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THE PRESIDENT: Good evening from Bagram Air Base. This outpost is more than 7,000 miles from home, but for over a decade it's been close to our hearts. Because here, in Afghanistan, more than half a million of our sons and daughters have sacrificed to protect our country.
Today, I signed a historic agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that defines a new kind of relationship between our countries -- a future in which Afghans are responsible for the security of their nation, and we build an equal partnership between two sovereign states; a future in which war ends, and a new chapter begins.
Tonight, I'd like to speak to you about this transition. But first, let us remember why we came here. It was here, in Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden established a safe haven for his terrorist organization. It was here, in Afghanistan, where al Qaeda brought new recruits, trained them, and plotted acts of terror. It was here, from within these borders, that al Qaeda launched the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children.
And so, 10 years ago, the United States and our allies went to war to make sure that al Qaeda could never again use this country to launch attacks against us. Despite initial success, for a number of reasons, this war has taken longer than most anticipated. In 2002, bin Laden and his lieutenants escaped across the border and established safe haven in Pakistan. America spent nearly eight years fighting a different war in Iraq. And al Qaeda’s extremist allies within the Taliban have waged a brutal insurgency.
But over the last three years, the tide has turned. We broke the Taliban’s momentum. We’ve built strong Afghan security forces. We devastated al Qaeda’s leadership, taking out over 20 of their top 30 leaders. And one year ago, from a base here in Afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The goal that I set -- to defeat al Qaeda and deny it a chance to rebuild -- is now within our reach.
Still, there will be difficult days ahead. The enormous sacrifices of our men and women are not over. But tonight, I’d like to tell you how we will complete our mission and end the war in Afghanistan.
First, we've begun a transition to Afghan responsibility for security. Already, nearly half of the Afghan people live in places where Afghan security forces are moving into the lead. This month, at a NATO Summit in Chicago, our coalition will set a goal for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations across the country next year. International troops will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghans, and fight alongside them when needed. But we will shift into a support role as Afghans step forward.
As we do, our troops will be coming home. Last year, we removed 10,000 U. S. troops from Afghanistan. Another 23,000 will leave by the end of the summer. After that, reductions will continue at a steady pace, with more and more of our troops coming home. And as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country.
Second, we are training Afghan security forces to get the job done. Those forces have surged, and will peak at 352,000 this year. The Afghans will sustain that level for three years, and then reduce the size of their military. And in Chicago, we will endorse a proposal to support a strong and sustainable long-term Afghan force. Third, we’re building an enduring partnership. The agreement we signed today sends a clear message to the Afghan people: As you stand up, you will not stand alone. It establishes the basis for our cooperation over the next decade, including shared commitments to combat terrorism and strengthen democratic institutions. It supports Afghan efforts to advance development and dignity for their people. And it includes Afghan commitments to transparency and accountability, and to protect the human rights of all Afghans -- men and women, boys and girls. Within this framework, we’ll work with the Afghans to determine what support they need to accomplish two narrow security missions beyond 2014 -- counter-terrorism and continued training. But we will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains. That will be the job of the Afghan people. Fourth, we’re pursuing a negotiated peace. In coordination with the Afghan government, my administration has been in direct discussions with the Taliban. We’ve made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with al Qaeda, renounce violence and abide by Afghan laws. Many members of the Taliban -- from foot soldiers to leaders -- have indicated an interest in reconciliation. The path to peace is now set before them. Those who refuse to walk it will face strong Afghan security forces, backed by the United States and our allies. Fifth, we are building a global consensus to support peace and stability in South Asia. In Chicago, the international community will express support for this plan and for Afghanistan’s future. And I have made it clear to its neighbor -- Pakistan -- that it can and should be an equal partner in this process in a way that respects Pakistan’s sovereignty, interests and democratic institutions. In pursuit of a durable peace, America has no designs beyond an end to al Qaeda safe havens and respect for Afghan sovereignty. As we move forward, some people will ask why we need a firm timeline. The answer is clear: Our goal is not to build a country in America’s image, or to eradicate every vestige of the Taliban. These objectives would require many more years, many more dollars, and most importantly, many more American lives. Our goal is to destroy al Qaeda, and we are on a path to do exactly that. Afghans want to assert their sovereignty and build a lasting peace. That requires a clear timeline to wind down the war. Others will ask, why don’t we leave immediately? That answer is also clear: We must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize. Otherwise, our gains could be lost and al Qaeda could establish itself once more. And as Commander-in-Chief, I refuse to let that happen. I recognize that many Americans are tired of war. As President, nothing is more wrenching than signing a letter to a family of the fallen, or looking into the eyes of a child who will grow up without a mother or father. I will not keep Americans in harm’s way a single day longer than is absolutely required for our national security. But we must finish the job we started in Afghanistan and end this war responsibly.
My fellow Americans, we’ve travelled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. The Iraq war is over. The number of our troops in harm’s way has been cut in half, and more will soon be coming home. We have a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan, while delivering justice to al Qaeda.
This future is only within reach because of our men and women in uniform. Time and again, they have answered the call to serve in distant and dangerous places. In an age when so many institutions have come up short, these Americans stood tall. They met their responsibilities to one another, and to the flag they serve under. I just met with some of them and told them that as Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder. And in their faces, we see what is best in ourselves and our country.
Our soldiers, our sailors, our airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and civilians in Afghanistan have done their duty. Now we must summon that same sense of common purpose. We must give our veterans and military families the support they deserve, and the opportunities they have earned. And we must redouble our efforts to build a nation worthy of their sacrifice.
As we emerge from a decade of conflict abroad and economic crisis at home, it’s time to renew America -- an America where our children live free from fear and have the skills to claim their dreams. A united America of grit and resilience, where sunlight glistens off soaring new towers in downtown Manhattan, and we build our future as one people, as one nation.
Here in Afghanistan, Americans answered the call to defend their fellow citizens and uphold human dignity. Today, we recall the fallen and those who suffered wounds, both seen and unseen. But through dark days, we have drawn strength from their example and the ideals that have guided our nation and led the world -- a belief that all people are treated equal and deserve the freedom to determine their destiny. That is the light that guides us still.
This time of war began in Afghanistan and this is where it will end. With faith in each other and our eyes fixed on the future, let us finish the work at hand and forge a just and lasting peace.
May God bless our troops, and may God bless the United States of America.
END 4:12 A. AFT
Obama praises Biden's ɻold leadership' in withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years at war
Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday praised President Joe Biden's "bold leadership" in taking steps to end the US war in Afghanistan that has drawn out for nearly two decades and spanned multiple administrations.
Biden plans to withdraw all US forces currently deployed to Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, which will mark 20 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
"I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan," Biden said in Wednesday remarks in the White House Treaty Room announcing the move, vowing that he "will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth."
Biden said that "while we will not stay involved in Afghanistan militarily, our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue" to support Afghan security forces and people against the Taliban.
"It has been a long and arduous struggle in Afghanistan, rooted in our response to the deadliest terrorist attack on the U.S. homeland in our history," Obama said, adding that troops and diplomatic workers "can take pride in their efforts to deliver justice for 9/11, destroy al Qaeda's safe-haven, train Afghan Security Forces, and support the people of Afghanistan."
The US' invasion of Afghanistan, then called Operation Enduring Freedom, was launched in October 2001, just weeks after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The aim was to destroy the Taliban-aligned terror group behind the attacks, al-Qaeda, and its leader Osama Bin Laden. US forces killed bin Laden in a 2011 strike during Obama's first term in office, but his administration did not succeed in ending the US troop presence in the country.
In his 2020 memoir, "A Promised Land," Obama wrote that "if arriving at a plan for Iraq was relatively straightforward finding a way out of Afghanistan was anything but," adding that "unlike the war in Iraq, the Afghan campaign had always seemed to me a war of necessity."
Obama recounted how, at the start of his presidency in 2009, he was asked to authorize a request from the International Security Assistance Force for a deployment of 30,000 American troops that was first raised under the Bush administration.
Out of all the top officials in his administration, Obama said that "only Joe Biden voiced his misgivings" about approving the added troop presence in a meeting in the Situation Room, saying that Biden "saw Afghanistan as a dangerous quagmire."
At the end of the meeting, Obama said Biden told him: "Listen to me, boss. Maybe I've been around this town for too long, but one thing I know is when these generals are trying to box in a new president."
"Don't let them jam you," he added.
Currently, the US has approximately 2,500 troops deployed to the country, in addition to troops from the US' allies who belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In all, over 2,300 American service members have died in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001.
"There will be very difficult challenges and further hardship ahead in Afghanistan, and the U.S. must remain engaged diplomatically and through our development efforts to support the Afghan people, particularly those who have taken extraordinary risks on behalf of human rights," Obama said.
"But after nearly two decades of putting our troops in harm's way," he added, "it is time to recognize that we have accomplished all that we can militarily, and that it's time to bring our remaining troops home."
Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan
P resident Barack Obama made a surprise trip to Afghanistan on Sunday &mdash his first visit to Afghanistan in two years and his fourth trip as President overall &mdash and pledged a “responsible end” to the war there by the end of 2014.
During the visit, Obama spoke to troops, visited a base hospital and met with military officials to discuss troop presence in Afghanistan as the country’s longest war comes to a close. Country singer Brad Paisley flew with Obama on Air Force One to perform for the troops.
“I was in the neighborhood, thought I’d stop by,” Obama said. “I’m here on a single mission and that’s to say thank you for your extraordinary service … I’m also here representing 300 million Americans who want to say thank you as well.”
The President called it a “pivotal moment” for the war in Afghanistan, with U.S. forces preparing to end their combat role by the end of the year as Afghan forces take the lead in securing the country’s safety. “By the end of this year the transition will be complete … and our combat mission will be over,” said Obama, to some of the loudest applause of the speech. “America’s war in Afghanistan will come to a responsible end.”
He ended his remarks with a promise to shake every hand in the room. “Though I may not be able to take a selfie with everybody,” he added.
Ben Rhodes, the deputy national-security adviser for strategic communications, said the Obama Administration felt the Memorial Day weekend trip was “an opportunity for the President to thank American troops and civilians for their service.”
There are no meetings scheduled with Afghanistan’s outgoing President Hamid Karzai or either of the leading candidates in the country’s ongoing presidential election. A White House official said the Administration had invited Karzai to attend the President’s visit, but it hadn’t worked out due to the last-minute timing. “The President will likely be speaking by phone with President Karzai in the days to come, and also looks forward to working with Afghanistan’s next President after the election is complete,” said the official.
Afghanistan’s two runoff presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, have both said they would support a bilateral agreement allowing some U.S. soldiers to stay &mdash an agreement Karzai opposes. Obama said on Sunday he was “hopeful” he would be able to sign an agreement with Afghanistan’s next President that would keep a limited military presence there after 2014.
“We want to make sure Afghanistan can never be used ever again to launch an attack against our country,” he said.
Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan
On the anniversary of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, President Obama is in Afghanistan where he will sign a new partnership agreement with Afghan President Karzai, according to reports.
The agreement will lay out terms for the U.S.-Afghan relationship after the 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of combat forces. Obama is currently in Kabul and will speak to the nation at 7:30 pm ET from Bagram Air Force Base.
The following is from pool reports by Josh Gerstein of Politico, who is traveling with the president:
Andrews to Bagram Air Base to Kabul
President Barack Obama is in Afghanistan for a whirlwind visit that will culminate in a live, televised address to the American people.
Obama is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement shortly with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Obama’s scheduled to speak to the nation just after 730 PM ET wednesday from Bagram airbase.
Pool, which assembled Monday night at Andrews, has been under an embargo preventing reporting of the trip up til now.
Obama left at 1209 AM Tuesday morning. And arrived at Bagram at 1020 pm local time. He landed via chopper at LZ near presidential palace at just after 11pm local
Amb Ryan crocker and Lieut Gen Mike Scaparotti deputy cddr us forces afghanistan greeted Obama as he deplaned from the lower stairs of AF1 at Bagram.
Obama is currently at the presidential palace in Kabul . . .
Senior Administration officials said the unconventional timing of events on the trip, such as the scheduled midnight local time signing ceremony, was aimed at allowing Obama to address Americans on a schedule convenient for US television audiences. That speech, expected to run about 10 minutes, is scheduled to take place just after 730 pm ET tuesday, which is 4 AM here in Afghanistan.
The trip opens the White House up to new criticism that Obama is exploiting the killing of Osama Bin Laden by using it as a major piece of his reelection campaign.
Vice President Biden has been clear that the White House intends to use the killing for its policial benefit, saying last Thursday that “Osama bin Laden is Dead” should be part of a campaign bumper sticker.
The Obama 2012 campaign has released a video celebrating Obama’s decision to take out Bin Laden and suggesting Mitt Romney would not have made the same move.
Obama lands in Afghanistan for surprise Memorial Day visit
President Obama made a surprise trip to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan Sunday, thanking troops for their service on the Memorial Day holiday and promising to bring the nearly 13-year war there to a close at the end of the year.
In a late-night speech to soldiers at the air base, the president said he represented the 300 million Americans who wanted to say thank you to the troops as well.
"I'm here to say thank you and I'm here to say how proud I am of you. And I'm here to say how proud I am of your families because in some ways in ways large and small their sacrificing just like you are," he said.
Declaring a "pivotal moment" in the war that has lasted more than a decade, Mr. Obama said the U.S. combat mission will come to "a responsible end" at the end of 2014, but that he is still seeking a bilateral security agreement that will allow the U.S. to maintain a limited military presence in the country beyond the end of the year. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign such an agreement, even though helped negotiate it, although the candidates running to succeed him in office are likely to do so.
While Mr. Obama did not announce how he plans to handle the post-2014 transition in Afghanistan during his remarks, he told reporters after a briefing with military officials that he expects to announce his decision "shortly."
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"I thought it was important for me to check in directly with folks face to face before those decisions were finally made," he said.
Speaking to soldiers at the air field, the president said he hoped to sign a bilateral security agreement to "preserve all the gains that you have helped win." He said he wants to ensure that Afghanistan will never again be used to launch an attack on the U.S., as it was in September 2001.
Briefing reporters en route to Afghanistan, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters the administration is examining a "range of options" for a post-2014 troop presence.
"I think the important principles there are. continued training of the Afghan National Security Forces and supporting their counterterrorism operations," he said.
The president credited the U.S. troops at Bagram with the country's progress in recent years as Afghan forces have taken the lead on security and communities have been able to rebuild. Although Afghanistan is "still a very dangerous place," the president said, girls have returned to school and there have been dramatic improvements in life expectancy, literacy and other benchmarks. U.S. troops have allowed the Afghan people to "have hope for their future," he said.
"Everybody who has served here and all the members of our coalition can be proud because you are completing the mission," the president said. "You've helped prevent attacks and saved American lives back home. Al Qaeda is on its heels in that part of the world and that's because of you."
This is the president's fourth trip to the nation during his presidency. As with previous visits to the country, it was not announced to the press beforehand. Mr. Obama left Washington late Saturday evening and flew through the night. He was only on the ground for a few hours Sunday before returning to the U.S.
In addition to meeting with military commanders and holding the rally, the president visited wounded troops. He was accompanied by country music star Brad Paisley, who gave a performance at the base. Mr. Obama did not travel to the capital, Kabul, or meet with Karzai.
Rhodes said the administration had been trying to plan a trip to thank the troops for some time, and the timing was good. The president did not meet with Karzai or candidates in order to avoid injecting America's presence into the ongoing election.
The president's trip came as he faces criticism at home over allegations of misconduct at Veterans Affairs medical facilities across the country. In his weekly address Saturday, he called on the nation to "keep working to make sure that our country upholds our sacred trust to all who've served."
Obama-Supporting Political Hack Admiral McRaven Wants Trump Kicked Out of Office: “The sooner, the better”
This isn’t the first rodeo for President Trump and Admiral McRaven. They’ve been going back and forth in disagreement and dislike for some time now. McRaven probably isn’t used to the straight-shooting style of President Trump who has called McRaven out on his many missteps.
The admiral just wrote an op-ed in the New York Times saying he believes President Trump should be removed from office. To an outsider who doesn’t know the history of McRaven, this would seem very serious. The problem is that McRaven has had it out for President Trump from the beginning and has let his politics get the best of him. You see, McRaven is an Obama guy so it’s a no brainer that he would detest President Trump.
Here’s the history of McRaven’s run-ins with Trump:
President Trump caused a firestorm when he called out former Navy Admiral McRaven for his leftist political beliefs and philosophy on rules of engagement. It’s part of the reason why so many died at the hands of the enemy. Their hands were tied. President Trump watches and knows it took way too long to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. bin Laden was living in the same compound in Pakistan for 5 or 6 years. He has a point about this and spoke out on it:
“Wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn’t it have been nice?”
“They took him down but…look, look, there’s news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don’t give them any more, by the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us.”
He’s got a point. Does anyone doubt he would have caught Osama bin Laden faster?
The report below from a Gold Star family will tell you all you need to know about this political hack who worshiped at the feet of Obama…
OUR PREVIOUS REPORT ON HOW THE MEDIA PROTECTS THIS MAN EVEN THOUGH HE SHOULD BE CALLED OUT:
When you see a narrative being pushed out that’s almost one month old, it’s time to ask what’s going on. Several news sources have blasted a story out about how Former Navy Admiral McRaven has left his position with the Defense Innovation Board after coming out against Trump‘s revocation of Brennan’s security clearance. Americans seeing this headline might think this is something to be concerned about, right? What they don’t know is that this man is a pro-Obama political hack who changed the rules of engagement from fighting to trying to “win the hearts and minds” of the enemy (see below)!
McRaven made headlines in August when he wrote an op-ed condemning President Trump saying, “Revoke my security clearance, too.”
Now Fox News is reporting that last month, just a few days after penning the op-ed, McRaven left a prominent post with the DIB over the incident.
The DIB, on which McRaven served, was created during the Obama administration by then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Its members include technology executives and others who are mostly from outside the military, such as Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt, author and physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson and journalist Walter Isaacson.
The news was everywhere last week with titles like:
McRaven, former SOCOM head, resigns from Pentagon board following Trump criticism
Retired admiral who criticized Trump leaves Pentagon board
Retired Admiral Who Criticized Trump Over Security Clearances Quits Pentagon Advisory Board
WOW! The media has you thinking this is a big deal, right? Well, this board was made up of a bunch of lefty guys who are outside the military. Why is this just being reported if this happened on August 20th?
Remember when this anti-Trump admiral wrote the letter to President Trump? Well, there was a response from a Gold Star family that met with and talked to this former Navy Admiral. Here’s what YOU should know about this man:
GOLD STAR PARENTS ARE TELLING THE TRUTH:
Navy Seal Aaron Vaughn is an American hero who died in Afghanistan. His Gold Star parents are furious with Navy Admiral William McRaven who penned a scorching op-ed in the Washington Post to President Trump after John Brennan’s security clearance was pulled.
Gold Star parents Billy and Karen Vaughn decided to respond to the op-ed because they knew that Admiral McRaven had politicized the move by the president. They knew he was a big Obama fan…but there’s so much more to the story…Their hero son was one of the men shot down in EXTORTION 17:
U.S. NAVY SEAL AARON VAUGHN was killed on August 6, 2011, when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Thirty Americans died in the attack! It was the largest single-incident loss of life in the war in Afghanistan. Seventeen of the victims were elite Navy SEALs. This tragedy occurred under McRaven’s leadership. He was promoted to U.S. JSOC just two days after the shooting. There have been numerous questions about the tragic event that have gone unanswered by the government. The Vaughns had obviously asked questions of Admiral McRaven as you’ll read in their impassioned letter below…
In a statement to SaraACarter.com, the Vaughns wrote:
Mr. McRaven has publicly exposed his true colors. While most see him as an esteemed man in uniform, our personal experience led us to view him through a much different light…
When we began to speak publicly about the facts we had collected regarding the shoot down, we experienced severe intimidation from military leadership who, at that time, served at the pleasure of Admiral McRaven. The accusation? We were being “political.” And you never mix military service and politics. Never. Imagine the irony, in our eyes, to read McRaven’s current letter to our President, using his voice as the former Commander of USJSOC.
He could not be more political. He’s confronting a sitting President, making a blanket statement that President Trump has “embarrassed us in the eyes of our children.” Well, sir, our children aren’t embarrassed. Our son would have been proud to have served under this Commander in Chief and quite frankly, might still be alive today if he had.
You, Mr. McRaven, have no right to speak for Americans in general.
The facts have shown that Mr. Brennan is a bad actor. To defend him as you have makes us wonder if you are possibly posturing for something significant? Maybe the nation should take a closer look at your motives, sir, as we have been forced to do as a family.
In addition, while we were being scorned for discussing the shoot-down of Extortion 17, we were told repeatedly that we could be hurting operational security for those still fighting on foreign soil. But nothing, sir, could have caused greater risk to that community than what you’ve just done. As a matter of national security, what you just did is actually unforgivable.
You’ve made the statement that you would be honored to have your security clearance revoked by our President. If you’re truly a man who stands for what you believe, do the honorable thing and turn in your security clearance on your own. We’re all tired of the grand-standing. We’ve been listening to the leftists and Marxists tell us for years that if they don’t get what they want they’ll leave our country, but yep, they’re still here. Enough already.
BILLY VAUGHN WROTE A BOOK ABOUT EXTORTION 17:
SaraCarter.com reports:
O n January 4, 2013, McRaven met with the Vaughns to discuss Extortion 17. In his book, Betrayed: The Shocking True Story of Extortion 17 as Told by a Navy SEAL’s Father, Billy recalls his meeting with the admiral, writing about heated exchanges with him over details of the shoot down.
He also claims that McRaven–who emphasized he did not want their meeting to be “political” — continued to praise President Obama throughout a discussion with his family.
NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY…MCRAVEN IS A POLITICAL HACK!
Billy Vaughn’s book about Extortion 17 may be purchased on Amazon. Here’s the intro to the book:
Before BENGHAZI, There was EXTORTION 17….
August 06, 2011, 2:20 a.m.—Operation Lefty Grove is underway, a highly dangerous mission to take out another high-level Taliban operative, three months after the death of Osama Bin Laden.
In the dark of night, twenty-five US Special Ops Forces and a five-man flight crew on board Extortion 17, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Seven unidentified Afghan Commandos are allowed to join them. Ground forces have already been engaged in a three-hour exhaustive battle. Extortion 17’s specially trained warriors drop into the Hot Landing Zone to help their fellow warriors. But there’s a problem: the standard chopper escorts have all been directed elsewhere. Mission directions are unclear. Worse, pre-assault fire to cover the Chinook transporting our brave fighting men is not ordered.
On that fateful night, Extortion 17 would never touch down. Taliban fighters fired three rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) in rapid succession. The first RPG shot below the Chinook, but the second made contact in what the military would later describe as a “one-in-a-million shot.” The shot struck a rotor blade on the aft (rear) pylon, shearing off ten and a half feet of the blade. The third shot flew above the falling chopper. Within a matter of seconds, the chopper begins to spin violently out of control and then drops vertically into a dry creek bed and is engulfed in a large fireball.
There are no survivors.
The thirty brave Americans lost that night were more than just warriors. They were husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. Billy Vaughn’s son, Aaron Carson Vaughn, was one of them.
Over the next few months as unsettling information on the tragic incident is released to the families, Billy Vaughn becomes increasingly disturbed. Billy discovers that US military forces are not being led to win battles, but have been sent on a fool’s errand to “win the hearts and minds” of other nations. He is told that the US Rules of Engagement have prevented our brave defenders from defending themselves. Adding insult to injury, Billy learned that a Muslim Imam was invited by our own US military leaders to “pray” over his son’s dead body. As US war heroes lay in their caskets before their last flight home, the Imam damned America’s fallen warriors as “infidels” who would burn in hell. As US military leaders observed the ceremony at Bagram Air Base, the Imam boasted over the deaths of US heroes with words such as, “The companions of heaven [Muslims] are the winners.”
Betrayed is a heart rending account in America’s history, an engaging novel of faith, patriotism, honor, duty and loss. Betrayed is not just the biography of an American military family, it is a crucial, true-life narrative that every American must read and understand about their government and the danger America’s military strategy currently poses to all families. Betrayed is a book Billy Vaughn wishes he didn’t have to write. But his son is gone and there are still unanswered questions. He needs to know if finding the truth may prevent another father from standing in his shoes.
TRUMP CAUSES FIRESTORM: Tells The Truth About Admiral McRaven’s Politics And Slow Capture Of Osama Bin Laden
President Trump caused a firestorm when he called out former Navy Admiral McRaven for his leftist political beliefs and philosophy on rules of engagement. It’s part of the reason why so many died at the hands of the enemy. Their hands were tied. President Trump watches and knows it took way too long to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. bin Laden was living in the same compound in Pakistan for 5 or 6 years. He has a point about this and spoke out on it:
Wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn’t it have been nice?”
“They took him down but…look, look, there’s news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don’t give them any more, by the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us.”
He’s got a point. Does anyone doubt he would have caught Osama bin Laden faster? Here’s Trump in 2011 asking the question:
.@realDonaldTrump in 2011: "Pakistan Probably Has Osama Bin Laden" Meanwhile, #FakeNews CNN calls Trump a Liar in 2018 for claiming that he suspected Pakistan was housing bin Laden
Trending: BREAKING VIDEO: Parents Arrested Protesting Critical Race Theory at School Board Meeting
(Source: CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, February 10, 2011) pic.twitter.com/kgo8cLFY7z
&mdash Woj Pawelczyk (@Woj_Pawelczyk) November 19, 2018
The report below from a Gold Star family will tell you all you need to know about this political hack who worshiped at the feet of Obama…
OUR PREVIOUS REPORT ON HOW THE MEDIA PROTECTS THIS MAN EVEN THOUGH HE SHOULD BE CALLED OUT:
When you see a narrative being pushed out that’s almost one month old, it’s time to ask what’s going on. Several news sources have blasted a story out about how Former Navy Admiral McRaven has left his position with the Defense Innovation Board after coming out against Trump‘s revocation of Brennan’s security clearance. Americans seeing this headline might think this is something to be concerned about, right? What they don’t know is that this man is a pro-Obama political hack who changed the rules of engagement from fighting to trying to “win the hearts and minds” of the enemy (see below)!
McRaven made headlines in August when he wrote an op-ed condemning President Trump saying, “Revoke my security clearance, too.”
Now Fox News is reporting that last month, just a few days after penning the op-ed, McRaven left a prominent post with the DIB over the incident.
The DIB, on which McRaven served, was created during the Obama administration by then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Its members include technology executives and others who are mostly from outside the military, such as Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt, author and physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson and journalist Walter Isaacson.
The news was everywhere last week with titles like:
McRaven, former SOCOM head, resigns from Pentagon board following Trump criticism
Retired admiral who criticized Trump leaves Pentagon board
Retired Admiral Who Criticized Trump Over Security Clearances Quits Pentagon Advisory Board
WOW! The media has you thinking this is a big deal, right? Well, this board was made up of a bunch of lefty guys who are outside the military. Why is this just being reported if this happened on August 20th?
Remember when this anti-Trump admiral wrote the letter to President Trump? Well, there was a response from a Gold Star family that met with and talked to this former Navy Admiral. Here’s what YOU should know about this man:
GOLD STAR PARENTS ARE TELLING THE TRUTH:
Navy Seal Aaron Vaughn is an American hero who died in Afghanistan. His Gold Star parents are furious with Navy Admiral William McRaven who penned a scorching op-ed in the Washington Post to President Trump after John Brennan’s security clearance was pulled.
Gold Star parents Billy and Karen Vaughn decided to respond to the op-ed because they knew that Admiral McRaven had politicized the move by the president. They knew he was a big Obama fan…but there’s so much more to the story…Their hero son was one of the men shot down in EXTORTION 17:
U.S. NAVY SEAL AARON VAUGHN was killed on August 6, 2011, when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Thirty Americans died in the attack! It was the largest single-incident loss of life in the war in Afghanistan. Seventeen of the victims were elite Navy SEALs. This tragedy occurred under McRaven’s leadership. He was promoted to U.S. JSOC just two days after the shooting. There have been numerous questions about the tragic event that have gone unanswered by the government. The Vaughns had obviously asked questions of Admiral McRaven as you’ll read in their impassioned letter below…
In a statement to SaraACarter.com, the Vaughns wrote:
Mr. McRaven has publicly exposed his true colors. While most see him as an esteemed man in uniform, our personal experience led us to view him through a much different light…
When we began to speak publicly about the facts we had collected regarding the shoot down, we experienced severe intimidation from military leadership who, at that time, served at the pleasure of Admiral McRaven. The accusation? We were being “political.” And you never mix military service and politics. Never. Imagine the irony, in our eyes, to read McRaven’s current letter to our President, using his voice as the former Commander of USJSOC.
He could not be more political. He’s confronting a sitting President, making a blanket statement that President Trump has “embarrassed us in the eyes of our children.” Well, sir, our children aren’t embarrassed. Our son would have been proud to have served under this Commander in Chief and quite frankly, might still be alive today if he had.
You, Mr. McRaven, have no right to speak for Americans in general.
The facts have shown that Mr. Brennan is a bad actor. To defend him as you have makes us wonder if you are possibly posturing for something significant? Maybe the nation should take a closer look at your motives, sir, as we have been forced to do as a family.
In addition, while we were being scorned for discussing the shoot-down of Extortion 17, we were told repeatedly that we could be hurting operational security for those still fighting on foreign soil. But nothing, sir, could have caused greater risk to that community than what you’ve just done. As a matter of national security, what you just did is actually unforgivable.
You’ve made the statement that you would be honored to have your security clearance revoked by our President. If you’re truly a man who stands for what you believe, do the honorable thing and turn in your security clearance on your own. We’re all tired of the grand-standing. We’ve been listening to the leftists and Marxists tell us for years that if they don’t get what they want they’ll leave our country, but yep, they’re still here. Enough already.
BILLY VAUGHN WROTE A BOOK ABOUT EXTORTION 17:
SaraCarter.com reports:
O n January 4, 2013, McRaven met with the Vaughns to discuss Extortion 17. In his book, Betrayed: The Shocking True Story of Extortion 17 as Told by a Navy SEAL’s Father, Billy recalls his meeting with the admiral, writing about heated exchanges with him over details of the shoot down.
He also claims that McRaven–who emphasized he did not want their meeting to be “political” — continued to praise President Obama throughout a discussion with his family.
NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY…MCRAVEN IS A POLITICAL HACK!
Billy Vaughn’s book about Extortion 17 may be purchased on Amazon. Here’s the intro to the book:
Before BENGHAZI, There was EXTORTION 17….
August 06, 2011, 2:20 a.m.—Operation Lefty Grove is underway, a highly dangerous mission to take out another high-level Taliban operative, three months after the death of Osama Bin Laden.
In the dark of night, twenty-five US Special Ops Forces and a five-man flight crew on board Extortion 17, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Seven unidentified Afghan Commandos are allowed to join them. Ground forces have already been engaged in a three-hour exhaustive battle. Extortion 17’s specially trained warriors drop into the Hot Landing Zone to help their fellow warriors. But there’s a problem: the standard chopper escorts have all been directed elsewhere. Mission directions are unclear. Worse, pre-assault fire to cover the Chinook transporting our brave fighting men is not ordered.
On that fateful night, Extortion 17 would never touch down. Taliban fighters fired three rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) in rapid succession. The first RPG shot below the Chinook, but the second made contact in what the military would later describe as a “one-in-a-million shot.” The shot struck a rotor blade on the aft (rear) pylon, shearing off ten and a half feet of the blade. The third shot flew above the falling chopper. Within a matter of seconds, the chopper begins to spin violently out of control and then drops vertically into a dry creek bed and is engulfed in a large fireball.
There are no survivors.
The thirty brave Americans lost that night were more than just warriors. They were husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. Billy Vaughn’s son, Aaron Carson Vaughn, was one of them.
Over the next few months as unsettling information on the tragic incident is released to the families, Billy Vaughn becomes increasingly disturbed. Billy discovers that US military forces are not being led to win battles, but have been sent on a fool’s errand to “win the hearts and minds” of other nations. He is told that the US Rules of Engagement have prevented our brave defenders from defending themselves. Adding insult to injury, Billy learned that a Muslim Imam was invited by our own US military leaders to “pray” over his son’s dead body. As US war heroes lay in their caskets before their last flight home, the Imam damned America’s fallen warriors as “infidels” who would burn in hell. As US military leaders observed the ceremony at Bagram Air Base, the Imam boasted over the deaths of US heroes with words such as, “The companions of heaven [Muslims] are the winners.”
Betrayed is a heart rending account in America’s history, an engaging novel of faith, patriotism, honor, duty and loss. Betrayed is not just the biography of an American military family, it is a crucial, true-life narrative that every American must read and understand about their government and the danger America’s military strategy currently poses to all families. Betrayed is a book Billy Vaughn wishes he didn’t have to write. But his son is gone and there are still unanswered questions. He needs to know if finding the truth may prevent another father from standing in his shoes.
On Unannounced Visit, Obama Outlines ‘New Chapter’ for U.S. Role in Afghanistan
President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai meet to sign the Strategic Partnership Agreement at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, May 2, 2012.
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President Barack Obama on Tuesday made his third unannounced trip to Afghanistan – the first in more than two years — this time to sign a strategic pact that will guide U.S. relations with the country for the next decade. The pact, negotiated over the past 20 months, could be key to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan because it establishes guidelines for the relatively small force that will remain behind to continue training Afghan security forces.
“Today, I signed a historic agreement between the United States and Afghanistan that defines a new kind of relationship between our countries – a future in which Afghans are responsible for the security of their nation, and we build an equal partnership between two sovereign states a future in which the war ends, and a new chapter begins,” Obama said in a nationally televised address from Bagram Air Force Base on Tuesday evening Washington time, around 4 a.m. in Kabul. “My fellow Americans, we have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. The Iraq War is over. The number of our troops in harm’s way has been cut in half, and more will be coming home soon. We have a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan, while delivering justice to al Qaeda.”
There are currently more than 90,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the U.S. is expected to draw down that number to 65,000 by the end of 2012 and to less than 20,000 by the end of 2014. Obama made no firm pledge on the number of soldiers who will remain over the next decade to further train Afghan security forces and hunt down al Qaeda and White House officials said that decision won’t be made until the next draw down is complete at the end of this summer. “The [continued U.S.] presence will be hugely important—not only for specific help with intelligence, air transport, and other key capabilities, but for reassurance,” says Michael O’Hanlon, a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution. “Afghanistan is a weak state near powerful neighbors who will be less tempted to run amok and wreak havoc there with a continued U.S./NATO presence.”
The trip comes after a rocky few months for U.S.-Afghan relations. In late February the inadvertent burning of Korans by U.S. forces set off mass protests and killings of NATO forces across Afghanistan. An AWOL U.S. soldier’s alleged slaughter of 17 Afghan civilians in mid-March made matters worse. Despite NATO assurances that the security situation has improved in Afghanistan, the secure, so-called Green Zone in Kabul has twice come under attack in recent months by insurgents firing mortars and rocket propelled grenades. Obama’s brief visit, conducted under the cover of the night, helped ensure security for Air Force One to land at Bagram Air Force base and for Marine One to land in Kabul.
Earlier that night when signing the agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whom Obama greeted as “my friend,” the President hailed the “historic moment for our two nations.” Also present at that midnight local time event was U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker the senior allied commander in Afghanistan John Allen Senate Armed Service Committee Chairman Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew and senior Obama adviser David Plouffe. “I’m here to affirm the bond between our two countries and to thank Americans and Afghans who have sacrificed so much over these last ten years,” Obama said. “Neither Americans nor the Afghan people asked for this war yet for a decade we’ve stood together. Today with the signing of the strategic partnership agreement we look forward to a future of peace. Today we’re agreeing to be long term partners.”
The trip also comes on the year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Republicans and some Navy Seals have criticized the President for taking one too many victory laps on the killing, making it a political issue for the November presidential elections. Conservative news site The Drudge Report ran a headline for the President’s rumored visit reading, “Obama Spikes Ball in Kabul.” Republican presidential nominee-presumptive Mitt Romney marked the anniversary with a press conference and campaign event with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. “I believe [Obama] certainly has a right to take credit for [the Osama bin Laden mission],” said Giuliani, who was mayor of the city during the Sept. 11 attacks, “but he shouldn’t use it in a negative campaign.”
White House officials said the timing of the visit was based on Obama and Karzai’s desire to see the 10-page strategic partnership agreement signed before the NATO summit in Chicago later this month. The agreement, which took nearly two years to negotiate, was only concluded a couple of weeks ago and Obama had pledged to sign it on Afghan soil before the summit, which left only a small window of time for the trip. Plus,”the President always planned to spend today [the one-year anniversary of bin Laden’s death] with the troops,” a senior official told reporters on a call. “What better way to spend it than by thanking those who made it happen?”
When asked if the President is “spiking the ball,” Senator John McCain of Arizona, who was the 2008 Republican nominee, said he actually welcomed Obama’s trip given that it’s been more than a year since the President has delivered a big speech about the ongoing war. ““I am pleased that the President has traveled to Afghanistan,” McCain said in a statement. “This is a significant opportunity for him to hear directly from our military commanders and troops on the ground about the significant progress we are making in this fight.”
Shrub did not start the job, he fooled around, wasting blood and treasure for nothing. The task is eliminating Islam from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, and everywhere else because Islam is permanent war.
Terrorism is not a domestic criminal matter for the justice system to handle. It is transnational warfare. Its objective is global dominance for Islam. The Magnificent Nineteen hijacked those aircraft and flew them into buildings in service to Allah an act of worship and a military tactic . I direct doubters & dissenters, damned fools one and all, to the most revealing statement of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and his four co-conspirators. Intelligent, open minded persons will read it and curse Islam, bigots will not. Killing or imprisoning every member of al-Qaida will not end terrorism or the war it is a drop in the ocean. The enemy is Islam, Muslims are its canon fodder.
How Trump departed in secret
The White House took pains to keep the trip a secret after Mr. Trump’s cover was blown last year when Air Force One was spotted en route to Iraq by an amateur British flight watcher.
Cell phones and other transmitting devices were confiscated for the duration of the trip from everyone traveling aboard Air Force One. And Thanksgiving-themed tweets were teed up to publish ahead of time from Mr. Trump’s account to prevent suspicions arising about the president’s silence.
President Donald Trump shakes hands during a meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019, at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. | Photo Credit: AP
A small group of reporters was told to meet on Wednesday night on the top floor of a parking garage and transported in black vans to Andrews Air Force Base. Meanwhile, the president was secretly flying back from Florida, where reporters had been told he’d be spending Thanksgiving at his Mar-a-Lago club.
The plane he’d flown to Florida - the modified 747 painted in the iconic white and blue of Air Force One - remained parked on the tarmac at West Palm Beach Airport to avoid revealing the president’s movement.
About 9.45 p.m., the president boarded a nearly identical plane concealed in a hangar at Andrews Air Base, taking off and landing under the cover of darkness, with cabin lights dimmed and window shutters drawn.
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said plans for the visit had been in the works for weeks.
"It’s a dangerous area and he wants to support the troops,” Ms. Grisham told reporters before Mr. Trump landed. “He and Mrs. Trump recognize that there’s a lot of people who are away from their families during the holidays and we thought it’d be a nice surprise.”
