President Obama Approves 17,000 Troops for Afghanistan
And, Soon, to Make Decisions Regarding Iraq
The president's decision came on the same day the United Nations announced a significant increase in civilian deaths in Afghanistan. According to the UN, the number of civilians killed in Afghanistan jumped 40 percent. The UN said the number of civilian deaths increased from 1,523 to 2,118, a record increase. More than half of these deaths were caused by the Taliban and other militants. This seems to make all the more relevant President Obama's statement that the troops are needed to "stabilize a deteriorating situation."
Obama's approval of the military leaders' request includes the deployment of a Marine Expeditionary Brigade and an Army Stryker Brigade and support forces. The Marine Expeditionary Brigade is speculated to deploy in the spring. The other troops will not deploy until later this summer.
President Obama has often alluded to his opinion that Afghanistan has become a "safe haven" for terrorists. Many hope the increased presence of American troops in Afghanistan will both help stabilize the civil turmoil taking place there and ensure greater safety for other nations potentially facing the threat of terrorist attacks.
In related news, President Obama is speculated to be making a decision in a matter of weeks regarding a cut-back of U.S. troops in Iraq. During the campaign, Obama pledged to pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq within sixteen months. Many view his decision regarding Afghanistan as a first step toward fulfilling this promise. According to a senior White House administration official, President Obama is expecting to make a decision "not within days or months, but weeks."
Sources:
Agence France-Presse (AFP), "17,000 US troops to Afghanistan: Obama" , AFP
Jason Straziuso, "UN says Afghan civilian deaths jumped 40 percent" , Associated Press
Reuters, "U.S. to decide in weeks, 'not months' on Iraq troop cuts" , Reuters.com
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- President Obama approved a request for increased US troops in Afghanistan.
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8 Comments
Post a CommentThe end result is we have made a new generation of terrorists. Notice how there is little coverage of the civilian deaths unlike there was in Viet Nam? 70% of the American people want this war over, and we could have saved billions for our economy by simply ending it promptly, and leaving the career army, intelligence and diplomats to track down bin Laden while our troops come home. How can you win against any enemy that's entire belief system is based on the fact that dying for their jihad is what earns their right in heaven. Pull our troops off their borders and put them on our own. There is a war brewing down South with those drug cartels that are spilling over on Arizona's borders, and if we don't do something soon, we will have the first war since the civil war on U.S. soil.
I hate to say this, but we need a draft. We need to flood these middle eastern hotbeds like we invaded France and Germany in WWII. We need to clean the taliban out of Afghanistan AND Pakistan now.
Nice work. Thanks.
great job on this report
Good reporting. Thanks.
Moving them from one place to another but he is still going to take them from Iraq what the people just missed was they will just go back again to another place. Still war though isn't it.
Great article. Thanks for the info!
I wish all the wars were over all ready! great article.