US general may ask for more troops for Afghan war

[laststeamtrain]

Source: AP

US general may ask for more troops for Afghan war

By ANNE GEARAN and LARA JAKES (AP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — The U.S. general in charge of turning around the war in Afghanistan is likely to recommend significant changes to U.S. and NATO operations, and may ask for additional U.S. troops despite political headwind against further expansion of the war, military officials and others familiar with his forthcoming report said.

As Gen. Stanley McChrystal readies his assessment of the war, due next month, numerous U.S. officials and outsiders apprised of his thinking suggest McChrystal will request more American troops, probably including Marines, to be added next year.

Officials and advisers spoke on condition of anonymity because the report is not complete, and because the number of forces to be requested is in flux. Several people familiar with the report cautioned that McChrystal could opt not to ask for an increase at all — a recognition that President Barack Obama and other White House advisers would not look favorably on adding new numbers to U.S. forces after already agreeing to boost their ranks by 21,000 troops earlier this year.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iqyaFh_efr-brDq0rMLF1hkop0tgD99PA6400

[Union Yes]

1. If we send 1 more troop to war, I will never vote for a Dem ever again.

[saigon68]

5. Gen WasteMoreLand =Redux 2009 and beyond

I have seen this before.

A very bad dream.

I think of boys I knew 41 years ago who are dead.

I think about their mothers who cried for years until they too passed away.

I think of the children they never had. The birds they never fed. The lovers they never had. The sunsets they never saw.

I think of the sons of my generation, my youngest son, who I believe went off to this stoopid War and who came back from that Hell Hole 3 weeks ago, to prove he was no coward or shirker like Cheney, Bush and so many others , of my generation.

Its time to get the boots out again and march to end this cluster-fuck. Obama if you or some of your people are listening, the old guys and gals are coming to get you to stop this madness.

You will be a one term president.

[Hubert Flottz]

8. And then there was...

1989: Soviet troops pull out of Afghanistan

Soviet troops are withdrawing from Afghanistan, nine years after they swept into the country.

A convoy of Soviet armored vehicles traveled the 260-mile (418km) journey to the USSR border while other soldiers left aboard an Ilyushin 76 transport aircraft.

Earlier, the Soviet government had announced the departure of the last troops although snow had delayed a five-day airlift from the Afghan capital Kabul.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/15/newsid_4160000/4160827.stm

The Bear once went over the mountains, into Afghanistan and came back with an adjusted attitude.

The superpower that once was, bled itself to death for nine years and never "Won".

The Soviets had to transport troops and supplies 260 miles to support their forces deployed in Afghanistan and they couldn't "Win".

What did that war in Afghanistan cost the USSR?

1991: Gorbachev resigns as Soviet Union breaks up

Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union for almost seven years and executive president for nearly two, has stepped down from office.

He announced his resignation in a 10 minute speech, broadcast live on television, as the Soviet Union passed into history.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/25/newsid_2542000/2542749.stm


Yet another "Quagmire" waiting to happen...and that quagmire already has one "giant's" defeat on it's "won" loss record.

[irislake]

9. And?

Does this mean you will vote for Ralph?

[followthemoney]

13. If the Democrats were concerned at all about democracy...

The thought of voting based on policy rather than party would cease to be the motivational terror that it is now. The Democrats have the control of the government now and, if they chose to, they could push for a change in this nation's two party tyranny. I won't list the changes here but one would have to be blind or indifferent to not have encountered them, even on DU.

Remember, Al Gore won in Florida in 2000, notwithstanding the velvet coupe, and the election wouldn't have even been close if 300,000 Dumb Ass Democrats would have voted for Nader INSTEAD of George W. Bush. We have too many people in this party who vote for Republicans and for Democrats who vote like Republicans. Until the Democratic Party gets a little ideological purity, Democratic wins won't guarantee democratic policy.

The problem is much bigger that just getting a Democratic president and Congress.

[BunkerHill24]

22. "The problem is much bigger that just getting a Democratic president and Congress"

Nail meet hammer! Indeed, our elected officials have an ear for big contributors....you and I are just the "little people" who go out and vote on election night...

[laststeamtrain]

14. This would be funny if you add the 'sarcasm' thingie.

:sarcasm:

You're making fun of people who say things like this, right?

[Flaneur]

15. Possibly. Or some other non-imperial candidate.

Voting for the left wing of the Single Unified Capitalist War Party is not very satisfying.

[dipsydoodle]

2. This would be more than two presumably

:sarcasm:

Doubtless the UK will do the same eventually to help further ensure that New Labour is/are consigned to history at our next general election June 2010.

[unhappycamper]

3. GO WESTY!!!!!

Er, Stanley.

We've seen this before, Folks.

[prostomulgus]

4. The important phrase here is:

"President Barack Obama and other White House advisers would not look favorably on adding new numbers to U.S. forces..."

Don't worry about it, folks. We elected a great president! Have faith in the man.

[Mari333]

6. stop. just stop.

[Blandocyte]

7. the "more troops" idea

didn't work out for the Soviets.

[pjt7]

10. What the F is wrong with our Nation

It's up to the press to start reporting 24/7 about the Heroin trade & Karzi's connection with it.

[gorfle]

11. Less is more.

Get out. Stop this pathetic warmongering.

[Romulox]

12. So wait. Is the surge working or not? nt

[Flaneur]

16. Well, US and NATO soldier deaths are surging.

75 this month, and the day isn't over. That's 2 1/2 times as many as were killed this month last year. And wait for August.

[KakistocracyHater]

17. Berlin food drop instead, less expensive than bombs, better method of

restoring Afghan society. Give foodstuffs & medicine & other everyday supplies like local-made things that can't travel safely on the roads: airship them, courtesy U.S.

[gimama]

18. Somewhere, I read yesterday...

An Afghan leader said, "send us 30,000 educators. Send us 30,000 engineers. We do not need 30,000 more Soldiers"...
Please call/write elected employees & demand they BRING 'em HOME, NOW!

[Turborama]

19. Afghanistan commander General Stanley McChrystal to call for more US troops

Source: The Times (UK)

The top US commander in Afghanistan is on a collision course with the White House after it emerged that he plans to ask for more American troops to bolster dangerously under-resourced operations there.

General Stanley McChrystal was brought in as the Nato commander in Afghanistan after the unprecedented dismissal of his predecessor, General David McKiernan, who had successfully pressured the Administration to deploy 21,000 extra troops in the current Afghan “surge”.

General McChrystal was appointed in the belief that he would bring more unconventional thinking to the Afghan battlefield — in particular, that he would not ask for more troops, preferring to stick with a “lighter footprint” model of counter-insurgency operations. But advisers who worked with him on a 60-day strategic review of Afghan operations, the first drafts of which emerged this week, say that General McChrystal concluded that more US troops would be needed to support a vast parallel surge in the number of Afghan security forces fighting the Taleban.

Anthony Cordesman, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, who spent a month in Afghanistan on behalf of the advisory board, argued that without a doubling in the number of Afghan troops the conflict could be lost. Significantly increasing Afghan forces would require a major bolstering of the existing coalition force to provide enough troops to train and support them. “If you don’t provide these resources and additional brigade combat teams, effectively the Afghan security forces, unless we are prepared to commit those resources ... it’s going to lose,” Mr Cordesman told a briefing on his return to Washington this week.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6735640.ece

[BunkerHill24]

20. Stupid, stupid, stupid idea

No matter how many troops you put on the ground, you continue to be unwelcomed occupier.

[grahamhgreen]

21. How many Americans should die for the Islamic republic we set up in Afghanistan?