Blame Bush?

" As the administration continues its reassessment of our strategy in Afghanistan president Obama's chief of staff. -- pardon me is blaming many of the current problems. With that war on the bush White House here is some of what chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had to say over the weekend."

" When you go through all of the analysis. It's clear that basically we head into a war for eight years that was going on. That's addressed there will be the beginning -- scratch and just from the starting point after eight years. And there's not a security force and army protect -- services that are important for the Afghans to become a true partner. Fox News contributor Karl Rove was senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President Bush I imagine you have a different view of -- what mr. Emanuel had to say about the way the Bush Administration conducted war."

" what won't -- world has he been living in the Taliban was removed from power. A constitution was written in modern constitution the first democratic elections in the history of Afghanistan Karzai government was formed. A lawyer after a Loya Jirga in which the tribal. -- agreed to join together militias were disarmed warlords were were put on the sidelines. The situation began do is improve. It was in 2007. And 2008. That the enemy -- strike back again and and you know it's really amazing and mr. Emanuel left the impression that they were the first people to ask tough questions that's simply not true. That a strategic review was begun in 2008 by the Bush Administration. In conjunction with the Obama transition team the Bush Administration did not publicly release that review but -- instead. Handed it on to the new administration President Obama. In January of this year President Obama use -- strategic review and on March 27 issued his own. Plan based upon that strategic review of the strategic review had pointed towards an expansion of the US troops. -- Obama -- 21000 additional troops to the region. And -- new conference of counterinsurgency strategy game with pointed to in the strategic review and President Obama on March was haven't announced that. General -- crystal send him an assessment on August 30. Suggesting that additional troops were necessary in order to achieve the strategic -- so that -- insurgency strategy. Which President Obama himself had adopted in a speech on March 27. It was September 30 before President Obama can get himself around to finally having his first White House meeting to discuss that assessment so you know it. -- mr. Emanuel was in congress. During the time that the Taliban was ejected from power. So he certainly knew about that -- at least congressional briefings if not the newspapers that he was in congress when these other steps were taken -- Every American saw the progress -- we made in Afghanistan this administration the new administration pres Obama's administration is not the first to deal with this --"

" So you're saying that when the president President Obama announced in March that he had done a major thorough review of Afghanistan policy. That that was essentially work that had been laid the groundwork that had been laid by the Bush Administration. Absolutely began last year there was a conference of Bucharest with NATO allies -- was a comprehensive strategic review conducted in 2008. It literally the Obama transition team. In the bush White House agreed that that report would not be issued by President Bush and his administration but instead would be handed over. So the President Obama would have time to it to look at it in adopted and that's exactly what he did on March 40 -- When he adopted comprehensive new its counterinsurgency strategy based to some degree -- what it happened in Iraq. But -- and that -- that was outlined in this in this assessment and then when he. Called for -- 21000 additional troops in Afghanistan which again was -- actually what the strategic assessment. The strategic review pointed towards the Washington Post published a photo of what's going on -- the president meets with his. War council if you wanna column that. -- basically twenty people in the room are actually three people who aren't. Who are the -- pictured in this photograph including general David Petraeus he's he's off to the left and and out of view. But when you look at this picture which the post labeled portrait in frustration. What do you see Telesis -- the significance. Well of -- it's not unusual for a war cabinet meeting to have this number of experts what caught my -- was that the president's senior adviser. David Axelrod in the president's press secretary Robert Gibbs were in this war -- meetings that is highly unusual for my experience I can't remember. Either of the Bush Administration or from my discussions with. People who conservative President Bush forty woman. There was -- that you had a political aide. In your Press Secretary in his war cabinet meetings that you know -- there's a lot. You don't want to put your Press Secretary in a place where he is. Heard information that he gets asked about. And either has to disable mislead -- all of people who press asked him about it. It's just the usual to have the president's chief political adviser sitting in war -- media you know I handled the political responsibilities inside the bush White House. And I was never had a war cabinet meeting that I thought that was -- policy well so when Rahm Emanuel is dispatched to go out on television it and and you know make the case for you know that their feelings about the Afghan war what do you think that's all about I mean that those decisions. Our I thought out well in advance he goes on television with a purpose right. Yeah I look at at I don't regret the White House and he delta chief of staff to explain where they are on the war. What gets me is it every member of the Obama high command feels obligated to begin with sacred to -- us. And misleading slap at their predecessor I mean you know is that the Bush Administration fought the war in Afghanistan to depose the Taliban. -- a lot of hard work in order to insert a constitution bring about a democracy. Take a look at what this administration's done they have destabilize the Afghan government by saying you know what we're not certain if Karzai is a good partner for us in the but the Obama administration send in James Carville. Democrat party operative in order to handle the campaign of Karzai's opponent. And then they expressed surprise when -- trying to cut side deals with the remaining warlords and regional powers and Afghanistan. In -- make sure that he has a power base -- the Americans pull the rug out from underneath him I mean. It's really unusual that this administration is so quick to criticize the Bush Administration would they are. The -- there are really destabilizing the regime in Afghanistan and a fundamental way. Karl Rove Fox News contributor and former senior vice President Bush thank you."