Panetta: U.S., NATO will seek to end Afghan combat mission next year

[Tx4obama]

12. UPDATE: Romney blasts Panetta after Afghanistan announcement (Grrrrrr)

Romney blasts Panetta after Afghanistan announcement

Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN) – Mitt Romney swept into Nevada on Wednesday evening and sharply criticized Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta for declaring that the United States and NATO plan to end combat operations in Afghanistan sometime in 2013.

Romney said the public announcement jeopardizes the Afghanistan mission and “our commitments to freedom.”

“He announced that so the Taliban hears it, the Pakistanis hear it, the Afghan leaders hear it,” Romney said of Panetta during a rally in Las Vegas. “Why in the world do you go to the people that you are fighting with and tell them the day you are pulling out your troops? It makes absolutely no sense.”

The former Massachusetts governor cast the decision as a sign of the Obama administration’s “naivete.”

SNIP

Full article here: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/01/romney-blasts-panetta-after-afghanistan-announcement/