Obama's words about Afghanistan are vindicated

Mitt Romney joined the Republican National Committee in criticizing Barack Obama for saying the following about the current state of the US mission in Afghanistan (video):

And that requires us to have enough troops that we're not just airraiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormousproblems there.

Romney's campaign shot back:

"That is a very troubling remark on so many levels," said Romneyspokesman Kevin Madden. "Most importantly, it's emblematic of SenatorObama's lack of experience for the job of commander-in-chief. But it'salso an entirely inaccurate condemnation of the efforts of the men andwomen of the United States military who are serving in Iraq andAfghanistan."

But according to the AP, coalition forces have been killing Afghan civilians at a faster rate than insurgents, vindicating Obama's concern about our current policy there:

A check of the facts shows that Western forces have been killingcivilians at a faster rate than the insurgents have been killingcivilians.

The U.S. and NATO say they don't have civiliancasualty figures, but The Associated Press has been keeping count basedon figures from Afghan and international officials. Tracking civiliandeaths is a difficult task because they often occur in remote anddangerous areas that are difficult to reach and verify.

As ofAug. 1, the AP count shows that while militants killed 231 civilians inattacks in 2007, Western forces killed 286. Another 20 were killed incrossfire that can't be attributed to one party.

This is not called 'blaming the troops,' it is called reality.

Comments

[Tony]

"This is not called 'blaming the troops,' it is called reality."

Technically the blame should rest on the "decider's" shoulders. And in reality, the troops ARE doing it through orders. The republicans keep trying to pull that "the dems don't support the troops" crap, the dems actually support the troops a lot more than the war mongering right wing vermin.

[George]

1 candidate is a realist

1 candidate wants to wave his flag.

[DG]

Since when did REALITY ever interest Romney, much less the MSM or the repub candidates?

[George]

MSM is a bad term, as per daily kos today. This is the mainstream. You're reading it right now. That is why Webb is a Senator.

[Chief Editor: Todd]

George, you're right on. We are the new mainstream media. That is why I try as best I can to use the word "traditional media" instead.

Amen Tony!

DG, reality did interest Tommy Thompson, but he left the race. The reality on Iraq sure interests Ron Paul, but he gets marginalized by the conservative base.

[Ryan]

Come on guys...I know you won't swallow this easily, but the AP is hardly a model of journalistic reliability these days.