Stanley Mcchrystal Videos

It might be what President Obama calls a teachable moment. On Monday, dozens of anti-war protesters were arrested outside of the White House, including Cindy Sheehan. Robert Gibbs, however, told reporters he wasn't even aware of the group's actions. One wonders whether he and the administration are aware of the fact that the majority of the public is now opposed to the war. So who decides US military policy? Do the people have any kind of role to play? And if not, what does that say about our enfeebled democracy? Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Photographer, writer and filmmaker Brian Palmer, Anuradha K. Bhagwati, Executive Director of Service Women?s Action Network (SWAN), and David Swanson, the founder of AfterDowningStreet.org and the author of Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union on war making and why it threatens democracy in America.

The military has gone on offensive against the White House by publicly calling for an urgent troop build up in Afghanistan, while President Obama clearly wants to consider less costly and dramatic options. With leaked reports to the Washington Post indicating the need for an additional 40 thousand troops within 12 months and General McChrystal's appearance on 60 Minutes this Sunday past, it seems the president is being placed in a position of either crap or get off the pot. Even though the president may have contributed to this most difficult dilemma, he does have a few credible cards to play should he decide to pull back.