More Troops Heading to Afghanistan?

[Orwellian_Ghost]

EXCLUSIVE: More Troops a Possibility for Afghanistan

August 03, 2009 7:46 PM

ABC's Senior Foreign Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz reports on tonight's World News that seven of the most powerful defense and military officials in the U.S. met in secret to discuss a troop increase in Afghanistan. The meeting was attended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, Centcom Commander David Petraeus, General Stanley McChrystal, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, Commander Admiral James Stavridis and Deputy Commander in Afghanistan LTG Dave Rodriguez.

McChrystal was recently put in charge of troops in Afghanistan, and defense sources tell ABC News that his assessment team suggested a dramatic increase in troops -- 4 to 6 brigades during 2010. That's equivalent to anywhere from 12,000 to 27,000 additional troops deployed to Afghanistan next year. Those troops would be in addition to the more than 20,000 troops already approved by President Obama.

Violence in Afghanistan is at an all time high -- July was the worst month since the war began with 76 troops killed. A U.S. military official tells ABC that for more troops to head to Afghanistan, the drawdown from Iraq would have happen faster than currently planned.

McChrystal is currently doing an assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. Later this month he will present his final assessment to Gates which will include several options.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/08/exclusive-even-more-troops-for-afghanistan.html

[Ilsa]

1. Hubby's cousin's son is heading over there now for nine months, I think.

He does helo repair, but since he's army, he'll do whatever the hell they tell him to do.