Obama Leaning Toward 34,000 More Troops for Afghanistan

[Better Believe It]

Obama Leaning Toward 34,000 More Troops for Afghanistan
by Jonathan S. Landay, John Walcott and Nancy A. Youssef
November 7, 2009

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is nearing a decision to send more than 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year, but he may not announce it until after he consults with key allies and completes a trip to Asia later this month, administration and military officials have told McClatchy.

As it now stands, the administration's plan calls for sending three Army brigades from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky. and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. and a Marine brigade, for a total of as many as 23,000 additional combat and support troops.

Another 7,000 troops would man and support a new division headquarters for the international force's Regional Command (RC) South in Kandahar, the Taliban birthplace where the U.S. is due to take command in 2010. Some 4,000 additional U.S. trainers are likely to be sent as well, the officials said.

The officials, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss internal administration planning, cautioned that Obama's decision isn't final, and won't be until after administration officials discuss it with the NATO allies at a Nov. 23 meeting of the alliance's North Atlantic Council and its Military Committee.

Although the administration privately is holding out little hope of persuading Canada or the Netherlands to abandon their plans to withdraw combat troops, much less getting additional allied troops, it wants to avoid creating the impression - at home and abroad - that the U.S. "is going it alone" in Afghanistan, said one military official.


ESCALATION OF OBAMA'S WAR: Barack Obama salutes as US soldiers carry the coffin of US Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin at Dover Air Force Base on October 29, 2009.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/11/07-5

[JanusAscending]

1. PURE SPECULATION at this point in time!

They don't KNOW what he is going to do yet! I'm not sure he's made any decision yet! Why don't we just cool our jets and wait to see what HE has to say???

[Better Believe It]

4. You're right! Actually President Obama is going to wind down the wars and bring all the GI's home.

Is that what you're waiting for?

President Obama's troop withdrawl from Iraq/Afghanistan announcement?

Sure. And the sun will rise in the west.

How is this for a prediction .... if the economy isn't a whole lot better in 2012 and people have not seen any benefits from the private insurance industry health care bill it's likely President Obama will be a one term President.

Is that just to "wild" for you comprehend?

[JanusAscending]

9. You, and you're attitude

is what is "too hard to comprehend" for me. Go eat worms! Maybe you forgot, but we are already drawing down in Iraq! Don't even talk to me about Afghanistan....I have a young Grand daughter serving over there as we speak!!

[Better Believe It]

23. I hope your Grand daughter doesn't lose her life in vain like so many others.

"but we are already drawing down in Iraq!"

And they are being relocated to Afghanistan! Now that's progress!

"Don't even talk to me about Afghanistan....I have a young Grand daughter serving over there as we speak!!"

So what's your point, that I and others should urge the military to keep her in harms way and not demand that the Obama administration being her home?

One would think a caring and loving relative would want her brought home now!

Why should she lose her life or limbs for a unworthy and unjust war?

[Aramchek]

2. you just can't stand that HCR passed the House yesterday, can you?

had to find something to throw at Obama, in your frustration.

[vaberella]

3. Secret Santas again?! Right, I'll wait for an announcement,thanks. n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

5. I just assume anonymous sources on this subject are aides to General McChrystal

[burning rain]

6. I sure hope Lyndon doesn't wreck his presidency in Vietnam.

.

[rollingrock]

7. I thought the Nobel was supposed to encourage

Obama to move towards peace? I guess that didn't work out so well.

(I don't doubt the story to be true. He did campaign on a platform of escalating the war, after all.)

[JanusAscending]

8. NO HE DID NOT!

He promised to bring them home from Iraq, so that we could concentrate on cleaning up bushes mess in Afghanistan! Never said he wanted to "escalate" the war at all. Show me, in print,from a reliable source, where he ever said he wanted to "escalate the war" !!! Remember now, he voted against the Iraq war right at the start! Go ahead if you want, blame him for all of shrub's failures why don't cha!!

[IndianaGreen]

10. Obama was not in Congress during the IWR vote

The situation in Afghanistan is far worse than what it was when Obama was campaigning for President. The situation is lost!

[JanusAscending]

11. I didn't say he was! I said he was against it!

I know he was still an Illinois Pol. I agree that the situation is worse, and I really wish he would wind it down, and soon!! I however, trust him to make the right decision....when he's ready. Not when the "pundents" and naysayers think he should.

[IndianaGreen]

14. 'Remember now, he voted against the Iraq war right at the start!'

Your quote!

Obama already made the wrong decision when he put the "cut bait" option off the table.

[JanusAscending]

16. Read my correction in post below!

Couldn't wait to jump on me could ya! LOL I guess many of our DUers would have been able to run a campaign as well as he did, win a historical election, walk right into that oval office, and have the ANSWERS TO EVERY PROBLEM that even HE didn't know about!! Thank you George Bush for yoooour oh so open Govt.!!! Sure you could have...you know everything!!

[IndianaGreen]

18. I encourage you to read the article at the link provided below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x494449

[JanusAscending]

19. Thanks.....good article,

and I fully concur. I however am not going to "second guess" our President. I think he knows what is necessary, and will make the correct choice. I trust his judgement...not so much his advisers though. I pray our kids all get out of there soon, and in one piece!!

[IndianaGreen]

20. I lived under Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam War. I don't trust Presidents when it comes to war.

And this one in particular, has already made a fatal error by putting peace off the table.

[Truth2Tell]

13. Why do you consider McClatchy an unreliable source?

:shrug:

They are a highly respected news agency. They were one of the only mainstream news services to report critically and accurately on Bush's Iraq War run-up. Their report here is extremely detailed. It's hugely unlikely they would report that level of detail without some good sourcing IMO.

[JanusAscending]

17. Their sources were "off the record"

or could it be that they can read minds? If that were the case, why even wait for him to tell us what he's going to do? To me, it's still pure speculation, much in the manner of Chris Matthews reporting, which I get so sick of.

[JanusAscending]

15. Sorry for one error...

He didn't "vote" against it, but openly stated he was against it.

[rollingrock]

21. He campaigned on putting more troops in Afghanistan

to me that means an escalation. the problem is, he doesn't seem to be doing much of anything to clean up Bush's mess in Afghanistan. Instead, there seems to be a continuation of the Bush policy under Obama. Obama has kept on the same inept generals and advisors that were under Bush, for example. At a time when the economy is broke, we can ill afford a major expansion into another pointless war. I hope the story isn't true, but I think it very likely is.

[tomm2thumbs]

12. say... isn't that how many tea baggers showed up to protest in DC?

hmmmm... I have an idea

[grantcart]

22. The idea that this White House which has been absolutely resolute on

not leaking information would orchestrate a multi leak trial balloon to McClatchy Newspapers is a welcome comic addition to an otherwise contentious Sunday.