Posted on 04/10/2008 3:29:25 PM PDT by tobyhill
BAGRAM, Afghanistan — U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan now top 32,000, the highest number of American forces in the country since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban.
The rise in force levels is a response to an increasingly violent insurgency that is spreading into new parts of the country. The top American commander in Afghanistan has requested three more brigades — about 7,500 more troops — and the Pentagon has promised that more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan next year.
Following the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, the U.S. had fewer than 10,000 troops in the country, and no real troop presence in the volatile south. But troop levels have been rising steadily the last two years as violence has increased.
"What has become clear as the insurgency has picked up steam over the last year or two is that increasing number of forces are needed to clear and hold territory," said Seth Jones, an analyst with the RAND Corp. who follows Afghanistan. "In fact, I think a signifcant number more are needed. I would like to see those U.S. numbers come up."
In the fall of 2006, on the five-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion, Afghanistan had 40,000 international troops. Today, that number is almost 70,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
I thought that the Taliban was toppled with very few US troops? Since that was the case, the choice of the frame of reference is meaningless since any significant US troop presence would by-definition be greater than "when the Taliban was toppled".
It’s pointless to have people there when we allow the scum to live over the border. Something must change.
Yeah, are boys are fighting to protect socialism. F that
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