US to send 45,000 more troops to Afghanistan?
I hope this story is true. The Brits have committed to sending an additional token force of 500 troops and it looks like the timing of the commitment was to coincide with the US troops build up. It is clearly the smartest thing to do. Hopefully the administration will be that smart.President Barack Obama's administration is understood to have told the British government that it could announce, as early as next week, the substantial increase to its 65,000 troops already serving there.
The decision from Mr Obama comes after he considered a request from General Stanley McChrystal, the US commander in Afghanistan, to send tens of thousands of extra American troops to the country.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, said: "I don't want to put words in the mouths of the Americans but I am fairly confident of the way it is going to come out."
An announcement next week could coincide with a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia, due next Thursday and Friday.
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After completely ignoring Afghanistan for 8 years while they wandered aimlessly in the Iraqi desert, the conservatives are all hot to start sending troops there.
ReplyDeleteOne has to ask, "Where were have all those troops been the last 8 years while the Taliban has been regrouping from the beating they took at the start of the Afghan war..remember, Tora Bora??
It humorous to watch all the Republican Congressmen...who could have sent as many troops as Bush would have asked for while he was president...act like they can't wait a moment longer.
Hey Republicans, it took you 8 years to wake up and realize there was a worsening situation
in the country you invaded...and then abandoned..so you could hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.