More than 17,000 Troops Headed to Afghanistan
The Obama administration is expected to announce by the end Tuesday that it will send one Army brigade and a large Marines expeditionary force.

FOXNews.com

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
President Obama is immediately sending more than 17,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the White House announced Tuesday.

"This reinforcement will contribute to the security of the Afghan people and to stability in Afghanistan," Obama said in a statement. "I recognize the extraordinary strain that this deployment places on our troops and military families. I honor their service, and will give them the support they need."

Of the 17,000 plus troops, 10,000 will be Marines stationed in the South; one Army Striker brigade comprised of 3,800 troops; 1,000 Special Operations Force trainers and 3,200 force enablers.

The troop increase is a down payment on a larger influx of U.S. forces that has been widely expected this year. It would get a few thousand forces in place in time for the increase in fighting that usually comes with warmer weather and ahead of national midyear elections.

A spokesman for Gen. David McKiernan told FOX News that they had already started to build camp barracks for the troops in anticipation of the announcement -- knowing how sensitive the timing is given the spring fighting season.

It is generally takes about three months for an Army brigade to deploy to the combat zone.

This is the first time the new commander in chief has sent significant numbers of new forces into battle. Obama campaigned on a new strategy for the Afghanistan war, but he has taken his time to approve the new forces.

Boy, how times change. The new prez of Pakistan was the huband of Ms. Bhutto before the taliban blew her up. He says to questions about his commitment to control them "They killed my wife, the mother of my children, how do you think I feel about them?" He has recently mounted a fully armed and co-ordinated miliitary effort to take control of the "tribal areas". We should wish him luck. The people there generally disapprove of his ties to us. Karzi in Afghanistan is another story. Generally known for corruption and being virtually powerless outside his front step,he just signed a deal with the taliban granting them virtual sovereignty in some areas. Just the opposite of above. These just ain't chess pieces being moved around. The taliban beats women in public and has dynamited hundreds (!) of schools. Madrasas for boys and no schools at all for girls will be the rule. Daily beheadings. A real nightmare for the people there. Sending 17,000 more troops seems like an excellent idea. Who knows.

The new forces represent the first installment on a larger influx of U.S. forces widely expected this year. Obama's decision would get several thousand troops in place in time for the increase in fighting that usually comes with warmer weather and ahead of national elections in August.

The additional forces partly answer a standing request from the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, who has sought as many as 30,000 additional U.S. forces to counter the resurgence of the Taliban militants and protect Afghan civilians.

The United States has slightly more than 30,000 troops in Afghanistan now.

The new units are a Marine Expeditionary Brigade unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C., and an Army Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis in Washington state.

Ahead of his first foreign trip, Obama told a Canadian news organization that the United States will seek a more comprehensive, diplomatic approach to Afghanistan, where the U.S. has been engaged in war since 2001.

"I am absolutely convinced that you cannot solve the problem of Afghanistan, the Taliban, the spread of extremism in that region solely through military means," the president said in a White House interview with Toronto-based Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Obama is scheduled to make a quick day trip to Ottawa on Thursday.
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