National Security Adviser Jim Jones (L) and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (C)Gates: Never Mind That WTF Moment -- Hot Air
Two weeks ago, National Security Adviser Jim Jones flew to Afghanistan to inform American commanders not to bother to request more troops for the Af-Pak theater. The Washington Post referred to it as a “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” moment, as stunned commanders attempted to process the inflexibility this represented. However, Defense Secretary Robert Gates quietly reversed Jones this week in a little-noticed statement about potential troop increases in the theater:
The Pentagon’s chief said Thursday he could send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan this year than he’d initially expected and is considering increasing the number of soldiers in the Army.
Both issues reflect demands on increasingly stressed American forces tasked with fighting two wars. …
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My Comment: This sloppiness at this high level is mind boggling. It appears that there is a problem in communication.... but a problem that can immediately impact the commanders in the field and the soldiers that are under them. This cannot happen again.