"Frustration over Obama's Afghanistan war policy," written by Lara Jakes expresses a hope that Obama will send more troops to Afghanistan in order to help defeat the Taliban and its allies. House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton said, "The last administration allowed itself to be distracted from the fight forced on us in Afghanistan by the fight it chose in Iraq. I believe that this was a strategic mistake, robbing the war in Afghanistan of the necessary resources and resulting in an approach of 'half-ass it and hope.' We cannot afford to continue that policy." Strong opinions are obvious, although one point to remember is one of the platforms Obama ran on-extracting troops on a concrete deadline.
Obama has already gone back on that platform. There will be 68,000 troops there by the end of the year. This will recieve media attention, and possibly a controversy. Most Presidents go back on something they claimed to stand for at one time or another; however, with the current mess over healthcare reform, the Democrats can't afford more bad press with House elections coming up.
One senior military official said stepping up airstrikes will be more complicated and more dangerous without added forces. Without more troops, coalition forces will be able to secure fewer regions, and the insurgents will only have to move to the areas troops vacate. How will Obama handle this testy situation is yet to be seen. A request for more troops is in the process of being sent to the White House and depending on how the President reacts will determine if a more in depth Congressional debate will occur.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
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