By Mitch Perry
PoHo contributor Mitch Perry is the anchor of the WMNF Evening News on 88.5 FM community radio
This past Saturday in Tampa, the man hailed as the savior of the Iraq war, Gen. David Petraeus, as part of being honored by Toastmasters International, was to have given a speech, However, Washington business took precedent, and speaking in the Central Command leader’s stead was Rear Admiral Mike Franken, U.S. Navy Deputy Director of Strategy Plans & Policy for Central Command.
Appearing at the Marriott Westshore Hotel, Franken said he was up for taking questions from the hundred conventioneers in attendance at the end of his slide filled presentation. Unfortunately, Toastmasters provided limited time for the military official to speak (the world champion of public speaking from 2005 was giving a seminar in the same room), and thus he was able only to respond to a couple of audience queries before being summoned from the dais.
President Barack Obama announced on Friday his new Afghanistan/Pakistan strategy, which he says has a clear goal:
To disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaida in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That is the goal that must be achieved. That is the cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same – we will defeat you.
Listen to his speech below:
To achieve this, Obama is sending an additional 4.000 U.S. troops to the 17,000 scheduled to be deployed to the region in the next couple of months. He is also sending a civilian “surge” which would include mostly diplomats and specialists.
We end the week with the gift that keeps on giving: The George W. Bush victory tour. In this clip from a few days ago, Bush tries to get in line with some soldiers and gets awkwardly shut out. Have a good weekend, everyone.
This past Saturday in Tampa, the man hailed as the savior of the Iraq war, Gen. David Petraeus, as part of being honored by Toastmasters International, was to have given a speech, However, Washington business took precedent, and speaking in the Central Command leader’s stead was Rear Admiral Mike Franken, U.S. Navy Deputy Director of Strategy Plans & Policy for Central Command.
