have you always been with me

it seems as if in a dream

to look upon you and wonder

how happy i could seem

have you been inside

deep down inside my heart

where i could hide yet

you got the better part

have you always been with me

it seems as if it is true

from the earth i am bound

my heart lives within you

  Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night that all the 33,000 additional U.S forces he ordered to Afghanistan in December 2009 will be home within 15 months.

In a nationally televised address from the East Room of the White House, Obama said 10,000 of the "surge" forces would withdraw by the end of this year, and the other 23,000 would leave Afghanistan by September 2012.

Calling the deployment of the surge "one of the most difficult decisions that I've made as president," Obama said the military campaign was "meeting our goals" in Afghanistan and the drawdown would begin "from a position of strength."

"Al Qaeda is under more pressure than at any time since 9/11," Obama said. "Together with the Pakistanis, we have taken out more than half of al Qaeda's leadership. And thanks to our intelligence professionals and special forces, we killed Osama bin Laden, the only leader that al Qaeda had ever known. This was a victory for all who have served since 9/11."

At the same time, Obama said the Afghanistan drawdown and the simultaneous winding down of the war in Iraq would help the United States begin to refocus attention and resources on efforts to resolve economic and other problems and to unify a politically divided nation.

"America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home," the president said.

The troop withdrawals from Afghanistan will begin next month, as Obama promised when he ordered the surge in a speech 18 months ago at the U.S Military Academy at West Point, New York.  U.S. Defense Secretary Gates Visits Afghanistan

After the departure of all the surge forces, the total U.S military deployment in Afghanistan will be slightly fewer than 70,000 troops.

Obama's time frame will give U.S commanders another two "fighting" seasons with the bulk of U.S forces still available for combat operations.

  2011 Jun 21 President Obama has made his decision about the size and pace of the initial U.S pullout from Afghanistan.

White House officials confirmed today that he will announce his plan tomorrow evening in a nationally televised address.

Obs Nytt på I saw it comin´...               The lyrics to America's best-known World War One song, Over There.

Written by George M. Cohan in 1917.

Over There

Johnnie, get your gun,
Get your gun, get your gun,
Take it on the run,
On the run, on the run.
Hear them calling, you and me,
Every son of liberty.
Hurry right away,
No delay, go today,
Make your daddy glad
To have had such a lad.
Tell your sweetheart not to pine,
To be proud her boy's in line. 

Johnnie, get your gun,

Get your gun, get your gun,

Johnnie show the Hun
Who's a son of a gun.
Hoist the flag and let her fly,
Yankee Doodle do or die.
Pack your little kit,
Show your grit, do your bit.
Yankee to the ranks,
From the towns and the tanks.
Make your mother proud of you,
And the old Red, White and Blue. 

Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there -
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum-tumming
Ev'rywhere.
So prepare, say a pray'r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We'll be over, we're coming over,
And we won't come back till it's over
Over here.

  Thanks so much for your messages Sweetheart...Kinda busy since morning. We are attacked today by the Afghanistan rebels..

After much fight and gun exchanges and battle..it was calm ..We have to stay out there at the mountain for hours. One of my Boyz was Shoot in the leg... He´s in Hospital now...When i figure it out that the situations of the war has calm..i have to return back to office.. and give a medical report... I'm so sorry for replying you lately today. I'm kinda Super busy all day, as there are presure on us after OSAMA death.We are instructed to be at close watch due to his Killing..I am just coming to the Office now after 15 hours out on the Mountain.

How are you doing sweetheart ? How was your day ? did you have fun out there? ..What have you been doing since yesterday? Have a wonderful Night Rest...

Thinking about you here ..

Nu regnar det... och regnar... inte bara "Cats & Dogs" utan förvisso ock insipprande nyheter från världen utanför (almost forgotten) - den man tillhört i mer än ett halvsekel... and all of that really meant nothing to me...

Men visst gör det väl det...? Det riktig rycker i den gamla cirkushästen.. let your charger charge!

För visst är det väl så att man är ute och tafsar igen, här ska styras upp... i den synbara demokratins namn... å det att intet ska vara ogjort i alla hel- och halvgarderingar...

Här gäller se till att folket röstar rätt! Precis som förra gången... när manegen skulle krattas... Det sket sig direkt! Folket tycker nämligen inte om pekpinnar, särskilt inte de där övertydliga... Varför skylla på "klubbarna" och byta bort erfarenhet och kunskap... och kalla det "föryngring"...? Påminner om s.k föryngringsytor i skogen -  kalhyggen anger vad det är fråga om!

Tyvärr måste man ta till rena kryptiken... eländet är väl inte officiellt bevars... Men rätt skakande än då på något vis, sätter aktuell belägenhet i blixtbelysning... En riksorganisation med verksamhetsmonopol, mer självbelåten än någonsin, alltmer hjälplös i att begripa sig själv, sin historik och sitt uppdrag.

  Although we detest problems, they are often blessings in disguise. Unknown to you, what you view as a problem today may be the only link with your miracle or breakthrough.....

As a Christian, if you are facing a big problem right now, you should be rejoicing because, one day, you will give your testimony and the whole world will rejoice with you. You are not single out for a problem. You are singled out for a testimony. If there is no problem, there will be no testimony. The challenge you have today is to allow God to convert your problem to a testimony.

  Det står idag i DN om mansrollen - och om moderna mäns svårigheter att få ihop´et - dvs både vara en riktig karl (högt ställda förväntningar på sån´t, konstaterar Yours Truly belåtet!) - och på att samtidigt kunna visa ömma och nobla känslor... Så spännande!

Dagens Modell - typ företags-VD eller nygolfad börsmäklare - har svårt att tända någon glimt i ögat... ivf här.. Verkar inte vara just något att hålla i när åskan går...

Här innehas ett komplicerat förhållande till Männen - rent teoretiskt må skyndsamt tilläggas... så inte folk får fel ideér om vad som rör sig i skallen på en 65-årig mormor... Om jag inte missminner mig, så har det alltid varit så här... beroende på knasig uppväxt, gissningsvis... Här gillas Män - som ser ut och beter sig som filmhjältar... Förresten är det ärftligt, så Yours Truly behöver visst inte ursäkta sin icke-politiskt korrekta hållning - mina döttrar är likadana, även om de skulle förneka detta tills de är blåa i nyllet, - och mormor också. Så det så...

Idealmannen är ungefär en Med. Doctor som kan backa med tvåaxlat släp, typ... eller varianter på samma tema... F ö får man söka tröst och igenkännande i den högre litteraturen: And she eyed his huge frame with critical appraisal... (Steinbeck) - Suck, det var enklare förr...