U.S. Readying Afghan Surge Against Taliban

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U.S. Readying Afghan Surge Against Taliban

By Jason Straziuso and Rahim Faiez - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Jan 3, 2009 13:48:47 EST

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — The U.S. is preparing to pour at least 20,000 extra troops into southern Afghanistan to cope with a Taliban insurgency that is fiercer than NATO leaders expected.

The new troops will augment the 12,500 NATO soldiers — mainly British, Canadian and Dutch — in what amounts to an Afghan version of the surge in Iraq.

New construction at Kandahar Air Field foreshadows the upcoming infusion of American power. Runways and housing are being built, along with two new U.S. outposts in Taliban-held regions of Kandahar province.

And in the past month the south has been the focus of visiting U.S. and other dignitaries — Sen. John McCain, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, U.S. congressional delegations and leaders from NATO headquarters in Europe.

For the first time since NATO took over the country in 2006, an experienced U.S. general, Brig. Gen. John Nicholson, is assigned to the south.

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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/ap_afghan_surge_010209/%2e