importantly we will send the right message to many more. A message that lets Americans and others around the world that we have leadership that is decisive and intelligent.
Thank you Mr. Romney for letting us know exactly where you stand on this issue.
Posted by: Joe | February 2, 2012, 11:04 am 11:04 am
JOE | FEBRUARY 2, 2012, 11:04 AM Posted: “It is not a war to take over Afghanistan or rid the world of the Taliban. Anyone with any sense of history knows that neither are possible.”
It’s as if Mitt Romney is either narrowly educated or badly advised.
Read up Mitt – here’s part of the Counterinsurgency Training Command’s (COIN) reading list: historian Jan Morris’ sweeping history of the British Empire, the Pax Britannica trilogy. The detailed disaster and tragedy of a war in Afghanistan could not be more clearly explained.
Every NeoCon should read this exceptional work – then explain to us all why we should vote for a President who proposes continuing this misbegotten war.
Posted by: green.goddess | February 2, 2012, 11:39 am 11:39 am
So these Republican warmongers don’t want to end the war in Afghanistan? This war is not in the interest of the United States of America. Get out of there while we can.
Posted by: Steven | February 7, 2012, 12:24 am 12:24 am
He scares me because he can be a bold-face liar and then turn around and try to justify his position.
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You are right.
But some GOP are so desperate to defeat the President that they don’t care if their candidate is a pathological liar.
Romney even when compared to say …. Nixon, is perhaps the most disgusting creature to potentially run for President representing *either* party.
Posted by: gp | March 4, 2012, 3:11 am 3:11 am