The US is not leaving Iraq or Afghanistan for the next 3 years.
The plan isn't to leave Iraq or Afghanistan in 3 years. The plan is to have a major drawdown of troops from Iraq before winter 2010, and that will happen, if you want to take a bet against that place your wager.
You guys don't get it, Obama's Chief of Staff has a family in Israel, he's a guy who understands the reality of the situation there first hand, a guy who wants to protect Israel and is one who knows the best way to protect Israel is through a peaceful solution. He's a great asset that will serve Obama well.
As far as I know, Rahm is actaully a centrist. He is not one of those far left liberals who'd want to legalize marijuana or other crazy ideas. Whether he'd continue to piss off people through his hard charging ways remains to be seen.
Regardless of what we all believe in and know (or don't know) about the man, fact remains that his appointment will give comfort to those who were worried that Obama will be unfriendly towards Israel, and will give pause to Iranians and other muslims. Yes, a WH Chief of Staff does not single-handedly make policies, but he has arguably the closest distance to President's ears.
If your only issue with this appointment is Emanuel's pro-Israel leanings...why is this such a big deal? Of late, Obama himself has backed Israel as strongly as any GOP neocon...so why are you surprised?
Obama team member has Sangh links
** US President-elect Barack Obama may have cultivated a left-of-center image for himself, but Sonal Shah, the Indian-American advisor in his transition team, has well established rightwing leanings.**
The 40-year-old economist has been associated with the overseas activities of the Sangh Parivar. She was a national coordinator of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America campaign to raise funds for Gujarat earthquake victims in 2001.
Her father Ramesh Shah, a vice-president of the Overseas Friends of the Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP), had campaigned for LK Advani in Gandhinagar during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He had also briefly traveled with Advani during his Bharat Udaya Yatra, countrywide election tour.
Sonal’s brother Amit and sister Rupal are now based in Ahmedabad, running a voluntary organisation, indicorps. Its website says its aim is to “engage the most talented young Indians from around the world on the frontlines of India’s most pressing challenges”.
“I returned to India eight years ago,” Amit told HT before suddenly deciding not to talk any further. An SMS from Rupal said “no comments from here”, and added that Sonal be contacted through email for any queries.
A senior functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), involved in the global activities of the Parivar, said only Ramesh is associated with its activities. “He works with the OFBJP and supports, among other things, the Ekal Vidyalayas,” the functionary said. Ekal Vidyalayas are single-teacher primary schools run by the RSS with the aim of inculcating Hindu values in children, mostly in tribal regions.
The Shah family hails from Sabarkantha in Gujarat but Sonal was born in Mumbai. Ramesh Shah moved to the US in 1970. Two years later, Sonal, Rupal and their mother joined him in New York. The family later moved to Houston. Sonal has worked as vice-president with Goldman Sachs and also in the US Department of Treasury. Currently, she is with the global development team of Google.org.
Volunteers at the indicorps office in Ahmedabad were under instructions not to speak anything. (Inputs from Ahmedabad)
Obama has had little to do with what has happened - most of the mess has been cleared up and now Obama has the much easier job of making a few policy changes.
Obama will most likely be pro-israel and his fairness will be just better covered up than Bush's outright military aggression..
Re: Obama's Administration/Transition To Power [Merged]
Three more picks:
The Treasury team leads are Josh Gotbaum, an investment fund adviser who has experience in multiple federal agencies, and Michael Warren, chief operating officer of advisory firm Stonebridge International who was executive director of the President's National Economic Council.
At State, the leads are Tom Donilon, a lawyer who was an assistant secretary of state, and Wendy Sherman, a principal of The Albright Group advisory firm and a former top State Department official.
The Defense team is being led by John P. White, chair of the Kennedy School Middle East Initiative at Harvard and a former deputy defense secretary, and Michele Flournoy, president of the Center for a New American Security who worked in the Pentagon under Clinton.
Re: Obama’s Administration/Transition To Power [Merged]
President-elect Barack Obama intends to name** Timothy Geithner, president of the New YorkFederal Reserve, as his treasury secretary** to confront the nation’s intense economic turmoil, senior Democratic officials said Friday. The stock market soared on the news. Word of Geithner’s likely selection emerged as New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in line to become secretary of state, said through a spokesman that discussions were on track for her appointment but no final arrangement had been made.
Not worried about Kashmir … by the time Bill is appointed … it might be well settled … with the elections going on and the response of people … think it doesn’t leave much leeway for anyone for outisde interference … though i must say Bill must be excited to visit Kashmir … he might bring in a couple of Cigars too
As for Hillary … she bring the voice of confrontation … that is not something you want to see in Obama’s administration
Bill Clinton may be named Special Envoy to resolve Kashmir issue, i’m not sure if that’s official yet.